davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
First Appropriation
Only Two Months Ago

1t was however, only after nearly
years delay from the time that this
country entered the war that the gov
ernment began to take action. 1t was
January 4, 1918, when Pres dent Will
son authorized the Department of La
Dor to administer the whole question
of housing and transporting labor, and
it was February before the Bureau of
Indus trial Housing and Transportation
was established, for the purpose Of
meeting the housing problem in cities
having factories working on govern
mcnt contracts
And it was not until. about two
months ago that Congress made its first
appropriation of S5OO00,0O0 for hous-
ing construction An extra S10,0G0,000
was voted to construct government
houses and hotels in Washington for
accommodations for government clerks
congestion. Last month another S40,-
100000 was made available for the
honsing of war workers OF this total
$on,000,000 went to the Department of
Labor and S5o,o0o,oo0 to the Shipping
Board.
All this however, according to Law
renee WELLER, secretary of the National
Housing Association, has been "only a
drop in the bucket" The progress made
IN this country up to the opening of the
war had been considerably less than in
Britain, and yet the British governmen,
has already spent s700,O00,0oo on war
housing, as against the 100000, 900
here, where the problem is, if anything,
bigger
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

ties are Of marked contrast with the
problems arising on land.
CamouHage is an imported article
Alter three years of wartime ex-
rience England abandoned all forms Of
marine camouhage but one. That one
was the battle scheme which shc had
been carefully testing for several
months. 1t was the invention of Lieu
tenant Commander Norman Wilkinson
r. N. V. r. BY long experience this
famous English marine artist had be-
come convinced that the moment a sub
marine comes to the surface within
striking distance no method of paint
ing IN the world would render a shin
sufficiently invisible to escape being
seen.
There was time" says Wilkinson
when l thought it possible to increase
or decrease ships visibility. But that
was before the submarine was consid-
cred as real active factor in naval
warfare"
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

ment auspices, as given by Mr.. Adams,
for one of the large shipbuilding plants.
where 10000 we'll paid workmen will
be required
"Provision for q population of $4,000
viii have to be made. The proper
thing here would be to create a new
town.
AN area of from twelve to fifteen
square miles of agricultural land
should be acquired within three or FIVE
miles of the plant, near to main
line Of railway. Rapid transit should
be provided to enable the workers TO
get tc the plant within fifteen or twenty
the town should be planned and
water supply and other works installed,
roads and sewers built, theatres, stores
and public buildings erected. Aux
iliary industries should be provided for
and encouraged. Private enterprise
should be invited to assist in the
structural development The capital
employed need not be greater than
what viii be needed for any ether kind
OF scheme, as the saving in cost of land
VIII be sufficient to pay the cost of
providing public utilities and social
services. After paying, say, or s per
cent on the capital employed all profits
should revert to the community for
the benefit of the town A large por-
ton Of the land should be permanently
set aside as an agricultural estate"
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

after the war, but will be nil if its
activities cease with those Of Foch
Thomas Lawson, the English town
planning expert ardently in favor of
permanent housing, lays emphasis on the
advantage of community development
on the Garden City principle, due to
certain increase in the value of the
land converted from agricultural to
building uses. Figures of land values
IN America show that the profits Of
such an enterprise would be greater
than in England.
According to statistics, the market
value in 1906 of the land in Gary, ex-
Guiding that occupied by the plants of
the Steel Corporation, was estimated at
SCALA, ,455, and the present value at
S33 ,445,900. The increase in the ten
year period, therefore, amounts to ST.
1,445. The examination of the value
of the services rendered by those who
have come into the possession of this
increment indicates that an allowance
of perhaps 100000 should be made for
necessary administrative expense; that
not more than $1,000, 900 should be
credited because OF taxes advanced on
unused lands, and that $4,O25,712.7O
should be allowed as having been paid
by landowners for local improve
ments. The total money value of the
services of these beneficiaries of the
increment amounts, then, to s5,225,-
712.7O. The amount of the increment
which might conceivably have been
conserved is thus found to be s21.-
S05 1920.
Investigations made in the United
States" says Mr.. Adams, "show that a
fair estimate of the increment of land
value produced by community develop
ment, after deducting the value which
is attributed to all expenditures for
local improvements, is from $40O to
$500 per capita Assessment valu-
ations of Canadian cities confirm the
figures.
"The creation of a new town of So.
600 people may create an aggregate in
crement of value of $2OOOO.0OO. To
this has been added the profit realiza-
BILE from the usual municipal services
including transportation, water. power
and light"
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
By Katharine Wright

