Science and City Suburbs 



service at the disposal of the community.. There 

 is thus great waste of money as the local councils 

 or the Boards of Guardians vacillate in their policy, 

 or enter upon undertakings for which they have 

 not counted the cost. The division is also re- 

 sponsible for considerable loss of money in neces- 

 sary locomotion. The workman who has to do 

 up a house in the west end has to travel four or 

 five miles from the east end, spending time and 

 money for which the community get no return. 

 The charwoman or extra help often arrives to 

 begin her work tired by the journey, and having 

 already spent an ill-spared proportion of her 

 earnings. 



It may not perhaps be recognised as an eco- 

 nomic loss, but if variety of aspect the sight of 

 houses and shops and buildings which stir up 

 thought and inquiry, the near neighbourhood of 

 gardens and handsome buildings, the bright char- 

 acter of the streets if such things increase health 

 and intelligence and joy in being, then their ab- 

 sence in the cities of the poor tends to inefficiency 

 and to the reduction of the possible national wealth. 

 " It pays to make the workpeople happy " is the 

 conclusion of many employers, and that it is an 

 economic loss that masses of people should live 

 in depressing surroundings is a conclusion likely 

 to be forced on a public opinion which has hitherto 

 been inclined to think with its purse rather than 

 with its heart. 



55 



