Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-12-22

The question OF where we nVe ana
how we live is so large share Of the,
other question, "what we are" as well
as the web and wool of life itself that
no one can be Indifferent to these
questions.
In Great Britain and in Europe as
in America, the question is not a SER
ious one as to how or where those
shall live who can pay for what they
want, but everywhere it is becoming
question of the most serious public
concern as to how and where those
shall live who necessarily want what
under present conditions they can
not pay for.
Among the European and British
studies. and adventures in the effort to
secure a rational answer to these
questions, the experiments in garden
cities" now hold the public attention
side by side with the town planning
and municipal dwellings which are
doing so much to make the workers
world more a world Of safety and of
comfort. n
Liverpool has more than 1900 peo-
pie living in publicly owned municipal
dwellings,. Glasgow has more than
$10,0O0,OOO invested in such dwelling
places. Other cities are rapidly fol+
lowing these examples. and in no case
has more than the merest beginning
yet been made in that direction. Blu.
today I want to speak of garden cities
only.
Garden city means a. town built for
the purpose of covering the modern
sanitary requirements of light, air
open space and the garden as part
of every house. Elaborate plans have
been devised and just to the north of
London, the whole problem Of the tac-
tory town, the home town, the self
owned town, that is, the town as the
only landlord, and that the landlord
of all, is now in process of construc-
ton.
But there are several garden cities
already of considerable size, great
beauty and with records of public ad
vantage, sanitary perfection, and of
social progress worthy of our atten-
ton.
It was my privilege recently to
visit New Earswick, near York, ana
Port Sunlight, near Liverpool, and to
spend time enough in their streets,
parks, homes and shops to get a fairly
accurate impression of these model
towns.
AS to the business basis, ! was al
ready familiar with. 1t. 1t Is simply
George Pullman's idea over again. .
They are towns built and owned BY
great manufacturers for the housing
of employees. The disaster Of Pull
man when the ideal of the founder
fell under the control of the money
maker. is no more than the ustlal
misfortune which always overtakes a
tenant when a kindly disposed land-
lord loses control of his own business,
as was the case at Pullman, or the for
tunes of life bring new masters as
the heirs, interested only in incomes,
succeed their fathers, interested also
in some kindly purpose.
So far there is every evidence that
the original purpose of Rowntree, own
er of New Earswick, and the Lever
Bros, owners of Port Sunlight, has
not been outgrown or seriously nodi-
fed.
Anyway, both palces show for how
very little money per family can ideal
dwelling places, even for the poor, be
provided.
1 have seen no places anywhere OF
greater beauty. It was with great
difficulty that l left New Earswick-
Mrs. Mills and our boy were with me
at Port Sunlight and we have fingered
nowhere, either on the continent or IN
Great Britain, to enjoy one more
glance at the beauty which simply
foresight and common sense can place
within the reach of all.
We have seen a good deal Of the
parts said to be the best, OF the
streets, where, as in Berlin, we were
told "this is the street where the 400
have their homes" or palaces, cathe
drals. castles, the, fragmentary ruins
Of the ancient architecture. the places
where tourists wait and watch and
look again. "None of these" said
Mrs. Mills, compare with the simple
quiet beauty. the clean, glad life OF
the healthy and happy lot Of the for
tunate jewellers in the garden city"
Each home has a grass plot in the
front, a small garden in the rear. and