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 it 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 it's
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 a 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
florist and forester. He gave up
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 a
sort of combination Burbank and
Pinchot, because of his love of
trees and flowers.
"You know We Socialists believe
that a city should be planned for
the well-being OF its people," he
say D. NOoL SIliCS just 6IOW. We
believe that good housing and COM
Portable and inexpensive transport
tation would make any city good
place for anybody 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 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
for heavy and for
light traffic, the heavy traffice to
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 we'll as passenger
traffic. Spurs into manufacturing
and business places are to be
built. and little stations will be
provided at intervals. Then dur
ing the night freight will be
hauled at nominal rates. This
would reduce the price of food.
coal, ETC.. and at the same time
help pay the running expenses of
the roads.
The property along the parkway
and parallel street is to be sold
to residents.
The plating places are to be
bought along the rivers and in the
outskirts of the city.
These plats are to be laid out
with trunk thoroughfares for
heavy traffic. Other streets will
be made narrower to save paving
expense. This restricting traffic
to certain thoroughfares is calcu-
lated to make for quiet in resi-
dence sections.
In the center of each plat
little park is to be laid out. with
wading pools. Fairgrounds and
shade trees. No lot is to be mar
rover than so feet. so that with
a 25-foot house % feet of breath
ing space will be allowed between
all houses. |