The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

      

SAN FRANCISCO, Tuesday—If anyone wishes to help advertise United Nations Day and at the same time contribute toward the United Nations Children's Fund, he can do so by wearing one of the new little pins that are now available. These little flags are distributed with the official approval of the U.N., and part of the proceeds will be donated to the Children's Fund. There always has been a great interest in the work carried on in the U.N. for children and I am sure that many people will want to wear these little pins while the educational campaign is going on during this coming month.

When I was in Washington last week I was told that the Gaiety Theatre has been converted into a first-class theatre and that the Theatre Guild is returning to Washington with its plays. A number of other independent productions also have been booked. Washington is a city where there are many people who appreciate the theatre and where there is very little opportunity to see good plays. It also is nice to know that no segregation will be in effect on either side of the footlights.

I was told of another contribution to cultural life in our national capital and this sounds like a very exciting development. The employees of the Department of Agriculture have organized a major symphony orchestra with 100 players, a chorus, and a drama group.

This is a particularly significant development because the Federal government has never taken much interest in recreation for its employees. Even during the war there was no money available to engage trained recreational leaders.

In this particular instance the government has lagged behind many business firms.

I know of one large company which employs a recreation director with a staff of eight or 10 people and budgets $75,000 a year toward the development of recreational facilities for its employees. What- ever has been done in this respect in government service has been initiated by the employees themselves. I think the personnel in the Department of Agriculture have shown great imagination in going ahead on their own and employing an activities director, who has already done outstanding work. They pay the director's salary and whatever expenses are involved in any of the activities.

It would seem that somewhere in the budget for the various departments Congress might be willing to appropriate funds, recognizing that well-planned outside activities are conducive to good work.

E. R.

(WORLD COPYRIGHT, 1950, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART PROHIBITED.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, September 13, 1950

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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