The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-23
(Third Article.)

of London purchased by the council
was in Norbury. The site is thirty-one
acres in extent and is situated mile
and a quarter beyond the county boun-
Diary. On this tract the council is erect
ing 1852 cottages with accommodations |
for $500 persons The rents will range |
from 81 so to $2.75 week.
The greatest progress has been made
with the Totterdown fields estate, In |
footing. On this tract Of thirty-nine
acres nearly 800 cottages have been |
completed and are occupied, and the /
plans call for a total OF l,244 cot |
tages. In this venture the London |
county council is investing $2,OOO,0OO. |
The cottages are built OF brick and
stucco, with the roofs and cnimneys
surmounted with the inevitable Eng
lish chimney pOt-as, OF course, you
know, there is not wooden structure
in England.
The cottages of footing are built to
stand for hundreds of years, with little
or any external repairs. The streets
are paved, and when an Englishman
paves a street his grandchildren need
not replace it. Let us enter one OF
these cottages.
We will first inspect one which rents
for IL shillings week, or $2SS In our
money. This is corner house, with
light on three sides. In the rear is
yard and garden plot IS by So feet.
Garden truck grows all the year around
In this climate, and many OF the ten
ants of footing have no dificulty In
raising the vegetables required for
their personal use. The housewife has
all of the rooms needed in which to
hang and dry clothes, and her husband
can indulge his Unborn desire to keep
dog. All Of this space is their own to
do with as they please. The clothes are
not covered with SCOT, and the dog is
monarch of all that he surveys.
The cottage is two story one, with
five rooms and a kitchen. The living
room is IL by IL and the parlor 8 by II
feet. The kitchen is about by 10, and
the three bedrooms average 100 square
feet The floors are of hardwood
throughout, and the same is true of the
other woodwork The walls are pa
pered and the ceiling calcimined. The
interior work compares with that OF a
New York or Chicago fiat which rents
at from $50 to $40 month. All of the
rooms have an abundance Of light and
ventilation.
John Jasper, blacksmith, and his
wife, mother and four children live in
this cottage. 1t was holiday, and
most Of the men folks were home. The
blacksmith came to the door and babe
us welcome.
How do you like it here" I asked
when we had looked through all of the
rooms and listened to Mr.. Jaspers
plans for a combined dollhouse and
dog kennel.
IT like it," he said, looking out to
where his children were playing in the
open air. tits all new to me, but ii
would be like going to Jail to have to
go back to the barracks where we lived
in Lambeth. Never knew what it was
to be clean or to breathe fresh air till
we came out here"
Does il cost you more for rent than
it did when you lived in tenement
house?''
1T costs just the same" he said;
'sbut, bless you, look at what we have
now and what we had then. l never
thought when / was boy that the
time would ever come when | woult
live in a house all to myself"
The housing work Of the Londor
county council is under the direc
charge of S. G. Burgess, who has
served as manager since 1901. There il
no civil service-in the American sense
of the word-in England. Therefor
when the county council formed ;
housing department and wished a man
ager they advertised for him. Fo
twenty years Mr.. Burgess had been &C
lively engaged in the construction o
middle class dwellings. He had serve
with distinction as manager of thre
great private companies The Londo
county council decided that he was tn
best man for the place. They therefor
offered Mr.. Burgess a certain salary
and after due consideration he accepte
their offer. He had just completed tn