CHILDREN IN PARKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21277, 2 September 1932, Page 12

CHILDREN IN PARKS

WOMAN SUPERVISOR ORGANISATION OF GAMES RETENTION DECIDED UPON Following protests by the National Council of Women, tho Justices of the Peace Association and the justices of the Children's Court, the City Council last evening decided not .to dispense with the services of the woman supervisor of children's games, as recently proposed by its Finance Committee.

The Parks Committee, to which the proposal bad been referred for a report, stated that it had received two large deputations and had also considered a report by the superintendent of parks, Mr. T. S. Aldridge. It recommended that the position should be retained.

The superintendent, in his report, stated that the supervisor's duties, were to organise and supervise games, such as basketball, cricket and rounders. Members of the deputations appeared to consider that her removal would render the play apparatus in Victoria and Myers Parks unsafe for children. However, the apparatus was unlocked by-the caretakers at 7.30 a.m. on weekdays, was locked at 5 p.m. in the winter arid at dusk in summer, and was under observation all day*. The supervisor attended at Myers Park from 10 a.m. to noon and at Victoria Park from 2 p.m. to 4.50 p.m. on weekdays, including Saturday afternoons and public holidays. In summer she remained until 6.30 p.m. Her hours of work were comparable with those of public school teachers. There was no question of her ability to organise gnmes and her influence upon the children was most marked. It was disappointing to find that few children took advantage of her services. This, no doubt, was duo to lack of co-operation with her on tho part of those bodies which claimed to have the welfare of tho children at heart. If these bodies would organise visits by children to Victoria Park her time would bo fully occupied. Mr. Aldridgo suggested that Victoria Park be made the headquarters and that only occasional visits he-paid by the supervisor to other parks where play apparatus had been or was about to be erected. He also suggested some alterations to the Myers Park apparatus with «i view to making it safer. *