THE LANDOWNER'S OPPORTUNITY.
It would perhaps help to stimulate and maintain the civic sense of the parish to be possessed of land in its own right ; but what matters is that the playground should be available ; and the more landowners who follow such an example as I have quoted, the better. And many more would give if the parishes took up the subject and ventilated it more freely. Every village in England ought to have a permanent com- mittee whose business it is to find playing fields and to see that they are properly used and equipped. An especial duty lies on the Ecclesiastical Commission because they own so very line an acreage of rural land. Unfortunately it is difficult for a large organization to be generous ; but since the church- yard used to be the chief village playground, it would be pleasantly in accordance with precedent if this ecclesiastical body looked more generously than is its wont on the plea for space for village recreation.
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