The San Francisco call., 1908-09-09
UNIONS REBEL At
BAN ON POLITICS
Vallejo Trades and Labor Coun-
Gil Fights Order Directed
Against N. Y. Employees
New System in Brazil Of Build.
ing Homes for Workingmen
Meets With Success

The Vallejo trades and labor council,
by action taken at its last meeting, does
not intend to give up its fight against
the executive order which prohibits en-
ployes of navy yards from taking an
active part in politics. 1t instructed its
delegates to the state federation of la
Dor to bring the matter up in such shape
federation.
The Vallejo trades and labor council
is agitated over the fact that a certain
stop Cock is used on the city's water
system that can be secured by pur-
chase from only one manufacturer in
the east, which gives that manufactur-
er a monopoly. The matter was referred
to the committee on municipal affairs
and the same committe waseinstructed
to ascertain why Louis Moreing, who is
engaged in constructing a dam for the
city, is working his men IL hours a
day.
: In order to encourage the working
classes along the line of becoming citi-
zens who will take a deep interest in
the affairs of the country, the munich
pality of Rio de Janeiro has undertaken
the building of homes for such and
renting them in a manner that is de-
scribed by Consul General George A.
Anderson, living in that city, in a re-
port to the department of commerce and
labor at Washington, D. c., He says:
The municipity of Rio de Janeiro has con-
structed and is now preparing TO rent 81 groups
of houses of two types, some for families and
others for single men, These houses. in some
respects, entirely different from the general
conception of workingmen's tenant houses. All
are constructed of brick and tile covered with
plaster, with tile roofs, narrow verandas, small
grounds simple but efficient plumbing, tile
floors and with openings which admit OF thor
ough washing with minimum Of effort and ex-
pense. Each group Is in appearance double
house of two stories, the lower floors of which
for families and the upper floors for single
men.
In type the lower floors include four rooms
kitchen, bath, toilet and with outside laundry
according to the prevailing Brazilian style. Each
floor of each house is divided into four rooms
with a closet and bath. the four rooms being
ing by outside stairways to yeranda from
which the entered
In type B the lower floors include only two
rooms with bath, closet, kitchen and garden
and the upper floors two rooms for single men ;
otherwise they are built the type A houses
vitriied tile to a height OF about six feet.
The municipality will lease the houses free of
taxation (real estate taxation in Brazil is on
rental basis) and probably the rent will be
on the basis of about per cent per annum
on the cost of the houses What the exact
cost of the houses will be is not as yet known.
but owing to the cost of labor, materials and
hardware is approximately three times what the
houses would cost in the average American
city.
The houses so far constructed are located in
three portions of the city. There are six groups
of type A and six groups of type in the
Becco do Rio. near the bay front; two groups
of type and nine of type B. as an example
or experiment, in the heart of the city away
from the water front; and 20 groups OF type A
and 10 of type in the outskirts Of the city,
having a hillside site. The intention of the
municipal authorities IS to continue the con-
structon of the houses indefinitely until there is
some change in the relation of supply and de-
mand.