Where there is housing saturation in the vicinity of the war work plant, there may yet be, within reasonable distance, some community that offers housing vacancies, or, if not convenient, it may be rendered so by the establishment of new or improved traffic facilities. In such cases, to accomplish these was the object of the Transportation Division; in so doing its function coinciding with that of the Homes Registration Service; viz.: to avoid where possible the expense of constructing special houses for war workers. By special train, trolley and boat service, timed to the schedules of the war factories, and by a simple rearrangement of schedules in some instances, this relief was afforded.
In investigating congestion due to war work, the Corporation received its information as to the importance of the output of the locality in the war program from either the Army or the Navy. The localities were rated “A”, “B”, and “C”, and when it developed that the appropriation from Congress would not adequately take care of all the projects that demanded relief, the Corporation necessarily tried to give relief to those of primary importance. This was the function of the Priorities Section of the Requirements Division. In those communities where funds were not available to give relief, or where projects for house building had been abandoned because the locality expected the Government to build, the Housing Corporation made an effort to stimulate private capital to take care of the housing shortage for industrial workers.
The Corporation indicated to these communities that it would secure for them priorities as to materials, the license to build under proper restrictions, safeguarding the worker as to rental and sale, and that wherever possible the Corporation would secure Government prices for these projects. All plans were passed on by the Corporation before the license was issued, and a sworn statement of stipulations in each case was drawn up and signed by all the parties concerned.
There now remained one step to be taken to bring about a better distribution of labor through its diversion from the less essential industries to those making munitions of war, in conjunction with a redistribution of war contracts by placing them where factories were idle, or partly so, and where there was labor supply and housing. Because there nowhere existed any such industrial survey as gave the requisite information, the Division of Surveys and Statistics was formed, which acted as a very complete investigating Bureau, working with the Regional Advisors and the Labor Control Boards in the various centers of activity.
A complete list of every factory employing over ten men was made in an appreciable number of
cities, including a statement as to the kind of work that the less essential factory could take on as a war measure, and how long it would take that factory to change over. In this way it soon became evident that in many localities no housing would have to be provided if a certain percentage from the less essential factories were diverted to those factories engaged in war work. The redistribution was the work of the War Industries Board, to which body reports were made.
In this cursory fashion are indicated those methods employed other than the construction of housing. The manner of handling that must be as briefly touched upon, because it is not the purpose of this article to describe the workings of the Housing Corporation.
Besides a very expert Real Estate Division, charged with the acquiring of land for sites, there were the technical Divisions of Architecture, Engineering and Town Planning. By these, covering the field of design, a vast amount of valuable information and material was collected and digested, preparatory to the beginning of the projects to be undertaken. Minimum housing standards were prepared; type designs elaborated; standard details and specifications adopted; instructions of all sorts for employed designers worked out. Special researches were made covering schools, hospitals, cafeterias, relations with municipalities as to the installation or extension of public utilities, and the very important matter of varying building codes. Experts of high grade studied in detail questions of heating, plumbing and lighting, and established new devices of economical character. The subject of building materials, a very vexed one under the constantly increasing restrictions of war-time, was under constant scrutiny in active collaboration with the War Industries Board. A corps of skilled estimators, in the Requirements Division, made careful cost analyses and quantity surveys; by a very thorough plan, materials in quantity were allocated, ordered, and arrangements made for their shipment so as to be on hand when required for construction.
The designing of projects was entrusted to Committees of Design, each consisting of Architect, Engineer and Town Planner, selected from among private practitioners of high professional standing. They worked upon a contractual basis founded upon the idea of war service, and affording them a remuneration far below their customary receipts. Needless to say, though not to be described here, very complete arrangements were made as to submission and approval of drawings and specifications and work both in office and field. Every possible emphasis was laid upon two points; that designers
In investigating congestion due to war work, the Corporation received its information as to the importance of the output of the locality in the war program from either the Army or the Navy. The localities were rated “A”, “B”, and “C”, and when it developed that the appropriation from Congress would not adequately take care of all the projects that demanded relief, the Corporation necessarily tried to give relief to those of primary importance. This was the function of the Priorities Section of the Requirements Division. In those communities where funds were not available to give relief, or where projects for house building had been abandoned because the locality expected the Government to build, the Housing Corporation made an effort to stimulate private capital to take care of the housing shortage for industrial workers.
The Corporation indicated to these communities that it would secure for them priorities as to materials, the license to build under proper restrictions, safeguarding the worker as to rental and sale, and that wherever possible the Corporation would secure Government prices for these projects. All plans were passed on by the Corporation before the license was issued, and a sworn statement of stipulations in each case was drawn up and signed by all the parties concerned.
There now remained one step to be taken to bring about a better distribution of labor through its diversion from the less essential industries to those making munitions of war, in conjunction with a redistribution of war contracts by placing them where factories were idle, or partly so, and where there was labor supply and housing. Because there nowhere existed any such industrial survey as gave the requisite information, the Division of Surveys and Statistics was formed, which acted as a very complete investigating Bureau, working with the Regional Advisors and the Labor Control Boards in the various centers of activity.
A complete list of every factory employing over ten men was made in an appreciable number of
cities, including a statement as to the kind of work that the less essential factory could take on as a war measure, and how long it would take that factory to change over. In this way it soon became evident that in many localities no housing would have to be provided if a certain percentage from the less essential factories were diverted to those factories engaged in war work. The redistribution was the work of the War Industries Board, to which body reports were made.
In this cursory fashion are indicated those methods employed other than the construction of housing. The manner of handling that must be as briefly touched upon, because it is not the purpose of this article to describe the workings of the Housing Corporation.
Besides a very expert Real Estate Division, charged with the acquiring of land for sites, there were the technical Divisions of Architecture, Engineering and Town Planning. By these, covering the field of design, a vast amount of valuable information and material was collected and digested, preparatory to the beginning of the projects to be undertaken. Minimum housing standards were prepared; type designs elaborated; standard details and specifications adopted; instructions of all sorts for employed designers worked out. Special researches were made covering schools, hospitals, cafeterias, relations with municipalities as to the installation or extension of public utilities, and the very important matter of varying building codes. Experts of high grade studied in detail questions of heating, plumbing and lighting, and established new devices of economical character. The subject of building materials, a very vexed one under the constantly increasing restrictions of war-time, was under constant scrutiny in active collaboration with the War Industries Board. A corps of skilled estimators, in the Requirements Division, made careful cost analyses and quantity surveys; by a very thorough plan, materials in quantity were allocated, ordered, and arrangements made for their shipment so as to be on hand when required for construction.
The designing of projects was entrusted to Committees of Design, each consisting of Architect, Engineer and Town Planner, selected from among private practitioners of high professional standing. They worked upon a contractual basis founded upon the idea of war service, and affording them a remuneration far below their customary receipts. Needless to say, though not to be described here, very complete arrangements were made as to submission and approval of drawings and specifications and work both in office and field. Every possible emphasis was laid upon two points; that designers