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9 • nations are considering similar legislation. We arc not. Last year, while gathering data for a new book on the world's children at play, I wrote to one hundred and fifty nations asking them for photos of a few children at play and information about their national games. One hundred nations replied;80 sent photos of children in mass for- mation, most dressed in uniform, but all under the military leadership of an adult barking out orders. Some were doing mindless mass physical exercises. Most were carrying wooden or real guns. I gave up the idea of writing a book on the world's children at play. Perhaps I might write on the world's children at war. Every children's hospital in Sweden is required by law to have a full time play therapy program, with personnel and a playground to back it up. While our National Commission spends time and energy to keep from going down the financial tube, other branches of government are spending millions trying to complete the Children's Island Concrete Playground in the middle of the Anacostia River in time for our Bicentennial Celebration or spending nearly a million dollars building the Playground For All Children in New York, a playground which is tak- ing five years to build and which will take five weeks to be destroyed by the children. Senator Mathais made the central point yesterday in asking for something from the children—responsibility. Responsibilities to go along with their rights. Today, in America, children have little or no opportunity to prove that they can be responsi- ble, little opportunity to prove their worth. Rather than an assest to the family, children are a burden and a financial loss to families and we see no means of chang- ing that—no way to help them become important members of their family or com- munity. I, as a child, was important to my family. During the depression years I brought home money and services to my family starting at the age six.Today, I have pigs and chickens and my children must participate in their well being. The pigs depend on my children and to be honest, my children depend on the pigs as they both require the love and care of each other. Living in and visiting third world countries, I have never seen a child that was not • important to his or her family. Everyone had a role, a job, a responsibility and everyone was vitally important to the family and, naturally, to themselves. How can we develop programs of responsibility while not living on a farm or working in a factory? Many cities in Germany have city farm playgrounds. The children have their own animals for which they are completely responsible. These animals help feed the family or give love or both. By passing a national deposit law on all cans and bottles, children will once again have an incentive to save bottles rather than smash them in the playground. Only by creating more opportunities for allowing children responsibilities such as a kid brother program in the school or "each one teach one" as my daughter is fortunately involved in her school, can children have a prayer of being considered seriously. This Commission must devote some of it's energies to allowing the child to become a worthwile and valuable member of society—not just a consumer statistic for record or toy manufacturers. The British have 250 Adventure Playgrounds which allow the child to play and grow, to work and invent, to build and create, to be alone or seek help when needed. The British spend 95% of their recreation money on people; play leaders who work and play with the children. We spend 95% of our funds on concrete. Even that wouldn't be so bad if we could ever finish what we start. Last week, while in this unnamed western state, the director of Natural Resources told me that they recently had a budget cut in recreation. They had to cut either a golf course or a playground from their program. Guess which one they cut. :5 jam. N { F