Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-05-24

land divided into small parcels and
turned over to people who will live on
it and work 1t. Among the soldiers
there Ia a striking disposition to &C
cept this program because 30 many
iof them are determined not to live in
cities again.
But in order to get the soldiers back
t o the land they must be provided
with houses IN the land; so 1t is 60
ing to be necessary not only to build
extensively i'll the cities but also in
the country. Mr.. Fishers estimate
that half a million new houses would
be needed within q very short time
after the wars end is probably quite
moderate. despite the fact hat hum
dreds of thousands are likely to emf
crate to the colonies or elsewhere.
graphing with this housing question.
Municipal bodies will be eiveen neces-
sary authority to incur debt In order
to carry out house building plans, and
a great number of mutual co-opera-
tive organizations similar to the build
ing and loan societies so familiar in the
United States will be given every en-
couragement, including. II they can
be found, the advance Of funds from
public sources.
n demands on public revenues
are going to be such that never again
will h modest budgets of ante-bel-
lum days be dealt with by chancellors
of the e%xchequer. Somehow Great
Britain will be compelled to continue
raising an immensely increased rev.
enue from various kinds Of taxation.
continue, though the purposes Of the
expenditures will be changed after the
war.
There is little doubt that the coun-
try will need the labor OF everybody
capable of performing it. But how to
get h man and the Job associated to-
gether> with the least waste OF effort
Ia a problem already receiving atten-
ton. Obviously to build half a mil
lion houses will require quantities OF
capital and material which cannot be
instantaneously provided.
Government Help Sought.
Everybody instantly turns toward
the government to save the situation.
The shipping owners whose shipping
has been sunk presume that tile gov
eminent will realize the necessity of
helping them restore their fleets. Fac
tories that have been commandeered
II converted into munition works
Will have to he restored to their orig
tnal purposes, in some cases at great
! expense. Machinery that has been
operated under pressure Of war de-
mand until 1t is about ready for the
scrap heap will nav to he replaced
by other machinery. so it goes
throughout the whole realm Of indus
try n enterprise.
There will be plenty of work for
everybody to do, and there will he the
released mar power from the armies
plus the newly organized and trained
woman power. which can never again
be excluded from an important rela-
tionship to the national industry. But
to organize these resources, to pro-
vide capital, to pay wages, to bring
materials together from a world that
has rapidly been denuding itself of al
manner of materials to feed these
teeming millions during the years of
high prices that will undoubtedly fol-
low this war. as they have followed
every other war in modern times
these are tasks which confront British
statesmen and economists as they con-
front the statesmen and economists OF
other European countries.