The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-09-07
A WORKMAN's CITY.
From the Edinburgh Rciormer.

From the Edinburgh ReiOrmer.
With this phrase, the relevancy Of whicl
was instantly avouched by the applause o
his hearers, the Earl Of Shaftsbury defined
the project he was called ON to initiate, OIL
Saturday, at Wadsworth. We havt
founded this day, said his lordship, {
Workmen's City and we have founded
it upon the very best principles. These
as the noble Earl went on to explain, were
the principles Of self help and independ
ence-the last being entirely compatible
with the free acceptance OF sympathy and
aid, which every man, great Or small, stands
in need Of from his fellows. Having labor
ed earnestly and strenuOusly for more than
thirty years in advocating domiciliary i'm
prcvement, as the first and best means OF
improving the people, Lord Shaftesbury
above all men, was in his right place when
helping prominently at the foundation Of
dwelling houses, to be erected by the Ar
tisans', Laborers'. and General Dwellings
Company. on ground henceforth to be call
ed the Shaftesbury Park Estate. Glancmg
at the list Of shareholders i'll this company,
organized, Of course, on the limited" sys-
tenn we find more than a hundred leading
names, any one of which would be a stamp
of authenticity on an undertaking 80
humane and economical as the work at
Lavender Hill, Wadsworth A diversity
which might almost be called picturesque
| appears in this notable catalogue. Shout
der TO shoulder in the good work are the
| Bishops Of Chester, Carlisle, Salisbury,
and Winchester Dr Manning and Mr.
Tupper Sir john -lngton, Mr.. Thomas
Hughes, and NJ. Carlyle Mr.. Thomas
! Brassey and Mr. Alfred Tennyson Mr.
! Darwin and the Duke Of Norfolk Mr.
| Ruskin and Mr. Samuel Morley Sir
Charles Wheatstone and the Marquis
Townshend in brief, the representatives
Of all imaginable forms and shades Of
thought and opinion united upon one point
the love of mankind.
The estate on which Mr. Robert Austin,
the company's architect, will erect houses
Of old English design, adapted to modern
requirements. and sufficiently varied to
avoid the monotonOus pattern too often
allowed to mar an extensive building plan,
includes about forty acres, and is situated
midway between Battersea Park and
Chaplain Common. Three classes Of
dwellings, all being separate houses Of
one story, are designed to accommodate
families differing in their need Of room f;
and the number Of these buildings in all
will be upwards Of l 200 Cooperative
stores, schools and class rooms, concert
and lecture hall, library, reading rooms,
workmens club, baths, and a gymnasium
are all amply provided for and there will
vet be left three acres at least Of garden
ground for the healthful recreation Of the
:. citizens great and small The open
spot Will be somewhere near the Gentry, as
the architects plan denotes, and an orch
ard which now forms part Of the building
site is to be obliterated. This, we suppose,
| cannot be helped, as it would be
good thing to have pear-trees
bearing in the very midst Of a we'll
ordered population, Just to show how far
the youth Of the English working class has
advanced beyond orchard -robbing. The
ceremony of laying the memorial stone, on
which was craven the motto Happy
Homes, the best condition Of Social Pro
gress, was performed, as already lntirna-
ted, by the Earl Of SALISBURY, Mr.. Wal
ton, as chairman of the company, presid-
ing. Letters were read from Lord Derby,
Sir Walter Trevelyan, Sir Richard Wal
lace, and several other friends and subscrib-
ers Of the enterprise, eXcusing their per
sonal attendance. Lord Shaftesbury then
addressed the numerous company present,
and congratulated them ON the good results
which were likely to accrue from the work
which they had Just inaugurated. He cor
daily indorsed the principles adopted in
working out the estate, notably the exclus-
| ion Of public houses, and said they were
| founded upon a sound and wise basis. The
dwellings III which large proportion Of
the working classes in the metropolis and
other large cities wore compelled to reside
were simply disgraceful. Instead Of being
homes, they were unhappily often to their
graves" Hear, hear Abiding to the
subject, the noble lord said Imagine a
young man, about twenty years Of age, IN
the prime Of life, coming up from the
country to seek work in London. He may
obtain, perhaps, As much as 35s week
AS matter Of necessity, he takes, as it
were, the first place he can get. The place
is ill-drained and badly ventilated. He
lives over pestilential stream, and in a
few months he Ia numbered with the dead.
and his wife and family came upon the
parish for assistance. Hear, hear There
is nothing 30 economical a. humanity.
Whatever it may cost at the outset, good
air, good water, and no Overcrowding in
close, noisome rooms, will be found the
most economical and best means of devel-
oping the physical and moral energies which
God has given to you. The domicilitory
condition Of the people involves health,
comfort and happiness. 1t involves also
contentment, and people who are content
ed always give Government less trouble
than those who are not. When men are
contented they become excessively reason
able, and the employer and employed find
that their interests are identical. They
must hold together, and by united action
give force TO progress. should like then
to see, from the Queen upon the throne tC
to the lowest in the land, one feeling Of
united sympathy of action, and one and
ali give I" q long pull, strong pull, and q
pull altogether" (Applause.) can only
say that | have been delighted beyond
measure at what have seen to-day. Fol
more than thirty years l have been en-
gagged in advocating this domiciliatory i'm
provement Of the people but it is not By
charitable means the work can be effected
1t must be done by the exertion Of oui
own hearts and hands You must say
"We are Christians, and will live hk,
men," -(Applause.) trust that this vii
be the commencement of great work des
} tined for the advancement of the social
; position Of the people. Tho proceeding
terminated with cordial vote of thanks 3
his lordship, carried amid loud applause.