Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1886-10-09
HOUSE OWNERSHIP.


Upon Workinginen.
Philadelphia. as the greatest work.
shop of America, furnishes a striking
illustration in point. Its comparative
exemption from strikes is due to the
fact that, as rule, the working-man
there owns his home Hence, he is as
conservative as the capitalist. You
may find scores of squares with nice
brick houses of working-men, not one
of which is tenement house. Phila-
delphia now has double the number of
dwelling houses of any other city of its
size in the world. This marvellous in
crease in its homestcads is due to its
cooperative building associations
numbering over four hundred. They
have been tried for nearly fifty years,
and have proved such valuable forces
for promoting industry, economy, So
briefly, thrift and prosperity that the
| State encourages them by exempting
all their stock and mortgages from tax
alton. Though the holdings of these
associations exceed $50, 900, 900. they
are managed by working-men at little
expense, and are always open to pub
lie scrutiny. Failures have been very
rare, less than in any other class of
financial associations. The worst of
those closed during the panic of 1873
paid ninety-three cents ON the dollar
These associations, so unique. tried so
long and SO successfully, are model
for the working-men of the country,
certainly in large manufacturing CEN
ters.
That may speak authoritatively,
will epitomize certain statements kind
ly furnished by an eminent Pbiladel-
phian, specially convcrsant with the
subject. who says; The tenement house
is unknown here. In the riots of
1877 the twenty thousand mem
bors of building associations acted
as an efficient counterpoisc to
the lawlcss throngs that crowded tho
streets. This instinct of self-preserva-
ton, of social order, was as strong
with them as with the wcalthier classes
and was even more eilectual. 1t neu-
tralized, in their own camp, the clam
ors of a vicious and riotous rabble, SO
that the presence of the mayor and the
police was sufficient to quell all disor-
der without collision. These associa-
tions have been potent factor in max
ing our people prosperous and moral,
encouraging sobriety and preventing
dissipation. The absence of any dam
gerous tendencies can undoubtedly be
traced to the general ownership Of
homes.
In Switzerland, out of 4S5, 900 house
holds 465, 600 are householders. Here
is one secret of the remarkable patriot
ism and prosperity of that people, and
of their comparative exemption from
labor troubles. Their excellent pub
lie schools and twenty-nine industrial
schools, all topped up by their grand
polytechnic institute at Zurich, includ-
ing the same practical work rs that of
this Worcester Industrial Institute, have
wonderfully unified the home owning
and home loving people of these twenty
five cantons. Though separate in race,
religion and language, they are one in
natural interest proud of their history
and proudcr still of their recent pro-
gress and manufacturing prosperity. |
They are an ingenious and industrious
people, and their mechanics are educa-
ted and skillful, believing in the dignity |
of labor and the thorough mastery Of
some trade. Though hemmed in by
without seaport, with few
minerals and no coal, with costly trans
portation, all freight from the seaboard |
coming over foreign territory, Switzer-
land threatens the ribbon trade of Cow
entry. rivals the English and French |
in muslin and delaine, and the world in |
watches, music boxes and wood cary
ing.-Age Of Steel.