Evening journal., 1918-03-02
1000 NEW HONES
Soon FOR WORKERS
Housing Company Ready
TO Begin Operation Under
Government Plan
u MAY TAKE
OVER PROPERTIES

~ AiN WI II IN 4 " =
One thousand houses are TO be built
in This city. and work on the project
will be started within a short time.
This was the announcement made to-
day by an official Of the Wilmington
Housing Company. He added that the
work Is going to be done either by
the Government Itself or by some
private company working In coniunc-
tion with the Government. The one aim
Of al concerned now is TO get the
houses, the kind suitable forth fam-
lies OF the thousands Of men who are
working in Wilmington shipyatds.
/. Last Wednesday representatives Of
the Wilmington Housing Company
were in Washington In conference
with representatives Of the United
States Shipping Board. Propositions
and counter propositions were sub
mitted, but IL could not be stated to-
day just what was accomplished or
what the plans Of either side were. But
1t was intmated that the need for
houses In this city has become so acute
that there is a general determination in
build them and that this is cOing TO
be done within a shot time
President Wilson yeste day signed the
$4,000, 600 housing b Il passed by Con
gress under which the shipping board
is authorized to give financial help to
any shipbu lding community where
houses are needed for the shipbullde s
The Wilm ngton Housing Company has
raised 100000 toward the work here,
and accordingly under the terms Of the
htl IL Is entitled to s2A1O0O0 ON the
Government out Of this s50O0O,0OO fund
10 is co. ndently believed this sum will
be forthcoming from the National
T reasury
The new bin contains some provi-
sions which are drastic in so far as
they enable the Government TO secure
homes for the shipbuilde S. II grants
TO the United States Shipping Board
the authority to commander property
for housing purposes. Apartment
houses, hotels and residences are en-
bsced under the operation Of the bill.
Vacant buildings insofar as it IS posi-
Bile, will be taken flrst, but nothing will
be allowed to interfere with the needs
Of the sh pbuilders
Under this provision, should it be
enforced here, many houses adjacent to
the slipbulldlng plants in this city
may be affected. The Government has
the authority 10 take these properties
paying the owners a reasonable price
for them and compelling the present
occupants, II their men folks are no
. shipbulders, to seek homes elsewhere
Occupied property adjacent to eithe
> government or private yards, which s
70 needed to house the men, Will be takeI
: over and tenants not connected with tn
shipbullding industry will be moved O
other neighborhoods. Property will b
purchased or renting contracts entere
e into for the duration OF the war.
= Residents Of towns In which are ship
= building plants must realize that moth
ing is to interfere with the program o
ship construction, il was said at IN
- Sh piping BOARD They must be awab
. ened to the necessity Of aiding the gov
y ernment in every way
% The Shipping Board already has mad
- a survey Of housing facilities near shi
plants and IS ready to take whatever
% available Immediately. Compensate
4 will be determined by the Emergenc
4 Fleet Corporations division of publ
J. Service under j . Rogers Flannery. Thi
4 division also will supervise the wOr
I of building new houses.
n In communicating houses, the boar
y viii so into the suburbs and 10 sun
m mer resorts where many houses an
M hotels have been Empty during the wiz
O ter. Some houses available for shi
= workers have not been used heretof0r
2 because the owners have asked e1
orbtant prices.
,e The building OF new houses will b
m taken up after all the available prof
erty has been secured under the con
mandeer'ng plan, Mr. Hurley sail
There will be no construction under Oh
IN cost plus system. he declared, contrac
being let upon competitive bids
4 III the Shipping Board had had II
=, authority it now has when work W,
started at Hog Island, there would ha'
, been many dollars saved" Mr.. HurlC
said.
Il is probable that a number Of ele
trio railway systems leading from cti
to shipyards may be taken over al
3, that some ferry and excursion boa
''' also may be taken TO establish ferl
lines TO yards
=, Priority orders on materials for n,
III Island will be the subject Of Co
ference by representatives Of the Shi
ping Board the Railroad and Fuel A
minsirations, 10 IS announced. III
transpo' tation situation Is still a sol
Gus problem, officials said, and eve
I. means must be taken TO insure prom
81 handling Of materials.