he
eye. In other places, right in the heart of the city, and adjoining
well-designed buildings, were vacant lots inclosed by high ugly board
fences, on which were painted fantastic and ridiculous advertisements.

These defects, of course, could only be thoroughly remedied by putting
into force the logical economic principle of State ownership of all land
and buildings, instead of permitting the individual to do as he pleased
with property made valuable by the community.

The disarrangement of the buildings, however, merely typified the
incongruous and illogical disorganization of the people themselves. For
instance, here was a big, strong, well-fed fashionably groomed young
man, walking along the street, carrying no heavier burden than a light
walking stick, while just beside him was a half-starved old woman,
almost bent double under the weight of a large basket of clothes she had
washed for somebody else.

Then again, here were two big, strong men, perched upon the driver's
seat of a magnificent carriage, drawn by two great powerful horses, and
conveying about the city for recreation a dyspeptic lap-dog, while
trudging along the gutter in search of work or something to eat was a
weak, ill-fed, broken-down old man, who had, no doubt, given the best
years of his life to the actual labor which had increased the wealth of
the community.

Along the streets everywhere were dirty young boys of tender age, who
should have been at school or play, rushing madly in every direction,
trying to earn a few cents by the sale of newspapers, polishing shoes,
and acting as chore boys.

Little brass bands were scattered about here and there, braying forth
inharmoniously, and organ grinders and street piano players were rending
the air with bad music in return for a few pennies, thrown to them by
passing pedestrians.

Venders of fruit, shoe-strings, collar-buttons, and other light
merchandise were scattered along the sidewalks and gutters, trying to
earn a living by the sale of their wares, while beggars occasionally
stopped the more fortunate members of society with pathetic
importunities for money to buy bread.

Cabmen and horses were wasting the public power by standing idly about
waiting for engagements, or else driving aimlessly in all directions,
searching for patronage.

Wagons of every description were rushing about hither and thither in a
wretchedly unsystematic method of retail delivery, utilizing in many
cases the lab