The New York herald., 1922-10-22
Near BY
Offersto the Fam
ily of Moderate
Means Compare
tive Cheapness

oneck shops. But over there the peo-
pie are Jammed in seriously congested
living quarters and the streets ARE
dirty. Those Third avenue dwellers
don't get very high grade street clean
ing-not so efficient as they deserve.
Besides the tendency toward clannish
colonies Is apparent in all of the
cheaper parts Of the city.
Z The fact Is the average New Yorker
who does not belong to one of those
colonies wouldn't extract from life in
those districts much satisfaction. He
would be an alien human quantity.
The people would treat him nicely
enough. But he wouldn't belong"
Must Try to Beat
The Unbeatable Game
So the average New Yorker must
seek his living quarters elsewhere and
try to beat the game"-the unbeat-
able game.
II we see deeper. then. than the SUI
perficial signs Of the late war and
Immediately postwar cityward move
ment, If we perceive the basic trends
we must see that the tremendous pres
sure OF life in the greater city Is fore
ing people outward to the open spaces.
II no facts such as have been here
cited In proof had been available 1t
might have been proven by mere logic
that such result was inevitable.
It is in recognition Of such truths
that the Port of New York Authority
Commission-which may the social
gods keep from involvement in politics
In these campaign days!1ls laying the
foundations for the organizing of this
countryward movement. The plan
comprehends developing the smaller
centers Of residential and business and
commercial activity. The technician
phrases 1t as decentralization from
ultra-congested urban centers." In
just plain United States.it means re-,
lieving the New York family from the
struggle to live within ones means.
1t means the removal of ten thousand
business activities to the open spaces,
where cheaper land, cheaper freights,
cheaper everything may be had
1t means more, too. than some New
Workers going out to live in the sub
urbs or the country and coming in
every day to work in the city. For
that, If carried to an extreme, will pile
Pelion on Ossa with problems of tram
sit Of passengers rendered absolutely
insoluble.
1t means that New Yorkers must
awake to the truth that there are
within the limits of the greater city
thousands Of factories and businesses
which would do better In every way
were they to seek some outside loca-
ton and take with them their en-
ployees to live in the opener spaces
This result will not be realized simply
by passing~d resolution that such and
such businesses shall move with their
employees outside Of the greater city
Some Of the employees won't 60 Some
go, only to return to the city because
out there they don't have some of the
city things to which, In their unnat-
ural urbanwise social development,
they have become addicted
The change must be gradual 1t is
going on gradually. The movement
has begun. When George Washing.
ton was here it was 'the thing" So
cially to be a country gentleman.
Later 1t became 'the thing" to be a
city gentleman. and the country rube"
was the butt of city ridicule. Now
adays 1t begins to be the ambition Of
city folk to be able to say MY coun-
try place" It's socially acceptable.