| Description | Throughout this address Taylor Cadbury emphasises the detrimental effects of 'unhealthy homes'. She remarks on poor urban living conditions and the number of people who were 'housed in close, dirty, evil-smelling lanes & courts, deprived of fresh air & sunshine, strangers to the sight of grass, flowers & trees' and 'without opportunity for healthy recreation'. She suggests that poor environmental conditions caused illness and forced people into crime. Taylor Cadbury cites international statistics relating to housing, referring to the work of Sir Walter Foster and also German, American and French surveys relating to 'bad & unhealthy' housing. Reflecting on this evidence Taylor Cadbury calls for people to 'move more quickly in the direction of improvement', stating:
'No greater work awaits the reformer, no higher task the administrator, than the transforming of slums & rookeries, & the turning of fresh air & sunshine & the beauty of grass & trees & flowers - now too often the privilege of the few - into the birthright of the poor, & those who cannot help themselves'.
Taylor Cadbury draws on her experiences participating in the development of Bournville village to provide an overview of efforts towards housing reform, remarking on the emerging development of 'Garden Villages, Garden Cities' and 'Garden Suburbs' in Britain and abroad. She suggests that 'the movement will need in the future to be the work of the State & of Municipalities' and emphasises the importance of educating public opinion before remarking on various planning schemes aimed at housing reform such as the Tenants Co-Partnership Building Association. Taylor Cadbury concludes her address by stating 'we shall work on for a happier home life for all our people'. |
| AdminHistory | Although this address is undated, Elizabeth Taylor Cadbury's references to the development of 'Garden Villages' instigated by private individuals indicate that it was written during the early twentieth century. In addition, she cites reports relating to investigations into housing conditions undertaken during 1904 and 1906 suggesting that the address was written in or after 1906. |