AN EXPERIMENT IN HOUSEKEEPING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 98, 18 January 1908, Page 11

AN EXPERIMENT IN HOUSEKEEPING.

. The ..London '.'.Tribune'' says thai'.a newdevelopment is likely, to take place before' long ill, that favourite field, for experiments, in. practical Socialism, the . Garden City- at"-Letcbivoi-Jb." Co-operative..liousokeepiug:it'"is ; called, arid.'tlie originators are Mr. Ebenoze,r. , Howard-.the 'proprietor, of t Jie, Garden.. City, scheme, iand; ,Mr. .HV CJapham Lander,' A-K. Tbqir idea is to relieve persons ./of, moderate.pearis frpm what.is:known ns the. servant;,. difficulty,* andvto / enable.. th.erU;'.to',. 'lire, in., comfortable homes, amid -/pretty ,-lsmv, ronndings at a rcomparati vely ■ small cost... ' It-is intended .to build' a certain, hupjben. of.lio.uses sq:.avS : tp'/form;thrco..sidr..s i of.a ;qn/id-.. i Tangle ,aiid .part,. of !a fourth, Jike'-.-'a-.,"college. ■ squ'are. Each.' house • .will; be sepnrate from iall the: others; hut-there '.will'bo : a common dining-hall, together., with living and sleep-• ing accdinmodation for, the domestic staff in a central-builrling, to.-which the houses will be connected by mean's of a small cloister or. :verandah. ..The meals will be prepared by. n {qualified coo);■ and -assistants, and. will be served in the common diijing-hall, or for a. small .extra . payment they will be carried iround hot to the tenants in their own homes. 'Other service when required will'be obtained ,at fixed,rates per hour from the administra-tive-'department, which will also provide'a ! garago for cycles, telephone communication, and other conveniences. Four different types of' house, /according- to the accommodation required, will be provided, and the rents, ox':clusivo. of a small charge for the. cooking, ;otc., will be from £20 to £54 a year. , | Oiir plans," said Mr. Lander to a Press [inquirer, "are .all ready and wc have ,ob-'tained-an option on , a-suitable picce of land situat.ed about three-quarters of a mile from J-jetchwoHli'" station- ' What, we proposo'.to do -is-to piit up from 24' t.o 30 houses. The 'houses will be to all intents and .■purposes, ilike ' certain • flats in- London, where meals j are to be had •in common, hill" instead' .t^f. jbeing built one above the other they'-'will; be spread over' the ground. Of course,;it'is, .'the! comparative cheapness' of; land' iu'.the jGarden> City,- that will e'nabl.e us, to '.db : this.' ilri .order to'g^t'as far as possible at'people's' |!wtual,:requirements .we have .sent oiit .'a' ;riiimber of-circulars asking which "type' of • building ', is .'wanted,, whether, intending'ten-, 'ants '.wish-to- have a.!smnll garden of.'their' iowii ' apart,' from', the . common playground, • ajnd- so;o!i.' -Tlic ■ demands^for the four cliffe-'-irent .types of houses seem to be hboiit .e'fpial, 'the. £4o::a.year, oiies being apparently in-.as ;great;.request-as-tbdse at.£?o. •. " Among the applications wn have rcceirea ':aro 'some from retired naval 'and military officers, ,but really they , come from a|niost ; all classes. Evidently there is a demnncTfor,'such dwellings. As soon as wo get the neces-, sary. support- we shall,begin building. It will be fjuito possible to finish the .2 4or. .30 houses in'eight or six months' time, so .that the scheme is likely to be in working operation before the end of next year. " A company is to be'formed to work it on the co-operativo basis. As . regards the rules and regulations, these will requiro very careful consideration, as it is important to prevent any tenant from annoying his neighbours.;. In particular we shall have to consider'what- domestic-pots, if any, aro-to be allowed, and whether a special place may not be provided;for those wno want to practise on musical instruments.. ."We hope that, not only shall we relieve mistresses of all troublo with regard to servants, hut'that we shall make -domestic,-ser-vice' more popular. The servants will, not be lonely, as are so.many n'laids-ofT.ill-woik, and, they will be free in the evening, save, perhaps,' Hint one or two will have to lie on duty' Until, 'say. 10 o'clock.' This late duty can 'he assigned to' , members'of the staff iii rotation/'.. ~