THE GARDEN CITY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 203, 22 May 1919, Page 6

THE GARDEN CITY

WHAT NEW ZEALAND COULD DO

DECENTRALISATION OF , INDUSTRY

Before the Town-planning Conference Mr. S. Hurst Seager, the organising director of the conference, read a paper on "The Garden City, in Relation to the Reconstruction and Repatriation Problems." A garden city he defined as "a self-contained town, industrial and agricultural, planned as a whole and occupying land sufficient to provide garden-sur-rounded homes for any given number of Ijconle, as well as a wiue belt of open fields." Such a city would combine the advantages of town and country and would prepare the way for a national movement, stemming the tide of population now leaving the countryside and sweeping into the overcrowded cities. Mr. Hurst Seager referred in some detail to' the success of Letchworth Garden flity, the first and so far the only complete realisation of tho town-plaii-ners ideals. Letchworth is a complete centre, industrial and residential, ft

has factories operating under exceedingly pleasant and favourable conditions, with healthy and comfortable homes Jfor the people employed (here. It has shops, inns, and places of entertainment, with adequate open space.s and provision for recreation and open-air exercise. It has ample gardens and it. is surrounded by Agricultural land, reserved as a necessary adjunct to the city, in order that farm liroduce of all kinds may be produced for the citizens with minimum charges for distribution.

"The question that confronts «6 hero is exactly the same as confronts other centres of population," said Mr. Hurst Seager. "The housing problem is extremely acute, but the question is not whether the number of houses which must be erected should be allotted to one or oilier

of the existing cities, 'but whether the congestion of the cities should not be remedied by taking from tliem all those industries which can be niove'd into the country, where the work can lie carried on under better conditions, and take with those industries tho surplus population which now crowds the cities. In this way tho congestion problem 111 cities will right itself, and there will be room for expansion within the cities,.' so that they may become both convenient and beautiful.

"It is not sufficiently recognised that the over-centralisation of industry, which is usually accepted without, question, is thoroughly unsound from the economic standpoint. Whatever may be the ease with commerce, exchange, banking, administration, legislation, and ail tho other necessary functions of a capital city, together with the business of n great port, there can bo no .doubt that industry puro and simple is carried on at a disadvantage. Over-centralisation in large cities means, in the first place, high rents, the cramping ,of industrial buildings ijnd difficulty of expansion, high cost of transport, with accompanying congestion and delay. In the second place, enormous expense for highways, railways, tramways, and municipal services generally; and in the third place n huge expenditure of time, energy, ami money on tho part of the workers.. .Ml this not inerejy adds to the cost of production; it weakens efficiency all round. "It is pointed out that a disadvantage of forming garden suburbs only, that is, residential areas apart from the working areas, is that workmen' have to pay railway and' tram fares and spend much timo in travelling. Workmen's fares are already a heavy charge upon tho community, and it is surely unwise to attempt to deal merely with the results of centralisation, leaving the causes untouched. Tf it were true that industry could be economically conducted only in the., ccntre, should have to put up with tho inconvenience involved; ,but it is manifestly unWite. l'or many years industry has sought to '-escape from the handicap imposed by the prevailing conditions, and for lack of space, if for no other reason, new industries have been compelled to'go outside the centres. Wo

thus find industries springing up in the

suburbs and in the outlying districts. Tile new factory areas Jiave spoiled many suburbs, and threaten'many more. The economic tendencies they represent have but to be recognised to contribute to the orderly and economic development oi any region, and the opportunity to effect that organisation arises in connection with the great housing schemes that have

now to 'be put in hand. "Thus all are agreed that . the

example of Letchworth can be followed to the great advantage and prosperity of this country and the happiness and comfort of the worker, but a .development which would increase still further the very great advantage to be obtained by garden cities is being put forward by many authorities. . . . The ideal sought for by many is small holding's, which can be worked by the tenant, in conjunction occasionally with the tenants of' other holdings, ami the establishment, in connection with agriculture, of village' industries. The suggestion is that the secondary industries, instead' of being carried out by

a large number of wage-earners in extensive factories,- shall be carried out as far, as possible by the workpeople themselves in their own workshops, either in conjunction with some form of ing, poultry-keeping, fruit growing, or agriculture. It is not intended that there should be a return to the hand work of the ancient village industries, for elcctric power made possible the application of machinery to all forms of industry by individual workers. In tho early Victorian era, when the industrial age of machinery commenced, it was imperative that tho workers should Iks gathered round tho large steam engine, and it was desirable that the 6team power should work as many machines as possible; hence for economy's sake factories were made as large as possible, and as many, workers crowded round the factories as could be obtained. These workers were not' provided for in any way by tho employers. Tho country people streamed into v tho towus, and sppculating builders put up homes for them in the most crowded and unhealthy way, producing the appalling collection of slums which we find in all

' large English and Continental cities. "Letchworth has shown that the work can be done in large factories under the i most favourable economic and hci\lthlul conditions and that tho workers can bo housed in most delightful homes rear - to tho factories. The present lactory 1 system, although it lias increased cnor--1 mously the wealth of the country, has not created any happiness or com tort, for the worker. It is not necessary tluu this system should be continued. It is usually taken lor granted by'those who have not given the ciuostiun any particular thought' that industries must be enr- > ried on in a large way to make them pay. Tliey certainly must be on a. largo scale if they are to nay tho shareholder, | but it is proved beyond uwpuethai £ ! very large proportion of tho mausn es i can' lie, and are now being, pvofitabl carried on by single workers and .vojkcis in small groups, side l)> sulo \w"i the large factories, to the very great . a of the workers ■ i U;- must Scuger urged tliat the cica : i liuu of garden cities, with siutublo nidusj and surrounded by agricult unl : I himi ought to bo an important pail of ; sfVmes of repatriation and roconstruclioii It was not desirable that return- ' ed suidiws alone should be ptovuled toi. j I'liis wuuid mean the practical fe !s r <V*' ' tion of the men, and llic better anange- ! uiciil was to mingle the soldiors with I Iu- '.ivilinn papulation quickly and completely. Another point to be remember- • ed was that it was not sulhcient tor tho .Hlate or the municipality liiprcly to acquire laud and' offer it in holdings. 'I>"lV should be. expert guidance, and : advice. The paper dealt in some dcI tail with the provision of small holdings, 1 (inii discussed questions of co-operation .land collective selling and marketing. I In conclusion Mr. Ilurst heager said ' that the garden city should be self-con- ■ tained. "We have for ioo long been thinking of growing and manufacturing ■ for others," lie said. ".Should we no Jiow pay more attention to growing and niaiiutaciuring for ourselves 1 '! \\e canmil but view with alai'iu lue endea\ouis made by all countries to secure customers \II . countries consider that the trillion of their industrial problems is the increasing of production, in order ' that '•ales may be effected, but it is obviou-. thai when all countries are setting cimieMlv to work to produce, and on fl iai'v scale, to manufacture for foreign niiilkets, there will lie a vast amount of material produced for which there will , be w custodiers. Is it not, therefore, I

necessary that we should arrange our social organisations in sucli a way that we may be ;ible lo give to every worker all the cam forts of life without depending ii]K)n foreign customers and without depending upon foreign salesmen?"