The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-01
UNCLE SAM USES
GREAT CARE IN
BUYING REALTY
Makes Seventeenth ppraisals and Com.
promise Estimate Is His Price
No Dickering with HINT is
Best to Accept His Figure.

Is no dickering in the Bureau of Hous-
Ing; no offers and counter offers are
allowed. We are at war. and speed il
essential.
II the owner Is unwilling the Govern
ment pays him IS per cent. OF its offer,
and the owner is then free to present
his claim for any amount which he
deems proper compensation over and
above the amount paid. His attention
will be called to the fact that the Court
OF Claims Is about 40 adjourn and is
not likely to reconvene until the termi-
nation of the war.
1t will also be shown to him that when
the war Is over and his claim comes up
for settlement his chances Of prevailing
against the Government with its back
Ing Of seventeen patriotic citizens are
very small indeed. In most cases the
Government Is going to get what II
wants without a lawsuit.
The duties Of the Housing Admins
tration are twofold. To buy land and
build. In nearly every case where the
Government builds directly the housing
will be of a temporary character and
the cost will have to be written Off at
the end OF hostilities as a war expense
Ten million dollars Is being appropri-
ated by Congress for the housing Of
Government employees in the District
Of Columbia alone. Fifty million dollars
Is being appropriated to relieve housing
an the munition centres outside of ship
building.
A large proportion of this construc-
ton will be temporary. but when the
need Is found to be permanent. and time
permits. permanent housing will be done.
Lawrence WELLER, Secretary of the Ma
tional Housing Association and one of
the leading authorities In this country
on industrial housing, has submitted a
set of rules governing such work. and
upon compliance with certain other fixed
rules loans will be made on such houses
up to so per cent. OF cost amortized over
a period Of fifteen years at 4 per cent.
interest per annum.
Rules governing the sale, rental and
management Of such properties will be
made condition precedent to such
| loans. Only a small percentage Of the
| cost under this plan need be written of
| as a cost Of war. and It Is not unlikely
that Government aid of this sort will
continue after the war Nearly every
country In the world has extended SINH
lar credit to industrial workers and
there Is no reason why We should not
continue this practice. Fifty million
dollars Is but a drop in the bucket. Eng
land has spent almost a billion dollars
already and her problem IL not yet
solved. but we have made a start in the
right direction.
Some wonderful benefits are going to
accrue to the workingman OF this coun-
try through war housing. Better and
cheaper homes. more light and ventila-
ton and greater number of con-
veniences. The speculative builder with
| his makeshht methods must go. The
| numerous middlemen's profits will be
saved to the home owner. Easy terms
of payment will make purchasing simple
We have the change OF a lifetime now &c
do what we could not have done in q
decade or more of peace.
Few people realize that one Of tn,
biggest and finest problems OF the wal
Is upon Mr.. Eidlitz and his coterie Of
assistants. The delay in passing til,
necessary legislation Is making the prob
lem etill more difficult, but the housing
administration has not been idle. ant
when the word comes to speed up THU
department will be ready.