250 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



science, and enjoying the opportunity of spiritual and intellectual im- 

 provement."* 



He claims that to achieve success we must face facts and get rid 

 of "every false economic standard that militates against the ideal." 

 That is surely true in a special degree of the system underlying the 

 development of land. The false economic standards which have 

 prevailed in connection with land have meant that we have been blind 

 to the futility of those make-believe forms of prosperity and wealth 

 that derive their existence either from unhealthy social conditions or 

 from the license enjoyed by the few to the injury of the many which is 

 misnamed liberty. 



False economic standards have been largely responsible for bad 

 beginnings in land settlement, wasteful speculation and unhealthy 

 and haphazard developments of land that stand self-condemned as 

 part of our social system. Some men have sought to excuse these 

 evils on the ground that they are the outcome of natural laws, whereas 

 they are largely caused by the refusal to recognize the demands of 

 nature, and to apply intelligent direction to what is purely artificial 

 growth. 



But probably, on the whole, there is now comparatively little 

 disagreement as to the need for investigation and reform of our rural 

 conditions, the only doubt still prevalent being as to whether the need 

 is great enough to cause disturbance of our minds during the war. On 

 that point there appears to be no doubt in allied countries, in every one 

 of which new principles of land development are being studied and 

 applied. Even in France, where one would think that the urgency 

 of proceeding with the work of reconstruction of devastated areas 

 would prevent careful preparation of plans of development, time is 

 being given to think out and prepare schemes of regional planning with 

 special regard to health and the teachings of modern science. Ac- 

 cording to the New York Times the United States is co-operating with 

 the French people to prepare proper plans for the restoration of the 

 destroyed and injured towns, villages and rural areas of Flanders. 



"In France a law has been passed requiring every town and village 

 in that country, whether within the war zones or not, 'to lay out its future 

 developments according to the principles of modern city planning. To 

 enforce this there will be a Federal Commission, with a general com- 

 mission in each of the departments, and under these general commis- 

 sions community commissions to direct local work. The part the United 

 States will play in the reconstructive work of the towns destroyed 

 or injured in the war necessarily will be chiefly a financial part, but 

 there will be collaboration between French and American engineers 



* Essay on " The Foundations of the New Era," in The New Era in Cmnada 

 1917. 



