Page Twenty-One

Things As They Are By Charles H. Scott

IFTY years ago, no railroads ran into Vancouver. The embryo city

as represented by wooden shacks huddled around Hastings and
Carrall Street encompassed by woods and water. English Bay was reached
by a trail, traffic policemen were unnecessary, no street cars clanged their
way through the streets, and Shaughnessy Heights did not exist.

Nor did town-planning occupy the attention of the City Council.

And somewhere within this elemental town lurked a little germ of
dissatisfaction with things as they are.

Gradually the good citizens realized that wooden shacks were inade-
quate, trails became streets and avenues, street cars appeared as a means
of transporting a growing community, residential suburbs sprouted north,
south, east and west. Churches, schools and banks made imposing land-
marks in streets that had now become busy enough to necessitate traffic
control.

Departmental stores expanded so that the merchandise of the world
might be at our very door.

And a town-planning commission sits in solemn conclave.

There was evidence aplenty that the material side of life was being
served.

Yet the little germ of dissatisfaction with things as they are continued
to live.

With increasing wealth and increasing leisure had come a demand
for those qualities that give satisfaction to the spirit.

Housing, Furniture, Dress, became more than merely utilitarian. The
demand was for more beauty, and Music, Drama, Painting, and Archi-
tecture came in answer.

And the city continued to grow until one day not two years ago a
little school with the big name of The Vancouver School of Decorative
and Applied Arts blossomed in one of its by-streets.

An attendance in the first year of 70 days students and 300 evening
Students taxed the capacity of staff and building.

In this second year of the school’s life the day students number 100