other strictly war necessity plants which are most likely to become “Government Deserted Villages.” Even should these plants be turned into active peace industries, they will, without all these necessities, experience difficulty in attracting and holding a labor reservoir far from the city with its attractions and many opportunities for securing work. Practically none of these necessary amenities have yet been provided and it is essential that permanent Government investments should not be endangered by their noncompletion.
It would seem, therefore, that the Senate Resolution requiring abandonment is unwise. Private building will not be likely to proceed to any extent on a falling market, and, until labor and material values are stabilized and Victory Loans are over, money will not be largely loaned for investment in building. Until Government standard prices, such as even now maintain on brick in some districts, are removed, prices cannot be fully adjusted. In the meantime many men are being discharged from service, and with cessation of this housing work more men are thrown out of employment. Would it not be wise, therefore, for the Government, not only in order to provide employment but to protect its own investments, to continue at once the completion of the necessary amenities that will make the isolated industrial village attractive to the working man ?
The temporary housing should, in order to reduce competition with permanent housing and prevent deteriorative slum conditions, be scrapped at once and charged to war cost and the sites restored immediately upon evacuation. As to the permanent housing, the national emergency is past, and we do not like to think of Uncle Sam as our landlord, troubled with maintenance and administration of properties erected, to say the least, in great haste. As soon as guarantees of proper standards for administration and maintenance can be established, which should be six months after peace is declared as provided by the Emergency Fleet Corporation agreements, the Government should sell its property or its mortgages at normal cost and retire.
It is essential, however, that beyond the limits of organized municipalities some good organization, political or non-paternal, be established to maintain and manage the buildings, streets and parks, provide fire and police protection and in some cases to maintain the utilities, collect garbage and ashes and perform other municipal duties, which some of these suburban districts are not now allowed by law to do. Where the property is owned by a Local Housing Corporation, this problem of maintenance should properly be its duty, and for the good of the whole community the ownership of the entire property should remain
in the Local Housing Corporation. The owners of the plants are anxious that the houses be not sold in fee again to have title transferred to a worker in a competing plant, or to an objectionable neighbor. They are now protected by cancellation clauses in the Fleet Corporation Village leases, upon termination of employment in the plant. For the plant to retain or acquire ownership might require more capital investment for housing of labor than for housing of machinery, and besides the advantage gained of renting direct, to employees only, is too paternal to be popular with labor.
The American workman now understands the buying of Bonds on installments, but is apt to be suspicious of a “copartnership” as practiced in England. Why not, therefore, instead of selling the houses, sell the workman on partial payments from his wages, a rent paying first mortgage bond secured by the normal value of his home, and carrying the privilege of occupancy while employed at the plant with the first option for repurchase reserved to the Local Housing Corporation upon his removal or desire to sell. As his investment increased his rent would decrease, and if arranged to cover all costs, taxes, etc., he would be likely to appreciate the advantage, and become settled. By thus preventing profiteering on resale, the unearned increment should redound to the credit of the Housing Corporation.
There is a growing tendency in the locality of these new communities to question whether it is altogether politic to segregate so many workers of one class, sometimes with peculiar national traits, without admitting to residence some of the best elements of our citizenship which would leaven the thought and action of the community. It would seem wise, therefore, to encourage the dwelling within the village of the school teachers, clerks, shopkeepers and professional men required by the community.
These war villages should not establish our highest ideal for the future, for it must be remembered they were designed and erected under tremendous pressure. Much better results should be obtained under normal conditions, when responsibility is centralized in a single head. The Government has withal raised the general standard for real estate development to a level where all future developments should start, and the future industrial villages to be erected after reconstruction should be so controlled by City of State Planning Commissions as never to fall below the level thus established. The architects should help the general improvement by establishing and making known a new schedule of charges proper for this class of work, including town planning services.
It would seem, therefore, that the Senate Resolution requiring abandonment is unwise. Private building will not be likely to proceed to any extent on a falling market, and, until labor and material values are stabilized and Victory Loans are over, money will not be largely loaned for investment in building. Until Government standard prices, such as even now maintain on brick in some districts, are removed, prices cannot be fully adjusted. In the meantime many men are being discharged from service, and with cessation of this housing work more men are thrown out of employment. Would it not be wise, therefore, for the Government, not only in order to provide employment but to protect its own investments, to continue at once the completion of the necessary amenities that will make the isolated industrial village attractive to the working man ?
The temporary housing should, in order to reduce competition with permanent housing and prevent deteriorative slum conditions, be scrapped at once and charged to war cost and the sites restored immediately upon evacuation. As to the permanent housing, the national emergency is past, and we do not like to think of Uncle Sam as our landlord, troubled with maintenance and administration of properties erected, to say the least, in great haste. As soon as guarantees of proper standards for administration and maintenance can be established, which should be six months after peace is declared as provided by the Emergency Fleet Corporation agreements, the Government should sell its property or its mortgages at normal cost and retire.
It is essential, however, that beyond the limits of organized municipalities some good organization, political or non-paternal, be established to maintain and manage the buildings, streets and parks, provide fire and police protection and in some cases to maintain the utilities, collect garbage and ashes and perform other municipal duties, which some of these suburban districts are not now allowed by law to do. Where the property is owned by a Local Housing Corporation, this problem of maintenance should properly be its duty, and for the good of the whole community the ownership of the entire property should remain
in the Local Housing Corporation. The owners of the plants are anxious that the houses be not sold in fee again to have title transferred to a worker in a competing plant, or to an objectionable neighbor. They are now protected by cancellation clauses in the Fleet Corporation Village leases, upon termination of employment in the plant. For the plant to retain or acquire ownership might require more capital investment for housing of labor than for housing of machinery, and besides the advantage gained of renting direct, to employees only, is too paternal to be popular with labor.
The American workman now understands the buying of Bonds on installments, but is apt to be suspicious of a “copartnership” as practiced in England. Why not, therefore, instead of selling the houses, sell the workman on partial payments from his wages, a rent paying first mortgage bond secured by the normal value of his home, and carrying the privilege of occupancy while employed at the plant with the first option for repurchase reserved to the Local Housing Corporation upon his removal or desire to sell. As his investment increased his rent would decrease, and if arranged to cover all costs, taxes, etc., he would be likely to appreciate the advantage, and become settled. By thus preventing profiteering on resale, the unearned increment should redound to the credit of the Housing Corporation.
There is a growing tendency in the locality of these new communities to question whether it is altogether politic to segregate so many workers of one class, sometimes with peculiar national traits, without admitting to residence some of the best elements of our citizenship which would leaven the thought and action of the community. It would seem wise, therefore, to encourage the dwelling within the village of the school teachers, clerks, shopkeepers and professional men required by the community.
These war villages should not establish our highest ideal for the future, for it must be remembered they were designed and erected under tremendous pressure. Much better results should be obtained under normal conditions, when responsibility is centralized in a single head. The Government has withal raised the general standard for real estate development to a level where all future developments should start, and the future industrial villages to be erected after reconstruction should be so controlled by City of State Planning Commissions as never to fall below the level thus established. The architects should help the general improvement by establishing and making known a new schedule of charges proper for this class of work, including town planning services.