The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-04
SUGGESTED BY BELLAMY
A "LOOKING BACKWARD" SCHEME
TO BE TRIED NEAR LONDON.
A Tract of 1000 Acres to BE the Seat
of the New Utopia-Close to
British Capital.

1t is no small tribute to the power of the
wave of thought started by Edward Bel
lamy that one ripple from it should have
the credit of starting another very notable
movement here in England within the past
three years. Yet such is the case. With an
array of more than one hundred men and
women of national and even international
repute as vice presidents, and backed by
some of the most notable business men
well as by a membership that showed
their sincerity by subscribing 100000 worth
of stock in very short order, the Garden
City Association can demand respectful
hearing for the proposition they are MAX
ing, which is no less than to build from
the ground up a new sort of city. After
weighing the attractions of the city life
against country life, and finding many
real disadvantages in each, they PROFOUND
scheme wherein the advantages of both
are combined
In this city there is to be no private land
lord, the whole of the land being owned
and controlled by the municipality. All the
the further development of the city and the
benefits shared by all citizens. This will
also allow of the city's being built in COM
hit-or-miss makeshift plan so generally fol-
lowed. Another item in their programme is
that under no conditions should more than
one-sixth Of the land be built upon, and
that each city should be surrounded by an
ample zone CT farming land, as well as
having in its midst large park spaces, with
the houses facing on broad avenues and
LoNDoN's EXAMPLE.
AS illustrating the possibility of this lat
ter plan, Mr.. Northcroft, the secretary of
the Garden City Association, pointed out
hot
paid for a few acres as a site on which to
build workmen's dwellings nearly 100000
| G1,OOO ,o0O), one-quarter of which sum would
be enough to buy 5000 acres of frst-class
| farming land within fifty miles of London
| 1000 acres OF which would be ample TO
build ideal homes and workshops for $4,000
souls, with the best of municipal advan-
| tages, leaving 5000 acres of land for farms
and market gardens. the city being a good
market for the farmers and gardeners
| and the rent from the farms being I'm turn
source of revenue to the city funds. At
the same time, the large park spaces in
the heart of the city, and the considerable
| expanse of field and hedge row which will
surround the city, will make 1T impossible
FOR, Tor any 9y one to live more than few min
| advantage OF a concrete example, they are
| now arranging to build city which shall
present the actual working of the whole
| scheme.
1.-The Garden City Pioneer Company" is
| the title of a strictly business corpora
ton, organized for a philanthropic pur-
and means for the establishment of gar
| den city" Already they have secured
site of more than 1900 acres not far from
London. The contract is all signed, but the
exact location will not be made public till
| the formalties Of "conveyancing' have all
been complied with. Committees of special
lists are now preparing plans which shall
| embody the latest word of science on all
| phases of municipal life. Architecture, en-
| cheering, health, education and domestic
economy have each a separate committee
and as soon as they shall report and their
| schemes be Endorsed by experts the actual
| building will begin. 1t is very probable
| flying and the city taking shape One other
| item of note is the fact that there has been
| of late steady migration of larger indus
| tries from the high rents of the large cities
| to the smaller towns. and quite long list
| of manufacturing concerns have signified
their willingness to remove their plants to
Garden City when IL should be ready
| Such is the rough outline of what may
become a revolution in English industry,
and all of it arose from small book pub
| can build a city by writing a book is one of
| the worlds notable men, and to see Mr.
| Ebenezer Howard. the author of 'To-mor-
row. Cknown in its later editions as Gar
| den Cities Of To-morrow'D, was my privi-
| lege recently.
HOWARD, THE FOUNDER.
The first impression of Mr.. Howard was
quiet, scholarly gentleman, with kndli-
| ness written in every feature, age fifty-five
or whereabouts, with striking resemblance
| in feature, figure and manner to our VIII
| liam Dean Howells.
Mr.. Howard is the head OF a firm OF ex-
| pert stenographers, and personally is one OF
| the leaders in his profession. Whenever a
| royal commission Is appointed or any spe-
cially important evidence or speech is to be
preserved Mr.. Howard has the preference
| His work in taking the evidence before the
| various royal commissions on such ques-
| tons conditions and hours of labor and
| jects has enabled him to become a compe-
| tent authority social questions.
when did first have the idea of Gar
| den Cities? That / could hardly say /
| have been keenly interested in all social
| questions long as / can remember, and
| this present scheme OF Garden Cities has
| come gradually. l do not claim any origin
| atty for my plan; all that i propose has
| been urged before by many thinkers. My
| ordinate the essential necessities OF the
| great problems with methods and means
| that are Immediately feasible under condi-
| lions now living in If / should
speak OF any event more than another
| being the point from which could date the
| beginning of the Garden City idea IL would
| be the reading, in 1890. of a book. Edward
/ Belamy's Locking Backward. which was
| sent to me by an American friend. / read
| made a most profound impression upon
| me So much so that / Immediately went
| to William Reeves. the publisher, and per-
slladed him TO publish an English edition