The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-11

THE tendency Of the great middle
CLASSIC Americans to avoid the owner
ship Of homes OF their own is deplora-
ble.' declared a leading suburban home
builder yesterday In discussing the in
creases in city rentals. He did not at
tack the mounting rentals. in fact he in
timated that they were unavoidable and
no relief could be looked for for a num-
ber OF years because the demand has so
greatly outstripped the supply and the
likelihood that the supply of the future
would be greatly influenced by the COM
mercial structural needs Of the country
and the world.
'.There is no doubt that back to the
soil movement Is needed in the cities as
we'll as in the country districts. II the
ownership Of American soil is not to
pass into the hands OF the few. and that
few largely the foreign born" remarked
this observer
There are various explanations Of
fered for this unfortunate tendency. the
one most commonly heard being that the
American loves ease and shirks respon-
sibility which Is summed UP in the
catchy phrase Let George do it. so
long as George was willing to do 1t.
for a considerat ion. why should they be
annoyed by the troublesome questions
which must be determined by the man
who owns his home? II Is much easier
70 pay some one else TO assume the bur-
den of providing shelter and whenever
he fails to do 1t satisfactorily offer some
one else the opportunity.
THE apartment house. where not only
shelter but light. heat and service of
many kinds are provided for fixed con-
alteration. is the logical outgrowth OF
this state of mind.
Present conditions are taking some
Of the romance out OF this mode of life.
however 1t is not only becoming very
costly but less satisfactory. In the mat
ter Of heat last winter many found that
George did not do for the tenant all
that the tenant could have done for him
self II he had been living in his own
home. This was not as a rule Georges
fault. but the fault OF the conditions
which his clients had themselves created.
They had made space too costly to be
devoted to coal storage therefore be-
yond a few days supply George was
wholly dependent or a dealer to keep
his clients warm, The dealer himself
found space too costly to store a winters
supply for all OF his customers, and here
the George theory failed 50 far as heat
was concerned. II the war continues 1t
II going to fail in other things too
"But love Of ease is not the only In
NuenC6 WHICH mas leu ~
largely to insist upon living in the hearts
OF cities There is also the social ques-
ton. The average american is only very
shortly removed from the isolation and
hardships of pioneer life The city Is his
refuge from the memory OF such hard
ships to him 1t represents not only ease
and luxury but fashion and social con-
sequence.
He recognizes that the dweller In the
suburbs has more ease and comfort of
transportation. greater freedom OF move
ment and more liberty in the control OF
his own household affairs. The city re-
mains a magnet. though. to those who
would he fashionable and also to those
wao only wish TO look on at the fash
ionable world.
Americans do not yet know how TO
live Is the constant cry of visiting Eu-
ropeans. The spectacle of people OF
wealth and culture enduring the indigni-
ties and dscomforts OF existence in
hired quarters in a crowded city is to
them the proof OF this.
But we are learning. The pioneers
from the city to the suburbs have grad
ually created the things they needed to
make life llvable from a social as well
as from material standpoint. and now
lie in any up to date suburban locality
IL AS full and complete as IN the most
favored city.
Take my own locality. We have
golf, tennis and squash clubs, We>bave
literary. musical and art societies We
have churches OF the leading denomina-
tons. We have assembly rooms for
public and semi-publlc meetings. Dur
ing the year there are numerous public
acknowledgements. lectures. anna
teur theatricals, where the audiences are
like one large family gathering. and fol