The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-11

structive diseases. and prolong the
average human life. The human
environment must be not only mega
lively but positively improved; so that
the whole people may have the oppor-
tunity TO cultivate healthy tastes and
interests. to acquire just ideals of
pleasantness and beauty, and to learn
the value toward tranquil happiness
of that living with nature which city
congestion has within single genera
ton made almost impossible for multi
tudes
While the exclusion of bad influ
ehces needs to be unremitting, the
good influences fortunately for
crowded urban populations--need not
all he necessarily in action. An oc-
casional holiday in city park or gar
den, a weekend in the country now
| and then, or a fortnight's vacation in
summer may make deep and lasting
mental impressions and supply both
| children and adults with wholesome
material 10 fill the mind and direct it's
energies for months and years,
Hence the Importance OF better city
and suburban planning, of public re-
servations of all sorts in city and
state, AMI of national parks and monu-
ments, All these modes of public
action tell not only on the physical
wellbeing of both urban and rural
populations, but on the mental train
ing of children and on the cultivation
in the whole population of thoroughly
healthy spiritual interests and uplift-
ing enjoym ents. both individual and
social.
The present evils of city life and
the factory system~-bad conditions
which civilization has itself created
have DEVELOPED their destructive forces
iii this country in spite of the schools
and churches and of free political
Institutions. and in spite of many
happy influences from art, poetry.
music and the drama, Clearly. society
/ needs to develop a new and better
i environment for the general life-an
environment favorable to both bodily
and mental health and TO the attain
mcnt of genuine happiness-not OF
! mere momentary excitements, pleas
ures and qualifications. but of solid
/ eontentment, and the lasting satisfac-
tons of life enjoyed in quietness and
peace. What are the means OF com
passing this end?
The readiest means is good plan
ming of city. town and landscape-first,
applied to areas still open, and then
gradually 10 areas already occupied
in undesirable ways The new
planning must take into account the
interests of the whole community, as
well as the interests of individual
owners. the social or collective inter
est always prevailing.
The immediate objects to be sought
are more light and air for dwellings,
offices, shops and factories, and thus
a spreading out OF cities; the transfer
Of factories TO suburbs and to country
sites along the lines of railway; the
open decorated areas and above all
the attachment of a piece of arabic
or garden ground to every family
dwelling
The collective force of the com
munity must further supply the means
of making rural and landscape pleas
ureS occasionally accessible to city
populations by means OF parks and
gardens which illustrate all forms OF
open country beauty, and permit the
occasional enjoyment by city families
or larger urban groups of the outdoor
pleasures which woods, strawberries
gardens and broad fields can give, All
city jewellers greatly need these occa
sional delights, and Americans more
than any other people; for they have
become accustomed to an indoor life
! and have come to rely on electricity
as a substitute for sunlight, and me-
chanical ventilation as an equivalent
for fresh air.