HOMES FOR OUR SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3182, 5 September 1917, Page 6

HOMES FOR OUR SOLDIERS

Sir,—The branch of town-planning which takes precedence of all others today is the provision of homes for our returned soldiers. May I therefore supplement your excellent report of my lecture bv stating somewhat more fully the views I hold. The problem with which we are confronted is not only to settle our soldiers on the land, but to provide for them in such a way that they may still enjoy the companionship of their fellows, and the amenities of civic life. I have had several letters from those at the front 6pealcing enthusiastically of i the charming villages they have 6e6n, and of the wealth of flowers, and trees which surround them. "It is an eyeopener," and well it may be to those of our brave boys who have known only the dreary, treeless plains, the isolated cottage, the collection of bare, comfortless shanties and disfigured stores which aro known as townships throughout the dominion. (Jan we expect that having had their oyes opened to tho beauties and comforts of village life as seen in "beautiful England" and tho "fair land of France" that they will be content to settle down in an isolated shack in a 50-acre paddock. I think not. In order that the scheme of settlement may be a success, and our boys may have no regrets that they have left behind thcin the beauties they have 6een, we must biuW for them right in the centre of the block of land set aside for division into small holdings, a model village—with its clubroom, library, church, school, and groups of shops. Its playing fields, recreation grounds, and swimming bath, all arranged on modern garden city lines, such as are seen at Port Sunlight, Bournville, and many othor places. Round the village centre 6hould be groups of cottages, and work rooms where various home industries may be carried on—all bordering on a tree-lined avenue, and beyond theso the small holdings for dairy farms, orchards, vegetable gardens, and agricul-' ture, all divided by narrow, well-formed

roads radiating from the vilkj/a in all; directions,, as the spokes ot _ a wiiecj. from its hub. Karlsruhe, which I re- ; ferred to, and showed in illustration ot ■ this principle, i 6 arranged in tins way. A circular road, or, if necessary, roads, should encircle the village at the necessary distance from it to give the required area of the holdings.. On the angles of the holdings at the intersection ottu* radiating and circular wads should bo placed the cottages of the settlers, thus forming a group of four cottages fronting the Plantel intersections. These groups of cottages would thus be a few chain* apart, aid would all be equidistant tons ?L village. I must not trespass on g space now further than to wy• tlier* must of necessity be a m th «- sistants to govern, direct, and aduse. TIZ muslin fact be subordinate ranks of ' ndn *JJ n cn X% that under proper command our soldiers may achieve the same bnlliwt success in the. arts of peace that they, have achieved in the art of war.-I a" l '«£•> S HURST BEACEE-