The Chanute times., 1908-12-25

lueSIlC prODlem Ine DOarQ OF CITY lTuSlS
in Philadelphia has undertaken the
erection of model town within two
miles Of the geographical center of
Philadelphia. This community is to
be supplied with heat and light and
hot water from common center, and
the item of rent is to cover total cost
of these conveniences. Briefly, the
plan is to give every family interested
in the enterprise separate and dis
.tinct home of the very highest>charac-
ter at the very lowest rental, and to
apply the greater economic principle
of concentrated power with view to
reducing the cost of heat and light and
hot water to the minimum.
The chief purpose of this novel ex-
pertinent is to earn increased rev.
enues for the Girard estate. Stephen
Girard, in his will, stipulated that not
an inch of land owned by him at the
time of his death should ever be sold,
and the board of city trusts, which rep
resents the city of Philadelphia, the
Girard estate and eight or ten other
estates of quasi-public character, is
forced to utilize to the best possible
advantage miles of land in undesir-
able situations in and about Philadel-
phia and other miles of land in the an
thracite region. The capitalized value
of the Girard estate is now in excess
of $25, 5,O00,0 900, and the income is far
greater than the demands made upon
the estate. Looking far into the fu-
ture, the managers of the board of city
trusts are anticipating the time when
the coal properties owned by the es-
tate will no longer yield fabulous roy
alties, and when the barren acres of
ground in South Philadelphia must be
made to yield more than farm rentals,
and it is to provide revenues with
which to maintain Girard college at its
present standard that this model com.
munity is to be established.
The general plan proposes 1900
houses, like those common to Phila-
delphia, all of which are built with a
view to housing five people to house.
These houses will rent for from $33
to $44 a month, including heat, elec-
trio light and hot water. The tenant
will have to pay for gas, and, for the
present, will have to use gas for cook
ing.
The board of city trusts cannot go
into the gas business because of the
fact that the city of Philadelphia con-
trolls the exclusive right to own and
lease gas plants within the boundaries
of the county. Were it not for this
the houses would be furnished with
gas free, as we'll as electric light, heat
and hot water.
Thirty-six of these houses have al
ready been completed at Seventeenth
and Porter streets, and 81 are in the
course of construction. The CONNER
cial problem to be solved by these 81
houses is whether or not thoroughly
desirable class of tenants can be in
duced to move into the neighborhood
Of Seventeenth and Porter streets,
near which is a large foreign settle
ment, and the location is not favored
with strictly first-class transportation
facilities. The present thought is that
the homes will be so attractive In
construction and equipment that re
spectable families now living in more
desirable parts of the town will take
nm with the new idea OF community
management, and thus change the
complexion Of the whole neighborhood
Prof. Robert Ellis Thompson of the
boys' high school has made a study oi
cooperative housekeeping and com
munity living in all parts of the world
and his idea is that all the problems oi
domestic economy will ultimately be
solved by just such plan as this now
nroposed by the board OF city trusts
extended to include all of the neces
saries of a domestic household.
my idea" said Prof. Thompson, "is
that women should be emancipated
that they should not be burdened with
duties that interfere with their higher
calling. consider housework and
cooking as sciences, and woman has
not a scientific brain. Besides this, She
is too often apt to give us what we Ike
and not what we ought to have. Al
labor should be skilled. and It is the
lack of skilled labor that is at the bot
tom of our domestic difficulties. So yot
can see at once my idea: A centra
kitchen for every certain number o.
houses. where the most skilled chef
win be employed. All food win b
bought at wholesale prices, and ther'
will not be the3ndividual waste tha
now makes living so high. with oui
~-asa,t aiaOant home service. All thu