Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-17
Modern cities.

10 4he citizens or newark, espe-
cially. this book should be welcome.
1t is quite a conservative statement
to make when one can say, as of this
great New Jersey metropolis that
nowhere is a more determined effort
made to be in the forefront in the
line of modern progress in municipal
life. If not all is accomplished that
would make Newark rank with some
European cities, it can at least be
said that Newark is fully awake TO
the demand for betterment in the
varied life of the city.
The authors of this volume, as the
publishers say. were closely associat-
ed for some years in active endeavor
for municipal betterment in the city
of Albany. the capital of New York.
Their work is the result of careful
and exhaustive study of conditions
in this country and abroad and is, in
fact. an illuminative brochure which
should be in the hands of everyone
who is interested in making the city,
the home of toiling millions. a safe
and beautiful human dwelling place.
The list of the cities which the
authors visited in Europe is a long
one and in each they found much to
admire and commend. 1t seemed, in
deed, as if these municipalities held
themselves up to admiration" to as
tonish their American visitors, And
these visitors brought back with them
a comprehensive view of social
progress and civic reform, such as
must astonish those who have not
kept pace with this branch of social
work. A part of these revelations
must. also, fill with envy the minds
of Americans who cannot fail, after
reading this book, to institute com
PARSONS with the reforms begun and
accomplished in the graft-stained
cities of the United States.
One of the gravest indictments in
the work Is the authors arrangement
of the Christian Church for it's fail
ure to cope in some degree with the
social evil. which. in the very most
splendid centres Of Christian activity
is said to flourish most determinedly,
This chapter win be anything but
pleasant reading for the Protestant
cleric.
Another chapter which is full of
suggestion is that dealing with the
housing problem. which in Rome has
been most wonderfully solved. In
the Eternal City a man has been
found who has had the genius and the
energy to undertake a reform which
can be clasSed only as task as
discouraging as the cleansing of the
Augean stable. This man, Edoardo
Talamo. is the head of a company
called the Institute of Good Homes,
an organization which has put to
shame the most strenuous efforts of
the Tenement House Commission of
New York city. whose record of ac-
complishment bears no proportion to
the amount of talk which it has ex-
pended
The low rental tenements of Rome,
crowning the surface of it's triple
buried layers of centuries of civili-
cation or barbarism are marves
scarcely to be matched in the world
They are provided with everyt hing
that is modern and every comfort
that can brighten the life of the ten
ant. Moreover. if a new improve
ment be added the rent is not raised.
as 1t would be in New York These
are model tenements, indeed, and they
nave been provided for the modern
Roman during the rule of a mayor
well.
One of the most wonderful adiuncts
OF these modern homes of the worker
Is the provision for his children. "The
Children's House." a school carried
on under the system known as the
Method of Scientific Pedagogy" the
invention and discovery of that no
pie woman and physician. DR.. Maria
Montessori, who has improved unon
even the system of Froebel in primary
education. DR. Montessorj. who long
had occasion to observe the success
obtained in teaching defective chill
oren by systematic "sense education. "
began to wonder whether the same
system would not greatly lessen the
puroen Tor them of teaching normal
children. She tried 1t out, and the
world Is already beginning to acclaim
her triumph. In the Montessori schools
the system is individual. The chill
dren do not blindly follow the teacher
or leader. What the teacher does
is to wisely direct the form of activ-
ity chosen by the child itself. Control
is with the child. Thus initiative is
taught and nourished-the most va1u-
able gift for the boy or girl who must
work for a living.
Another pregnant chapter in Mod
ern Cities" is religion and munielpal
life" but, like the one on the social
evil, 1t is not an encouraging one for
the, cleric of Protestant training
Finally, we should say that no more
useful book for the social reformer
could be found than Modern Cities ;,
MODERN CITIES" BY Horatio M.
POLLOCK, Phi. D., and William S. Nor
net; by mail s1.63. Funk G WaeS SaiIv .
Company, Publishers: New York
"son OF st. Louis. Ascend to Heaven,
III