A SOLDIER'S TRIP IN LONDON

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 2 August 1918, Page 5

A SOLDIER'S TRIP IN LONDON

HAMPST S^bVb E^i1 :d .gaeden

(By J. S. Tosland.) (Continued from yesterday.) Just let me tell you of the system of ownership, and then we will g o on with the visit The society is called the 00-parnerships Ltd. Before anyone can _ live m the area he must buy the minimum of stock. This minimum is ! ~-- J ..ln,, the case of aged people it is practically nil Tenants are limited in £2000 worth I think. However, over and above tins is held the preference stock of those who carry forward the building. Every tenant must pay rent but Tl at- n° Ul\ mvn his o^n house; but a maximunj|\te of interest of 5 pei cent on paid\ :> stock is given, and a minimum of 4 'per cent. The'reS? pays the interest- and expenses No extra value can be placed on the preference stock; everything is valued ou what it actually cost. Any surplus means that wherever possible the rents can he lowered. Thus, as you see, tK forms just the true balance of rent to pa> for the venture. At any time a tenant may sell his interests at par After completion the county borough may take charge of the roads and levy the usual rates upon the householders Drainage and sewerage has all been ml eluded in the rent as the society completes its. work. '

The principle of the housing is sp i on _ did A workman's neat little cottage ot four or fire rooms stands side by 3?« w f *.the large honsc-: thus every class of the community become mixed. The beautiful environment tends to elevate and the fact of there being no aristocratic quarter gives an air of sociability to the community. Every house stands some little distance back from the road to allow the dwellers room for a little horticulture, and n no single case did I see it neglected nor did I see more than one empty house. At the back of each house there is given room also for a vegetable garden. The land in the centre of the houses is cut into allotments and if tie occupant of the house to which it is attached does not desire to cultivate it then perhaps another is more fond of gardening and does so. Every available piece of ground in the housed area was cultivated, and also was literally studded with fruit and currart trees and bushes. Potatoes, cabbages, etc.. filled up the spaces, and as Mr' Vivian said, the land was rural hetore they built upon it, and now, besides housing many thousands of peoP"*', 1* is producing four times as much. Ihe houses are mostly two. storey, and are either simple cottage* gabled, squared, or brown and grey bricked. Some of the most eminent architects in England have employed their genius upon the building construction. One .gentleman, who planned the central square, has since been selected by the Imperial Government ' i? lan the new capital of India at Delhi. The houses are all constructed on the no-back appearance, that is, h appears a front upon every side of the dwelling.

Mr Vivian first pointed out to us the old style of architecture of the offices. I should have said that at present there are thirteen hundred houses, constructed, and when the whole blockis built upon it is hoped to house comfortably 25,000. (If I again go back in my theme and give general information, put it not down to my literary ignorance, but that it has come to my mind as I move along.) The type from which the head buildings is constructed is of old Continental origin, and common in Northern France. In fact, I distinctly remember the type around St. Omer. We next went into one of the kodasaques or blind lanes. Here the sheltering trees were peaches. I did not enquire, but I surmised that the occupier of the house which the tree grew in .front of would get the fruit, or at least.look at it as his until one of the small boys considered it fit enough to send him to the doctor. Here let me say that ordinary workmen's cottages were here with bigger houses in the square up at the top. These workmen pay about 6s a week rent for these houses, and those containing four rooms 7s, five rooms Bs, and so on. As I previously mentioned, those living in the mansion pay up to £200 rent per annum.

At the top of this lane is a square so that the tradesman's cart can move around. The centre of the square is grass for the children to play upon. A tiled roofed shelter shed stands in one corner of it,, with a large hole in the roof. Mr Vivian told us that they could soon repair it, but it would as quickly be broken again by the boys poking sticks through it. He did not know for what reason the boys would insist upon that broken in roof, but he supposed that if they had boys who would not poke sticks through, it they would not be worth having.

We here went for a short cut, Indian file, through some garden allotments. All the little children, of course, came to their windows and doorways to gaze upon their unusual visitors, whilst the busy gardener, who was healthily spending his Saturday afternoon, looked up from among his beans to watch us pass and pass the time of day. The allotments are separated by hedges only, with just a guide wire upon which to train the young shrubs. Wo came out into a small winding road among small lawns and scented roses, and thus on into a space built to represent a village green. My farmer's eye got on to the luxuriant rye grass with which all this square was covered. It is intended for a general playground, but owing to the shortage of labor and the absence of young men all the larger recreation reserves arc overgrown. I believe it is intended to make hay of it aLI.

