The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-03-01
HOUSING
PROBLEM
SUPREME
Cities of Indiana Calumet
Region Bending Every
Efforts to Provide Homes
For Thousands of Mum
ton Workers.

The vital problem in the Indiana cal
umet district which is the western cen-
ter OF war manufacturing is that Of
housing and committees of the com
nerclal club in Hammond. East Chica go
and Gary are making a thorough in
vestiSation with view 20 making recon-
mendstions for ways and means Of
housing the thousands Of muniticn maxi
ers pouring into the region. Following
is . complete survey Of the 1918 hous-
ing problem in the industrial ceuters
Of the United States.
War from an Industrial standpoint
IS emphasizing a condition that should
have been corrected IN past years.
Manufacturers. especially those with
large orders demanding quick delivery.
and therefore. increased facilities. have
been confronted with the necessity Of
providing living quarters Tor their work
men or accepting cancellation Of or
ders These facts have facused atten-
tion throu Ehout the country on tho ne
cessity for providing adequate and SAM
tary homes for workmen.
Though the present cougested con-
ditions in manufacturing ecenters have
tended toward a general aclsnovl ledge
nent or the problem solution Of the
question has already been attempted in
dividually by e number of large eorpor-
atoms with varying success. Until re-
Gently. however such solutions have
not been given wide publicity. as thsy
we're not supposed to affect directly
The majority Of manufacturers.
Employer Interested IN Employe.
Now. however. n is sgreed that the
employer should take a direct interest
in the housing or his employees In
stead OF waiting for the speculative
builder TO provide houses CT cost far
beyond the means OF the average work
man. tho manufacturer is realizing thai
ne should make use OF his financial
strength by building groups Of houses
in units Of % 70 500. which can easily
sell or rent ait a cost or at least IS to
so per cent below that usually required
BY the builder or single houses. II IS
no longer question of policy ID has
become IN many Instances a case or re-
cessity.
Men - the head OF large concerns
are studying the employees much more
carefully than they ever did in the
past. Employment departments are be-
ing established as integral parts Of IN
dividual factories to hire men and pro-
vide them with the light job IN accord
ance with each mans ability n q tax
by A. II. Young. supervisor OF labor and
safety. Illinois Steel Company South
Works. South Chicago. Illinois. at tia
ffth annual congress held at Detroit ia
October. 1916 as published in the pro
ceedings Of the national safety council
this modern method Of handling work
men is we'll discussed. An instance Of
cooperative employment Is seen at
Kenosha. Wis, whore the manufactur-
ers are organized into a Manufacturers
association-an important part or which
Is its employment bureau.
Housing OF workmen Must BE
Considered.
On the other hand tho housing or The
newly employed has not been sufrlci-
entity considered Construction or new
industries and enlargement Of existing
factories without making provision for
the housing Of the new worGnen has
created congestion and bad housing in
many communities. In the Journal of
the American Institute or Architects
FOR September. 1917. mention was made
OF q big factory that was completed in
record time under pressure Of war. It +
soon developed that not single house
suitable for a workman's occupancy
could be rad IN the town and tho fac
tory was 20 employ 1000 people. Result .
ing conditions can easily be imagined.
An editorial IN the Saturday Evening
Post for October. 10. 1917. comments
very polntedly on the need for work !
mems houses This need is evident
when we realize that in some districts
beds arc used bv two and sometimes
three shifts per day. Married men. NOV
ing to new places, attracted BY better
wages arc compelled to leave their