The morning journal-courier., 1908-05-01
WOHkINGMEN's HOMES.

his Inaugural message, but none of them comes so near to the needs of the greatest number none is SO in teresting to New Haven, and none, perhaps, is so worthy of the young mayor so recently elected, as that in regard to the wage-earners' homes and methods of living. His best ad vice Is in reference to the homes of the people, a question of vital im- portance in New Haven. His sug gestions are based largely upon a special report made to him by Park Superintendent 'ieorge A, Parker,
 Briefly stated, the plan superintend- ent Parker proposes. and which Is la vored for thorough investigation by Mayor Hooker, provides that the city shall buy up a large acreage of land for home purposes. He points out that under present economic conditions 1t is impossible for the wage-earner, who makes from S2 to S5 day, to own the land on which house stands and thu house. too. He suggests that the city let him build on It's land under a perpetual lease on which he shall pay annually so much per foot front, which shall be not less than $l or more than s3 and which shall be in full for af rents, taxes. etc, on the lot and house. He believes that our present system of charging against newly developed land for improve ments. makes it especially difficult to construct houses that can be rented at a price which vorkingmon can afford to pay Tt is impossible" says the superintendent. for the wage earner to own his own home. or to rent for a reasonable proportion of his earnings a suitable tenement, with pri- vate ownership of land as now man aged Such scheme, he thinks. as above described. for land rental would not be illogical or unjust, for the land has no value. except such value a' the people by their presence give 1t and they arc entitled to share al
 least in what they create II Is tho old familiar problem of the unearnei l increment in new form
 As to the houses, he believes tha' their design and material should b' of such a character as not to cos more than twice the reasonable annua earnings of the worker of the family ownership of a house gives the youni wage earner a better chance in life 1 The house, he emphasizes should ht one family structure "It is as un fair to ask two families to share on, house as t is to ask two persons tt share one suit Of clothes. Thert should be such a separation of thu ! houses that what is done and said il one cannot be heard in another pri vacy being considered essential, "fo Eff children arc to be brought up witt regard for purity. nodesty. and a rec ognition of common decency, witt opportunities for full development the home must be free from the obser vation of those not belonging to It.
 Each house should have Its own sep arate front door and back door, ant no two entrances should be next t another, in the opinion of the superin tendent. There should also be q yarr in front and a yard Tn the rear of eac'
 house, the exclusive property of on
 family
 It all sounds very radical for cit
 to go into the real estate business i
 
 this manner on wholesale lines, an
 yet it Is q most rational plan. It's all
 thor shows that It's results can be ha
 in no other way lnd certainly not un
 der the present system of taxing tn
 unearned increment, 1t is worthy c
 the most thorough investigation at an
 rate. It's author says of the schem
 that for the city to own the Ian
 and lease 1t in perpetuity is no IT or
 of a nature of paternalism than fo the city to own and care for it streets, public schools, police fire an
 other departments" Furthermore,
 may be made a paying proposition.
 our cities have not the power to ente f into this line of activity under thej
 present charters, such rights can | sought at the hands of the Legislature , At any rate, it seems far better tha | the present system of housing tn aee-earners in continuous lines (
 small houses like barracks, as at pres ent in Baltimore and Philadelphia , better than the patch" system ( , small separate but disreputabe house f on small lots as in he South; and fla 5 far better than che northern system ( i "pigeon-hoe tenements' New Hs ven may do well to look into the maj ter We call it to the attention of tn } city fathers