From here we ran into an institute, which is now used as a hospital, for shelter out of a small shower of rain. Moving on again, we were taken to the extreme boundary of the present built upon area, which skirts a little creek, brook they called it. The wide bricked bridge ov-er it is already constructed, but all building has ceased since the war. Mr Vivian told mo that the society has over three hundred tenants waiting for houses, and they have lonjr since suspended the booking of members. They havo guaranteed the Government, however, that within a fortnight of the declaration of peace they will find employment for a thousand workmen. They have only attempted one bit of construction' since 1914, a home for the widows of officers, but the great hindi ranee in the way of obtaining workmen and material has so postponed the work as to make th" society regret the attempt. The building remains about half finished. Along Hie brook were a few houses of the Invsi'or tvue., which backed into an onk wood. The area is the same. Those tonnnt* wore paying £2 per week. We moved around 'tlr's small wood, for the society, instead cF altering the course of the brook, considered it more picturesque to wind tho road to the contour of the brook. Again deviating, a row of old oak-; across a once field maikel the boundary of allotment's. In every case whorewV i possible the ti irr-s l : r.v:> l.:".-n cv.iserwd. and thus the gl^rv of ihe landscape ;--, enhanced. At t! -- !-•;;• of ;; j-iso v.-v entered an oak w-.;.::'\ c^;::piY-ing ;\~ nevc-i--. This woo-] h;-. ]~■<■<: conserve ■[ I by the society mr:■.-■■,• ;--;:;V> of ; ;y_ j sociation. A fine cirvcd di-ive i> mnc'<i ' through it. At one time it was open

to motor traffic, but the irresponsible owners or drivers came through the quiet woods with such a splash that the poor mothers with their perambulators were scared out of their wits. Realising that the drive was so tempting, and the fact that the woods were kept for the use of. the mothers and children (sweethearts, too, I should think), a gate was placed/ at each end, and now only foot traffic is allowed. After a delightful walk through the wood we came out into the town square. About here the already mentioned famous architect was allowed to show his hand. All the square is resplendent from the results of his genius. Mr Vivian, with a builder's eye, was pointing out to us all the beauty and odds and ends which go to make up the £200, when a shower came and we all made for a church near by. The civic gentlemen all ran for shelter or to get the church opened. Mr Vivian sang out to us to come on, but those "diggers" were used to more than rain and not a yard out of a walk would they come. "Make them double, Alex," said some one, repeating the old Cairo joke. One of the gentlemen procured the key and we all went into God's house, the Free Church. The land was given by the society and the tenants built the church. It will seat about six or i*ven hundred people. Sergt. Adams was about to give us some music on the organ, bub in the uninitiated trying to switch on the bellows the wires fuled. We all laughed and thought we had better go out, as the sun was again -shining. A park gate is close beside the Free Church, and here is the Friends' Meeting-nouse (Quakers), known as the Cottage in the Woods. From here wo were taken to the social commune, that is, a large building built on the flat system, where those having few dependents live. We were told that the scheme is very popular, and there is much demand for accommodation. We were shown through the common dining room aikl other appendages to modern civilisation. The ladies somehow arrange week about to do the w raiting, etc. Personally, the scheme does not appeal. 1 like to see every man in his own house. Situated beside this commune building are the tennis courts. Any member of the society can become a member. We moved back pa&t the institute, a fine building not yet completed to plans. Hew are held dances, meetings and polytechnic classes on week-nights. These classes are free. Mr Viviun and his eo-threetors are convinced that democracy is only possible in an educated society, and, knowing; the evils attendant on the lack of it, endeavor as far as possible to facilitate education.

Here we were asked to inspect the | Anglican Church, a fine building built •on the same principle as the Free Clrurch. It will seat over eight hundred people. The plans for this church were drawn when the scheme was only maturing in men's minds. A distance of about two hundred yards divides the two churches. The ground between is partly planted, but the old gorse, is left for effect and for bad boys to push each other into. After we came out of the church the old college of Harrow-on-ther-Hill was pointed out to us; so also was a sheet of water known as the Welsh Harp some miles away. We moved down lanes literally covered with all varieties of roses. The tenants here also had to pay iov these- roses, as the rents were higher on the church square, but equally charming was our walk back among the red-tiled roofed cottages and louses. I will not further trespass upon your indulgence beyond telling; you of a commune called the Orchard. Here older people can rent cottages from three rooms and scullery for four shillings a week- A common washhouso and oven us there, also other necessities, where tite enfeebled folk can for a trifle get done for' them the essentials of life. Wherever possible, as T have previously mentioned, everything is left natural. And so, chatting and laughing down a tree-shaded road, we at last round ourselves in a large rose garden, but as. there was the Hkelihood of a shower wo were all taken indoors to a bite and a cup of tea. Neediest to say we did it full justice. Mr Fawcptt thanked Mr Vivian and the ladies on our behalf, and in doing &o made use of the same simile as 1 did upon arrival at Plymouth—the Scriptural quotation of the Queen of Sheba—that "not the half had been told." A "digger" and a lady lined w; up to phoiogvaph the group, as pho, the secretary I believe »she is. desired to commemorate the visit of a party of New Zealanders. The ladies yave us all a rose oach, and all our hosts and nostesses came to the head office to see us safely on to our train. We gave our good friends three hearty cheers, and as we left they repaid the compliment. Thus ended our visit to the Garden Suburb of Hampstead, and through, whatever vicissitudes we may pass 1 am sure thai, we must come b.-.ck to New Zealand enriched with having seen a work blessed by God and man.

I believe that the infant mortality for this garden town is the smallest on record, being eleven in the thousand. Near by in the main road ars numerous shops. I only saw one drink shop in the town. In a country like England, does this not speak for itself? I trust, dear readers, that I have not over-wearied you, and hope that it you derive no other good from the foregoing than the awakening in you, lif only for a moment, admiration for the public spirit of such men as Lever Bras, and Mr Vivian, then I am well repaid.