Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1912-02-09
FROM SLUM TO COTTAGE.
Prof. Ford Tells How Problem
Was Solved in Garden City,
Enuland.

The many features and advantages of
Garden City, Eng, known throughout
the world as the model suburb, were ex-
planned by Prof. James Ford of Har-
ward yesterday afternoon in the Sunday
afternoon course of civics and economics
at the Boston Young Mems Christian
Union. The lecture was illustrated by
many stereopticon slides.
Among other things DR.. Ford said:
'"There is widespread agreement
among tenement jewellers and housing
experts that the minimum desideratum
for every family is house of from four
to six rooms depending upon the size
of the family, with small garden at
tached. The present trend of housing
reform is to attempt to secure such a
cottage for every family, if that is pos
sible, where there will be a safe and
healthful play space for the children,
fresh air for the infant, private
garden for the adult members to cult
vate outside of working hours, privacy
and home life.
"How can this be secured? In the
first place, suburbs must be made ac-
cessible. A second means is that known
abroad as land reform. Cottage hous-
ing is rendered more possible where
land is cheap. German cities, there
fore have tried to reduce speculation in
land by purchasing large suburban
areas. The city of Ulm, for example.
bought about 1900 acres of suburban
land before the city walls were torn
down, and sold only 400 acres of this
land at price exceeding that paid for
the original 1900. A third method is to
decentralize industry.
Garden City in England was built by
farsighted citizens for the very purpose
of decentralizing industry. Any one may
buy share of stock in Garden City and
receive maximum of per cent. inter
est on a share. All other profits are de-
voted to local improvements.
"Only 10 houses are allowed to the
acre. They must be of the cottage type.
They are built on land leased from the
Garden City Company Houses may be
built by individuals, land companies OF
cooperative tenants associations; but
in all cases plans must be passed upor
and accepted by the Garden City Com
pany.
Factories are segregated to certain
quarter of the city, where the prevailing
wind will carry the smoke away from
the houses. Every family has house
of its own with four or more rooms
There are besides common clubs
churches and schools, many of then
owned comparatively.
THE ultimate population of Garder
City is placed at about sc, 600. An agri
cultural belt is permanently reserved
about the town.
Gin the existing cities the garden
suburb has been devised. A portion o.
suburban land from so to several hun
dred acres in size is purchased by /;
group of workingmen comparatively
The whole area is planned from the out
set with individual cottages, each will
its garden, with common play spaces
tennis courts, bowling greens and so
cial center for indoor entertainment.
open to the entire population.
1.-THE tenants are the owners of tn,
suburban community, buying shares or
dinarily of $50 each, payable by install
ments. The remaining money is Dor
rowed from the government at 31a pc
cent or from the interested philanthro
psts at a per cent. Houses are erected
by the association and rented to tenants
at rate not higher than members hav
been accustomed to pay for slum accom-
modations in the city.
1.-The rents of the tenant members
plus the unearned increment of the land
which is continually increasing in valu
because of it's productive youth, cor
stitute the earnings of the association
Next Sunday DR.. Arthur N. Ho
combe of Harvard will speak on Part
Government. boston Herald,