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viva! in che cicy is anorher reason fcw
people have rime o r in terese in rhe
soil. This syndrome is coday being
broken only by a vecy few would-be
farmers and narure lovers.
A Fundamental Question
ls ir possible ro have an enlighc–
ened policy dirccred roward achicving
an urban-rural balance?
Ebenezer Howard, who wroce
Car–
den Citie.r ofTomorrow
in 1902, had vi–
sions of communiries where land
space was reserved for posceriry. He
implemenred his ideas in at Jeasc rwo
"garden ciries" - Letchworrh and
W
elwyn, boch norrh of London.
Howard's philosophy was char "a
Garden Cicy is a Town designed for
healrhy living and indusrry; of a size
rbar makes possible a fui! measure of
social life, but not larger; surrounded
by a rural belr; rhe whole of rhe land
being in public ownership or held in
trust for che communiry."
Nora New Idea
This concept of urban planning is
nota new one. Anciently, regularions
were given ro che narion Israel con–
cerning formarion of ciries and land–
ride rransfer. The accounr may be
found in rhe Old Tesramenr book of
Leviticus in rhe Bible. The Levites
were told, "but che field of che sub–
urbs of chcir ciries may nor be sold;
for ir is rheir perpetua! possession"
(Leviricus 25:34). This Law guaran–
reed againsc che sale of land for end–
less subdivision and housing.
Such basic policies laid down in
che Bible over three rhousand years
ago are far from rhe minds of mosr
world planners coday. They have
probably nevcr considered rhem.
Coming! - The Solution
The rural cxodus srems from very
basic needs, desires and hopcs of
people. Solving rhc problem of
wbere
people live requires the eliminacion of
rhe forces which rend ro displace
people. Thc convergence of roo many
people upon cicies is an effecr of man>
40
LONELY QUIET SETTLES
over on obon–
doned form house in northern Missouri.
For every six formers who fold up, one
local businessmon must close his doors.
forces already outlined in chis arriclc.
Many of rhese forccs are unchange–
able wirhin che currenr configuracíon
of che world social strucrure. This is
partl y an individual, personal prob–
lem and partly che problem of orga–
nized governmenr.
To salve che individual and gov–
ernmenral problems creaced by rhe
mral exodus requires rhe inrervenrion
of a force more powerful rhan all che
forces which have created che prob–
lem. This much is axiomaric. Yet no
such force is visible on rhe world
scene coday, either to mosr individ–
uaJs or ro governmenrs. Whacever che
source of such a force, ir musr somc–
how provide a un iversal codc of eth–
ics. abolish povercy, build a scablc and
equitable world economy and find a
niche in socicry for everyone. The
complicared human elemenr - even
rhe human mind - muse somehow
be morivared co go
in
better dircc–
cions.
Ac che recent United Narions Con–
ference on rhc Human Environmenr,
Maurice F. Srrong, Secreta!)' General,
stated: "God has placed in our hands
che power to shape our fucurt. And
ro make che cboiccs which will decide
che ulrimacc fa re ofman will requirc a
degree of colleccive wisdom and en–
lighcenmenr rhar can only come
rhrough a ncw moral and spirirual
awakening."
Thar new moral and spiricual
awakening is coming! Bur ir will cake
a power beyond whar any human
governmenc now cxercises ro bring ir
abour.
For che essence of a plan rhar will
provide che missing "moral and spiri–
tual awakeni ng," wrice for our full–
color booklec enritlcd
The JVonderful
World Tomorrow
-
lVhat
lt Wi/1 Be
Like.
A free copy will be mailcd ro
you as soon as we rcceivc vour
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