The Detroit times., 1910-07-13
SOCIALISTS PLAN
MODEL SYSTEM
Of PARKS
Give Their Ideas to Dorothy Dale,
Times Special Writer, Who Is
Investigating Their Admins
tration in Milwaukee.
They Want to Make Places Of
Recreation More Attractive
Than Saloons.
BY DOROTHY DALE.

MILWAUKEE,, July l3.-The big
dream for Milwaukee reads like a
romance. II carried out 1t would
make of the city overlooking the clear
waters OF Milwaukee bay the garden
city or the north. And the principal
thing about II would be that everyone
could afford to live In garden spots.
The dream Is based on the funda-
mental position that the Milwaukee
Socialists take and that Mayor Sell
del sums up In his messages to the
council In the words, The workers
or our city are Its most valuable as
set"
The deficit in the treasury that con.
fronts the new party Is given as the
biggest argument for carrying 1t
through. The Socialists go farther
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 maintenance. They say that
since this Is so city funds must be
raised by the cities themselves going
into certain public interest business.
The Socialists Of Milwaukee pro-
pose to go into the real estate. street
car. freight and general public utility
business.
The dream was explained by
Charles b Whitnall. city treasurer,
and one OF the leading Socialists.
Burbank and Plnchot Combined.
Treasurer Whitnall was for years
florist and forester. He gave up that
business to do a banking business,
but, although his later career has had
TO do with finances, Wisconsin people
speak OF him as 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
weli-being of It's people," he says.
Most cities just grow. We believe
that good housing and comfortable
and inexpensive transportation would
make any city a good place for any
body to live in.
: In New York, for instance, they
have spent great amount of money
for a subway. We don't like that.
We believe II is better to let the peo-
pie ride up In the air and sunshine
and make the freight go down If any
thing goes down"
The whole plan is based ma law
passed in the last Wisconsin state
legislature granting cities the right
TO buy and sell real estate. The plan
is for a parkway system that shall
penetrate to every part OF Milwaukee
and a plating system that shall fur
nish ideal little homes easily within
the reach OF workingmen.
The parkway plan provides that the
city buy property on certain routes,
two blocks wide. This would include
a center street AS the law now ex-
lists Milwaukee people own to the CEN
ter 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 expense, and because
grass is the best known sponge for
dust
Would Reduce Food Prices.
On either side would be paved thor
oughfares for heavy and for light
traffic, the heavy traffic TO be kept
to the street railway sides. This
would make street car riding like rid
ing In the country.
The street railways are to be for
freight as we'll as passenger traffic.
Spurs into manufacturing and bust
ness places are to be built, and little
stations will be provided at intervals.
Then during the night freight will be
hauled at nominal rates. This would
reduce the price OF food. coal, etc.