The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-12-06

| It assumes that the factories them
selves have been or are about to be
ifavorably located in the city outskirts,
and further that the factories under
consideration are arranged in an or
derry. slightly manner and are not dis
tinctly Objectionable on account Of
smoke or other nuisances.
Under these circumstances, the
more important advantages that would
seem to be assured to workmens
! homes in the outskirts as against
homes in the city are as follows:
(a) The first and most important is
the opportunity for relatively cheap
land for their homes. Unless the land
is low priced, a workman and his fam
lily can have but a small amount of it
for their own exclusive use. 1t is
seldom that a workman can afford a
home thouse and land) valued higher
than $1,000 or $4,000, which would
mean rent equivalent, perhaps to
from SIS to $25 month or from $3.50
to $500 a year. requiring probably an
income of from $3.50 to $1,000 year
On this assumption, the workmen I'M
der consideration could scarcely aft
ford to own or occupy land valued at
more than from $500 to 5000. In the
outskirts it would be often possible
for this sum to obtain tenth or an
eighth, or even larger portion of an
acre, which would make possible the
construction of satisfactory detach-
ed or semi-detached single family
home with garden large enough for
profitable cultivation. In the central
tenement section of city this sum
invested in land would probably not
command more than one-eightieth of
an acre. Thus the workman can often
have in the outskirts ten times as
much land for a home and garden as
he could have in the built-up section
of the city.
(b) In the outskirts a workman
would have the advantage of being
near land yet it should not be too
near his work and the incidental saw
ing of time and carfare. This might
amount in year to as much as $50.
equivalent to 5 per cent interest on
$500, just about enough, in fact, to
cover the value of his house and gard
en- lot. Proximity to work in many
cases would also permit the workman
to return to his home for hot mid
day meal or to have such meal
brought to him by some member of his
family, decided advantage both from
the point of view of health and pleas
ure.
(c) A home in the outskirts would
place workman close to the open,
rural ountry and to the city's outly-
ing larger parks. situation particu-
larly advantageous for the health,
education and recreation of his wife
and children. AS a rule, the work
man has only one home for use the
apt to be spent at home. Therefore,
a home in the outskirts would seem to
serve best the real all year round re-
quirements of himself and his family.
I'D But in order that home in the
outskirts may be acceptable to the
average workman, two additional adj
vantages are virtually Indispensable.
The first of these consists in certain
local facilities such as good water,
/ sewers, gas, electricity, well-payed
| streets and sidewalks, local stores,
/ schools, Fairgrounds, lodges, churches,
| saloons Cor some satisfactory substi-
tutes), cheap theatres, refreshment
/ gardens, social centres, etc. The work
man, if he is to live happily in the
/, outskirts, with proper use of leisure
time. needs well-planned and we'll
developed local community, a place
that has the attractions Of the regu-
lated model factory villages or so
called garden suburb or garden
city" The successful establishment
of such community requires demo
cratic cooperation, town planning.
and, to some extent numbers. The
costs of public utilities and private
convenience are heavy for popula-
tion of less than 10000; and popu-
lation of $4,000 can meet them much
| better The second indispensable ad-
]
pensiye means Of transportation that
will give the workman and his fam
lily an opportunity at least several
times week, TO enjoy and mingle
in the life of crowded city places and
to draw occasionally upon the high
attractions in music, art, and drama.
common only to big cities Such
| journey usually should not take more
than half hours time nor cost more
/ than the regular five cent fare.
The foregoing discussion is not
theoretical. It's truth may be tested
by calling up and reviewing typical
! examples Of factories in built-up sec
tons of American and European cities
and the effect of the location upon
/ the city and upon the factories them
selves. With these should be COM
pared typical examples of factories
on the outskirts of cities or in the
open country. Then finally the same
sore Of comparison should be made