GARDEN CITIES. The disassociation of the idea of home life with modern existence in the metropolitan centres is a matter of serious concern to the social economist. In the body politic the city is merely a commercial organ, a convenience in the nation's commerce, a clearing house for domestic and inter-nation commodities — in a word, an artificial juxtaposition of ele ments depending for their life or entertainment 'von the power of capital or social standing. To those of wealth, or to the transient within its gates, metropolitan life is an ideal existence, offering advantages of social life, human inter est, art, literature and the thousand and one things that day and night bring forth. On the other hand, the salaried man or the wage earner, forced to live in inadequate, and often times unsanitary, quarters, lacking in opportu nity for recreation, leads a most undesirable existence, tempered alone by the °hope eternal° that springs up in every human breast.
Is it a wonder then that men and women and children dream of the green fields and running brooks, and of the day when they may have their own home — a real hearthstone— in the country, where Nature in gladsome abundance welcomes all mankind as her children? Indeed, tended to become little if any larger. When additional demands spring up for quarters, a new garden city is formed elsewhere, and thus the identity of the existing one is preserved indefinitely, and the residents, in the expectation of spending their whole lives in their, own homes, have every incentive to improve and em bellish them, and keep their grounds in the best possible condition.
The garden city in plan should be laid out in the simplest, yet in the most attractive, man ner. There being little traffic of consequence, the streets should be laid out with that degree of irregularity that ensures charm. Some of the streets should be winding, while the straight ones should have suitable terminals. Each house should be provided with a spacious gar den, as it is from curb gardens that these citietz many do break the shackles of city life for rural retreats, but the vast majority dream on, exist ing from pay day to pay day, with the same old "hope eternal" burning in their breasts, but with constantly diminishing flame.
It is not possible for everyone to live in the country, but it is within the ability of many that are now housed in cramped quarters in the city to own their own homes and live and rear their families in the free country life — cheaper, more healthful and with a maximum of per sonal comfort and individual standing.
-Among the plans that have been carried out abroad and in the United States to a rapidly increasing extent are those of garden cities, workingmen's colonies and suburban garden ing. Of these the garden city in its best form is a well-organized development, in which from 100 to 500 homes make up a unit, which is in derive their name. These gardens, though partially devoted to vegetable raising, should also be well laid out with flower beds, end the whole garden city should be subject to such regulations as will ensure sufficient attention to this feature to produce the intended appearance. Grass plots, trees, hedges, shrubbery and arbors should be provided in abundance, both in the front and in the rear of the houses. The neg lect of the residents should not be allowed to mar the appearance of the city.
As to the houses, they may be quite simple and compact in design, but they should all be individual in character, and by no means the frightful rows of boxes all exactly alike that are put up for workingmen's use in the usual rural or suburban places devoted to such pur poses. The economical design of the buildings and the small expenses for streets make the housing cost small, so that the rents may be low, or the workingman may, within a reason able length of time, become the owner of his own home.
Garden cities should be laid out within easy reach of transit facilities and natural advan tages of site should be availed of whenever pos sible, to give individuality and charm to the plan.