A MERlCA began to awaken six
~ months ago to the fact that the
lack of decent, comfortable
and healthful homes for the thousands
OF workers who have rushed to our
great war plants was seriously hamper
ing her efforts, as was shown in an
article in The Tribune last Sunday.
Since that time vigorous efforts have
been made to solve the problems aris
ing by both government agencies and
private corporations.
This article deals with the govern
ment efforts
The results were summed up at the
twenty-sixth annual convention of the
United States League Of Building and
Loan Associations, held at Newark last
month, by Frederick L. Alderman,
architect and supervisor of designs,
United States Shipping Board, speaking
Of Government Aid in War Time" and
Of the activities Of the Emergency
Fleet Corporation, who said:
ITO those Of US who have followed
this work from the day we entered
the war, who have felt the urgent
need for action, who have realized
the full Importance and the ultimate
bearing of housing upon the war, it
is an inspiring sight to watch the
new towns taking form, for we know
that it is a step toward more ships
and still more ships Back of the
shipyards on the Delaware I have
watched the steam shovels working
their way like tanks in action across
the fields, and behind these I have
seen the houses taking form Armies
Of workers swarm upon these and
before fall there will be new towns.
But the work is not here confined;
it reaches from coast to coast and
from the Great Lakes to the Gulf.
Before the end of the year there will
have been completed accommodations
for approximately 10000 workers,
and in these new towns there will
have been made provision for
population of 125, 600 to the end that
ships shall be more rapidly built"
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
Many Are Artists
OF National Repute

In each district of the Shipping
Board is stationed district camoufleur
under the supervision of its district
ohcers Under him is a corps of camou
heurs, men trained to the work. who
are thoroughly instructed in the battle
system and equipped with variety of
designs to meet all sorts Of vessels
me organization now comprises more
than one hundred camouheurs who have
oeen personally appointed for their fit
ness by Mr.. Grover himself. Among
'hls remarkable class of war workers
are number of artists of national re-
pute. Some Of them are devotinp their
llme and talents to the cause at great
professional sacrifice. They are enthu-
siaStc over the battle theory. which ap-
peals to them strongly by virtue of its
,rulh or artistic values so splendidly
blended with scientific and practical
application.
Battle designs are made from out
board drawings of ships Models are
constructed from the drawings. and
upon these models are painted the de-
signs. l ne models are first painted for
ground work, then placed in the hands
OIL designer, who puts on design
from which pattern is made After
inspection and the standardized colors
are applied the plan is finished and re-
produced and printed for distribution
New designs are continually in prepa
ration
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
| e1nporay Houses
Prove Too Costly

Az the dominant need was to speed
the production of ammunitions and
other war necessities, temporary hous-
ing m many cases was the most practi-
cal method of bettering congestion, but
IN communities where industries are
likely to continue after the war-such
as in the case of many of the shipyards
permanent buildings and cities are
being constructed. Since the beginning
of the American programme for the
housing OF war workers it has been
found that the cost of temporary hous-
ing IL as great as that of permanent ac-
comm odatlons, and the future trend OF
the work WILL therefore, lie in the
direction Of permanent homes and COM
munjtics
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
Housing Problems
After the War

You people of the United States in
giving consideration to war housing
problems are overlooking two inpur-
TAM things" declares Thomas Adams.
Of the British Housing Commission.
"One Is that you had housing problems
before the war, and the other is tina,
you VIII have housing problems after
the war. AT the beginning Of the war
you had some 10000 skilled shipbuild-
ers- By the end Of the war you Will
have some 10000 skilled shipbuildcrt.
That Is, you viii have converted 200.
600 unskillsd men, or men skilled in
other lines than shipbuidiny. into
skilled shipbuilders. what are Won
oUszx 70 DO with tho men when the
war is over? Scrap them
"Certainly not You VIII 70 on build
ing shfpE, building nore Of them than
you ever built before, building ,rrea.
merchant fects, so that IN the future
you WIN be able 70 carry the vast
products ~ your agriculture and in
duztry an over the world Ia bottom.
owned by you and not In bottoms rent
% 10 you by other nations. You must.
therefore, make In Hog Island and its
cnT.ronr permanent homer not homes
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
The Housing Of
Married Workers

