Excerpt from The Independent Review, Vol. 2: February May, 1904<br><br>Some may perhaps apprehend that the proposed change in the method of rating would tend to accelerate the growth of streets round London, and to swallow up existing open spaces. It is true that the change, taken by itself, would have this effect; and it is only in this way that it could bring about the remedy which it is intended to provide. Overcrowding cannot be cured, except by spreading the crowded population over a larger area. But it will be possible, and indeed essential, to combine with the change in rating a vigorous policy of acquisition of Open spaces for the public. The changes advocated will make it easier to secure houses where houses are needed, and open spaces where open spaces are needed. The pieces of unoccupied land now available in the neighbourhood of large towns are placed at haphazard and their enjoyment by the public is often precarious. They must be replaced by parks and commons dedicated to the public use, and arranged on a carefully-devised plan.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.