The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-08
Utilization of Vacant
Lots for the Poor
~ ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.
III AVE you ever seen little child.
born and reared In n tenement

III AVE you ever seen lltuc cnilC,
born and reared In n tenement
house?
Do you realize how many such
children exist In our great cities and
how they are living under as un-
natural conditions as plants grow
Ing In CELLAR
Have you ever wondered as you
went about the big cities, and saw
acres and acres of unused land. right
within the city limits. to whom this
land belonged?
And why 1t was idle?
Some of our bilionalres became
billionaires because this land was al
lowed to lie vacant without being
taxed 10 any extent, until 1t rose
growth Of the city.
Now 1t has come TO the minds Of
good people that many OF these va
can't lots might be utilized FOR the
beneflt OF the very poor who have
no privileges OF sunlight and fresh
air. and that the little children
growing up In our great cities might
be helped by some cooperative ef-
forts along these paths OF procedure.
The international Childrcn's School
Farm league Is one OF the results OF
these ideas.
Here Is its decla ra tion OF purpose:
To promote and unity a world wide
interest In children's gardens"
Seven ways II will create interest
In children's gardens.
BY assisting In starting chldren's
gardens In suitable parks and vacant
lots
BY assisting In starting gardens In
connection with schools, until boa rds
OF education become convinced OF
their value and take over their
maintenance.
BY assisting In starting gardens In
connection with hospitals and instl-
tutions for children who are mentally
or physically weak or deficient
BY urging the employment Of teach
ers trained for childrens garden
BY establishing a training school
BY exhibiting models and pictures
of The work for the informa ton OF
the public.
BY maintaining a bureau of infor-
nation and advice on how to start
and conduct clildren's gardens; fur
nishing pictures. printed matter pho
tographs and lantern slides
NO matter how large or small the
own garden. on which he or she does
all the work. A new interest and
sense Of responsibility comes with
ownership, arousing the forces OF am
plt,on. and developing at once the
need OF property protection. Often
rights OF property owners, and this
awakening of the civic sense OF pro-
lection is to have a tremendous in
nuence,
They. spread fertilizer. spade. rake,
plant; hoe. water. weed and harvest
Worthy work we'll done is always dig
nihed, and the worker dignifes II. The
child must be shown how TO do tho
work well. arouse his labor saving
and open his mind to
the forces, of the elements that are
serving his intelligent activity. and
ne VIII never question the dignity OF
IA Dor that arouses intelligence and
that t1lls him with pride over the
product
Children will learn the larger prob
lens of the nation,
Chlidren's gardens conducted on this
pan nave spaces reserved for varie-
ties OF products grown throughout the
country. SO bringing the children to
the larger problems OF Abe nation
Ihere is much work to be done In
the garden outside OF the child q
plot, Just as every community has
10, 80 the children must contribute
heir services to the general welfare
of the whole garden, And In this
work they learn of broom corn, flax.
wheat, cotton and other wonderful
plants that are so important to tho
world.
To preserve the ncatness of the
garden the children are taught 10
gather stones and trash, load wheel.
oarrows and wheel them away. In
1oins this and In keeping in order the
oaths over which the loads must be
~nee.ed. t, tney learn IN simple. cf-
he greatest aids TO civilization
tion. The way I'm which
he question OF good roads can be