Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-18
R. B. Watrous Suggests Plan
for Persons of Mod
crate Income.
DELIVERS AN ADDRESS
AT UNIVERSITY CLUB
Describes Such Towns Seen Abroad
Recently by American Civic
Association Members.

A garden city on the outskirts of Wash
ington to provide healthy. attractive
homes for persons of moderate incomes
was proposed by Richard p. Watrous,
secretary of the American Civic Associa-
ton. in an address last night before the
University Club.
Appearing as the only speaker on the
Saturday night program which has be-
come one of the popular entertainment
features in the club, Mr. WatrouS de-
scrlbed trip which he and representatives
of the American Civic Association made
to England and Germany last summer,
where they obtained tirst-hand Informal
uon as to the operation of garden cities.
IN england the party visited Hamp
stead. Letchworth and Port Sunlight.
The visitors saw the White Heart es-
tate maintained by the Lordon com
mon council for the benefit of members
or the operative classes. The garden
city at Helerau, on the outskirts of
Dresden, and at NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. just
out OF Essen. where employees of the
krupp gun works company reside. also
were visited Pictures of these places
Were thrown on a screen as Mr. Watrous
described them.
The great industrial centers of this
country should be provided with garden
clared the speaker. Our problem" he
said, will be not to merely initiate but
to improve, and in this respect it will
be important to provide way by which
the man paying from month to month on
house in which to live may some day
be proud owner of a deed which says he
is not a house dweller but a house
owner.
Would Be Blessing.
Expressing the opinion that the estab-
lishment in Washington of a garden city
would be blessing to large numbers
of residents who live on small incomes
Mr.. Watrou stated that he hoped the
time is not far distant when persons
who are in a position to take the lead
in the matter will organize d copartner-
snip organization to promote such a
scheme. While the high price of land
might be serious factor to be encoun-
tered, he gave as his opinion that this
and all other obstacles could be over
come and that the undertaking could be
made a success and would undoubtedly
add to the moral and civil well being of
a considerable portion of the citizenship
of the National Capital.
The development of the idea in England
he stated, is a natural outcome of posi-
tive necessity to get people away from the
crowded, unhealthy limits of the great
cities
Private initiative said the speaker
with parliamentary backing. hit upon
the plan of taking people away from the
cities in groups, not individually, and
transplanting them to model little commu-
mites, which have been properly called
garden cities. Such they surely are, plan
ned and laid out in advance of the expect
ed dwellers BY landscape artists, built up
with houses to harmonic with their rural
surroundings and affording every facility
for light, ventilation and healthy living -
RaS1,lf of Movement
Describing the results of the garden
city movement Mr.. Watrous said:
1T is wonderful: it has done great
things for thousands and thousands OF
men, women and children of England, and
it may do the same thing for other thou
sands in all countries. with possible
changes and new ideas in their establish
ment and management.
What marvelS the garden cities have
accomplished for the growing children of
operatives! Reference has. been made in
general way to improved health condi-
tons
1T is found that the infantile death
rate at the Bonneville industrial village
is S0.2 per thousand, compared with
1902 for the rural district of Bourne
ville'an 1911 in Birmingham ITSELF
The members of the club showed their
appreciation of Mr. Watrous address by
giving the speaker rising vote of
thanks. Claude n. Bennett, chairman of
the entertainment committee, presided
during the evening.