4 86 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



and suppose that the price paid was £100 per acre, such por- 

 tions of the estate as were required for warehouses or manu- 

 factories could be sold at the current market value of land in 

 the district — unless it was desired to induce some manufac- 

 turer to come into the district who would otherwise be likely to 

 go elsewhere, with a view to finding employment for the people. 

 Then it is obvious that for each acre of land let for building 

 houses or cottages, supposing it was planned for ten cottages 

 per acre and that the rateable value of each cottage was £20, 

 then each acre would have a rateable value of £200 less whatever 

 were the rebate on compounded cottage rating, which might be, 

 say, 20 per cent., leaving a net rateable value of £160 per acre. 

 The rates most likely would average 85. in the £, so that the 

 Municipality would receive £64 per acre . This £64 would not be 

 net income. There would be the cost of lighting and policing 

 and scavenging the district, though, as far as my knowledge 

 goes, the burden on the rates for these necessary expenses 

 is very light in suburban areas. The frontagers to the roads 

 would pay for the cost of making the roads and for the cost 

 of sewers. It is quite obvious, therefore, that out of the £64 

 income, interest and sinking fund on the £100 could be readily 

 provided. I know it is objected that to adopt this plan would 

 benefit somewhat the builder of the houses, in that he pays 

 neither ground-rent nor capital value ; but I would point out 

 the enormous risk there is in building cottage property, and that 

 this inducement would be merely a minimising of the risk by 

 making the building of cottages a more attractive investment 

 than it is at present, all of which would benefit the whole 

 community. 



Under town-planning such as I have suggested, rapid 

 transit to and from the centre of the town to the suburbs 

 (where the workers would live) could be arranged ; and it is a 

 well-known fact that workmen's trams, omnibuses and trains, 

 although at reduced fares, are extremely profitable to transport 

 companies. 



This would now enable us to deal with the slum areas. 

 Having provided cheap and comfortable houses in the suburbs 

 with cheap and rapid transport to and from the factory to the 

 workers' homes, the slums would become practically tenantless. 

 We must remember that the modern slum is created by over- 

 crowding. The workman is forced to live in the slum in the 



