MANNHEIM.

329

It  is  in  the  Waldhof  quarter  that  the  municipality  has  executed  its  most
ambitious  improvement  scheme.  Apprehensive  that  the  plan  (now  sanctioned)
for  deepening  the  Rhine-Main  canal  as  far  as  Aschaffenburg  and  the  less  certain
yet  inevitable  proposal  to  rectify  the  Rhine  as  far  as  Basle  would  divert  much
of  Mannheim’s  transit  trade,  the  municipal  administration  determined  in  1895  to
construct  a  new  dock  of  large  proportions  with  a  view  to  attracting  industrial
undertakings  to  the  town.  To  this  end  they  bought  an  extensive  area  of  land
abutting  on  an  arm  of  the  Rhine,  which  was  four  miles  long  with  an  average
width  of  325  yards,  and  had  been  used  for  timber  rafts.  This  sheet  of  water
was  deepened  and  converted  into  a  dock  navigable  by  heavy  vessels,  and  communication ­
  with  the  Rhine  was  established  by  locks.  While  the  wharves  were
provided  with  every  possible  convenience  in  the  form  of  railway  connections,
cranes,  &c.,  the  land  on  both  sides  of  the  dock  was  laid  out  for  building
purposes  and  thrown  into  the  market.  The  bold  scheme  has  proved  a  great
success.  A  host  of  large  industrial  undertakings  have  sprung  up  on  what  was
formerly  undeveloped  and  almost  unused  land,  and  the  Waldhof  district  is  to-day
the  centre  of  a  busy  life  and  the  home  of  a  large  and  increasing  population.
This  is  only  one  of  Mannheim’s  docks,  however,  for  besides  the  Rhine  quays,
about  l|r  miles  in  extent,  there  are  in  all  eight  docks  for  various  merchandise.
The  municipality  is  the  largest  landed  proprietor  in  the  district,
having  altogether  in  1904  saleable  estate  to  the  extent  of  5,349  acres  and  to
the  value  of  some  two  and  a  quarter  million  pounds.  Of  this  estate  2,183
acres  consisted  of  agricultural  land,  1,860  acres  of  wood,  111  acres  of  land
for  industrial  purposes,  and  616  acres  of  land  for  town  extension  and
other  purposes.  From  its  town  estate  the  municipality  continuously  sells
eligible  building  land,  while  manufacturers  and  industrialists  wishful  to  start
new  undertakings  are  offered  sites  outside  on  favourable  terms,  but  the
rule  is  invariably  followed  of  employing  a  certain  proportion  of  the  proceeds
of  any  sale  of  real  estate  in  the  purchase  of  land  elsewhere.  In  Mannheim
also,  as  in  many  other  large  German  towns,  the  planning  of  the  town  is
carried  out  on  a  systematic  basis.  Speculative  builders  are  not  allowed  to
build  where  and  how  they  like.  The  streets  of  the  future  and  the  style  of
houses  of  which  they  shall  consist  are  determined  in  advance,  and  the  builder
must  fall  in  with  the  design  which  is  prepared  for  him.  Only  thus  is  the
administrative  authority  able  (in  its  own  words)  to  "  take  full  advantage  of  all
the  arts  of  town  building.”
One  method  employed  in  the  planning  of  new  districts  is  the  reparcelling
of  the  land.  An  entire  area  is  “  pooled,”  so  to  speak,  and  the  proprietors  receive
back  the  full  value  of  their  original  properties  though  by  a  different  apportionment. ­
  Several  districts  have  been  laid  out  in  this  way.  The  attendant
difficulties  are  many,  however,  and  often  they  .would  be  insuperable  were  it  not
that  a  powerful  lever  is  at  the  command  of  the  municipality,  when  obstructive
landowners  have  to  be  dealt  with,  in  the  form  of  compulsory  expropriation.
Much  is  done  by  municipal  action  to  promote  the  health  of  the  working
classes  in  various  ways.  Strenuous  efforts  are  being  made  to  combat  tuberculosis ­
  and  other  infectious  diseases.  All  deaths  from  consumption  must  be
notified,  and  doctors  in  attendance  upon  advanced  cases  must  notify  these  in
the  event  of  change  of  address,  also  cases  in  schools  or  training  institutions  ;
upon  notification  the  health  authority  adopts  effectual  measures  of  disinfection.
The  expenditure  of  the  Poor  Law  Administration  in  relief  of  all  kinds
amounted  in  1904  to  about  4a.  ßd.  per  head  of  the  population,  or  35.  6d.  after
deduction  of  repayments  from  other  authorities  and  private  persons.  There
is,  however,  a  considerable  amount  of  saving  in  a  small  way  amongst  the
working  classes.  The  Municipal  Savings  Bank  had  at  the  end  of  1904  accumulated ­
  investments  of  £1,200,000  standing  in  34,048  names.  Of  these
depositors  17*5  per  cent,  had  savings  to  the  amount  of  £2  10s.  and  under;
10  per  cent,  had  from  £2  11s.  to  £5  ;  20  per  cent,  had  from  £5  Is.  to
£12  10s.  ;  16*2  per  cent,  had  from  £12  11s.  to  £25  ;  and  15*6  per  cent,  had
from  £25  Is.  to  £50  ;  making  79*3  per  cent,  of  smaller  investors,  whose
deposits  made  30  per  cent,  of  the  whole.  The  entire  funds  averaged  £35  5s.
per  head,  and  the  new  deposits  of  1905  averaged  £6  12s.  per  head.
2  T

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