Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1917-03-29
RIGHT WHERE WE LIVE
Michigan Contractor & Builder Takes
Crack at Alma "Slums."

The Michigan Contractor Il Builder
carried the following editorial in its
issue of March oath, which will prove
cnlightening to Alma people:
IS lone year ago the Alma Home 4
Improvement company was organized
il the city of Alma for the erection
Of homes in that city. Alma had ex-
perienced remarkable growth and
there was in consequence demand
for houses that could not be supplied
readily. The above named company
began the erection of homes and put
them up at a rapid rate. Laboring
men had TO be housed and evidently
the company was able to get any price
that il demanded for its buildings, at
least the amount Of money earned
would indicate that the company was
not organized primarily for any al
truistic purpose. The company has
declared q dividend of forty per cent.
In this connection we might be per
mitted to quote l.. t. Wilmarth, chair
man of the Houseing Code Commits
sion: Even the formerly delightful
little country town OF Alma is now in
some Of its new dwellings providing
slums for the future. Some of the new
| dwellings are such farce for human
la bitation that a large commercial
real estate dealer terms it as crime
and refuses To invest in that town at
al in proximity to such proposed con
ditions of living"
/ The Alma Record would call the
/ Michigan Contractor 4 Builders at
| tention TO the fact that in some cases
/ Alma might have shacks worthy of
Is "spelendid" editorial, but not from
those that are being constructed by
the Alma Home 4 Improvement com
pany Leaving out the East Superior
street row, and few would be houses
scattered here and there around the
city, the Alma Record believes that
the class of houses being constructed
here will compare very favorably with
those Of other cities. Except for
Millerville, we know of no houses that
! could be sold for less than thousand
dollars. and extremely few at that
price.
Most OF the houses, now building in
Alma. are for workingmen, and
range in price from 81 800 TO $4,000
and could not be sold for much less.
Property turned over rapidly at a
small profit will in years time yield
Il good margin of profit as the Con-
tractor 4 Builder probably knows.
Houses are in great demand in Alma
and are sold rapidly. once they are
built
For the East Superior street row,
and such few other shacks as Alma
may have. we have no thought Of de-
tense. They are q mistake, and q
harm to the city. but they are few in
number, whereas the Michigan Con-
tractor < Builder would have the state
believe that most of the houses in AL
be fair at least
The Alma Record has been sug-
!, costing a building ordinance to cor.
rect such building errors. and keep
them from Alma in the future. Per.
{ haps the fine editorial which the Rec
ord publishes, above, will aid in arous
/ ing the need Of Alma TO such an or
dnance.
, AS for l.. T. Wilmarth, chairman Of
the Housing Code Commission, we be
= ieve that he has been entirely miss
e informed on the situation in Alma, o.
4 else has a poor conception of the valu,
0 of houses. He might live in a SIS,
I 600 or $4,000 house or one COSTING
+, rore, but he should remember tina
wo,rkingmen AZ rule do not buy suci
houses Rather do they keep within
their pocks,"t-books, when buying. w
! would suggest that Wilmarth get il
touch with the situation here and SEE
how many of our dwellings, are .sucf
a farce for human habit.atloi' a,l'
find out about the 'proposSo 'o'''i
tons of living" ~
We might also remark that new
species of animal has been discovered
"a commercial real estate dealer who
wouldn't make money. any place that
hl found a nice profit
Bunk. is the proper word for IT,