The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-07-25
BY DOROTHY DALE.


MILWAUKEE. July 25.- The big
dream for Milwaukee reads like a
romance If carried out it would
make of the city overlooking the
clear waters of Milwaukee bay the
garden city Of the north. And the
principal thing about 1t would be
that everyone could afford to live
in garden spots.
The dream is based on the fun.
damental position that the Mil.
waukee Socialists take and that
Mayor Seidel sums up in his mes
sages to the council in the words
The workers of our city are its
most valuable asset"
The deficit in the treasury that
confronts the new party is given as
the biggest argument for carrying
1t through. The Socialists TO farth
er than Deputy Controller Everts
who is not Socialist. and who
says that the present system OF
taxation in cities is not adequate
to furnish funds for proper main
tenance. They say that since this
is so city funds must be raised by
the cities themselves going into
certain public interest businesses
The Socialists of Milwaukee pro
| pose to go into the real estate
| street car, freight and general pub
lie utility businesses.
The dream was explained by
Chas, B. Whitnall, city treasurer
and one of the leading Socialists
Treasurer Whitnall was for years
a florist and forester. He gave w
that business to do banking bust
ness, but, although his later career
has had to do with finances, Wis
cOnsin people speak of him as q
sort of combination Burbank and
Pinchot, because of his love OF
trees and flowers.
you know We Socialists believe
that city should be planned for
the well-being of its people," he
says. Most cities just grow. We
believe that good housing and com.
Portable and inexpensive transpOr-
tation would make any city good
place for anybody to live in.
I'm New York, for instance. they
have spent a great amount of
money for a subway. We don't
like that. We believe it Is better
to let the people ride up In the air
and sunshine and make the freight
go down if anything goes down."
The whole plan is based on a
law passed in the last Wisconsin
state legislature granting cities
the right to buy and sell real es-
tate. The plan is for a parkway
system that shall penetrate to
every part of Milwaukee and a
plating system that shall furnish
ideal little homes easily within
the reach of workingmen.
The parkway plan provides that
the city bup property on certain
routes, two blocks wide. This
would include a center street. For
as the law now exists Milwaukee
people own to the center of the
street their property fronts on.
This street would be widened to
$50 feet from fence to fence. A
center strip 40 feet wide would
be parked with trees. Under the
trees street railway tracks would
be built. and there would be no
paving between tracks to save ex
pense, and because grass is the
best known sponge for dust.
On either side would be paved
thoroughfares for heavy and fol
light traffic, the heavy traffice tC
be kept to the street railway sides
| This would make street car rid
ing like riding in the country.
The street railways are to be
for freight as well as passenger
traffic. Spurs into manufacturing
| and business places are to b'
built. and little stations will b.
provided at intervals. Then dur
| ing the night freight will b.
hauled at nominal rates. Thi
would reduce the price of food
coal, etc, and at the same tim
help pay the running expenses O
the roads.
The property along the parkwa
and parallel street is to be sol
to residents.
| The plating places are to b
bought along the rivers and in tn
outskirts of the city.
These plats are to be laid on
with trunk thoroughfares fc
heavy traffic. Other streets wi
be made narrower to save pawn
expense. This restricting traffi
to certain thoroughfares is Gale
e lated to make for quiet in res
dence sections.
In the center of each plat
, little park is to be laid out, wit
wading pools. Fairgrounds. an
! shade trees. No lot is to be ma
rover than so feet. SO that wit
a 25-foot house % feet of breatl
ing space will be allowed betwee
! all houses.