Evening journal., 1917-10-10
Would ORGAN ZE
HOUSING COMPANY
Mr.. Nolan Suggests In S
Method Of meeting Local
Conditions
PLAN SUI CESSFUL
IN OTLE CITIES

Wilmington business men who at
tended the Chamber Of Commerce lun-
cheon yesterday and heard John Nelen'
nf Cambridge. Mass, housing expert,
Wore much impressed with his talk'
'rhev were especially interested In what
Mr.. Nolen told them other cities are
doing TO meet the same problems that
confront Wilmington. Mr.. Nolens ad-
dress In part follows:
"Housing in WilmingtonEfor more
than a year has been given careIuI
thought and the conditions have been
examined with a good deal Of penelra'
tion. individuals and special commit
tees have investigated the subject ye'
action halts. The demand Is unques
TONED. perhaps its great extent is th'
very factor which brings hesitation. j
has been said that II there were enough
ho,Aes made ready by some magic
within twenty-four hours that within
three days every one Of them could d.
rented"
"The housing OF wage earners is nov
a common problem, in at least iit!
cities. corresponding In almost ever!
detail with the situation In Whining
Ton. The conditions we all know are
unnrecedented: we have first, the IN
iustrial expansion prior TO 1914, thei
war In Europe for three years WiiI
me constant Increased demands on th'
United States. following that our en-
try into the war actively 10 should b'
kent in mind too, what that entry into
war brought, we had all the proDlcIn'
involved in the manufacture Of wal
materials combined with the Dulldihe
Of camps, the Withdrawal OF million
men or more from Industrial ana com
merclal life and continued demands Ioi
supplies from the ALLIES"
"The result briefly is a bitter com
petitIOn for labor I'm all sections OF inc
country Where will the laborer go
Naturally. he will go where wages and
conditions are most favorable and
among these conditions the most I'M
portant perhaps, is that OF housing.
"Fortunately, the solution Of the
problem even in its present acute form
has been worked out In O number ol
industrial cities similar in almost al
respects to Wilmington. Striking exam
ples are: Waterbury and bridgeport
Connecticut; Akron, ohio, and kenosha
Wisconsin. Bridgeport Is especially IN
teresting because the conditions u any
thing were decidedly more dillcul
Yet, within a year Bridgeport has lorcce
a housing company backed by III
Chamber Of Commerce and the buslne
interests generally, has raised mlluG
dollars. engaged a competent manag
40 give all his time TO the subject al
has constructed, sold or rented INN
diately upon completion, between thI
humid ed and four hundred houses
the tvpes most needed. The recomm'
dations given TO Bridgeport ana IN
other places and followed successful
by The housing companies organi
are available for Wilmington. un'
such a program, / firmly believe q
a hundred houses could be rising frl
the ground i'm Wilmington in less tn
month. and that the effect OF su
an operation would be TO stmul'
other building interests simply becau
of the expression Of confidence ana le
10 almost as many more houses. VIII
in six months such a company mig
be the means OF providing for nj lea
five hundred workers and the progra
could be repeated every six months,
in the Judgment OF the officers, I
supply was still inadequate. The Tor
OF organization might follow that
Kenosha or Bridgeport or might
modified to meet local conditions here
1T Is more than probable that I
United states Government will be col
PEELED 70 step into the housing fle
but unless all. signs fail, is action W
be confined TO the assistance OF indl
tries and shipping directly related
war contracts with the government.
"The capital needed for an eXtensi
urogram can he provided in variety
WAYS. Some Of It undoubtedly shot
be had in the form Of subscriptions
stock in the housing company, AMI CO
siderably more might also be ma
available from the wage earners the
selves through a better and more
pansive organization Of local buildi
and loan associations in Wilmingt'
The success OF these cooperative
terrrises and encouragers 0f thrift
wen known II ] arm correctly inform
tner use in Wilmington at present.
very limited
me business interests az WilmlI
ton however, have no reason 90 he
tate one moment about The csrit-t nee
ca lot housing program. A ctty ,,h
mas recently contributed million
more outright 70 the Red Cross and