The work which the government has
done naturally falls under two heads
nrst, that of the bureau Of the Depart
ment of Labor, and, second, that of
preparing to spend the hundred million
appropriations. While there are often
enough rooms and sufficient housing
accommodations for the single worker,
the skilled married worker is more
difficult to house, and SO the problem
Of the bureau becomes the problem of
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
What Is Needed
To House $4,000

The details of the plans for provid-
ing housing cost, comfort, appearance,
convenlence-are filling the time of lit
orally hundreds of Americas best en-
glncers, artists ard architects to-day,
and a careful study is being made of
the great work which is being done in
England. Following is "receipt" for
rush industrial town under govern
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
The Best Size
To Build Rooms

In order TO prevent rooms beng 'oU
large or too small the administrator
imposes a minimum size Tor bedrooms
IN private dwellings,. twofam.ly houses
and tenement houses OF 50 squa'e
feet, with a minimum width OF zee
In lodging houses and hotels II ps'
mits individual bedrooms as marrow
as feet in width and as small O.
60 square feet in area, though II rex,
ommends in such types OF bu+cihl.
bedrooms OF 10 square feet area W. -
a 1-foot width as MINIMUM
all family dwellings, whether prFa~
house, two-famIy house or Vn.
ment. one large bedroom IS requ,is.
to be provided Of size not less lns+
10 by 10 feet. and preferably not iaisSs. "a.
than l. by IA The workingman nns.
it difficult 20 heat and furnish ho.ss, ~,
with very large rooms. A room .Ir, aiIr
Will take q by y rug Is usua,'
the size desired. The admnnis'ra''ssoM,, 81,
therefore, suggests maximum sils ~. ~.
all of the large rooms OF 10 by ): s,ly
In private dwellings and two isin',.
houses, as we'll as in lodging ho.s
and hotels, rooms s feet h.gn ARE thle
mitted In the latter class al pun In
rooms must be from Q to Il lee'
tenement houses all rooms must H'
clear height Of 9 Sect ...r;,s
Every building over three SIS AZ
high must be tireproof Throughout.
regards the materials OF constructs
brick. terra Gotta. stone or eo"r n,tsr
are preferred for outer Walls. 0 0s;ne
walls of frame for buildings ho"s ss,s
number of people, except IN uta;uh;tsa uau
of one-story buildings. are prOh''
So are frame tenementA
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
S100,000,000 Now Available by De.
partment of Labor and the Shipping
Board-Dhhcult to Settle on Policv

The twofamily house Gone fsn,
upstairs, one family down; where w..
families are side by side with A..
sion wall between the type !, w.
as the semi detached single f.unA
house,.
The single family house with ,oo~
] for not more than three lodger.
boarders.
Lodging house for men.
Lodging house for women
Hotel fer men.
Hotel for women.
Tenement house.
Boarding house.
Considering the
New Standards
Some of the standards mark rsr.,-
tionary changes in the housins =.
workers:
(1) Tenement houses and anar,r
houses are considered generally rrd.
sirable ard Will be accented o,,'.
cities where. because of high land val
ues, it is clearly demonstrated ....
single and two-family houses canno. \.
economically provided. or where +ho-s
Is insistent local demand for this +rns
Of multiple housing In anv case w..
will be accepted only where tho H..
ing Board is convinced that loca, 49,.
dltlons require or justify their nc.
They must conform in general to ,oco,
building ordinances, to the eensr.,
provisions of these standards ana ;.
other special provisions to be issued hv
the Housing Board
(2) Houses shall not be moro th,.
two rooms deep. This eliminates Inns
narrow courts. in the case of tene-
ment houses a large interior park !.
required
CD There shall be adequate space he.
tween adjacent buildings. Twenty fec,
is the space required, with a minimum
of sixteen feet
(4 Thee shall be an adequate open
space between the backs of the build.
ings. A minimum distance of fifty feet
is required, with a minimum back ward
of twenty feet in all cases.
CD Living quarters in Easements and
cellars are absolutely prohibited.
60 Moving air is the vital principl.
in the modern science of ventilation.
% Barracks, bunk houses and dor
mitories of the usual type are barred
out. Dormitories housing each man in
separate single room of adequate size
have been substituted.
The administration requires that in
all types of houses every bedroom shall
have clothes closet opening from the
room. The closets must have doors
and be supplied with rods to take Goa.
hangers.
Halls, stairs and doors shall perm.
the easy moving of furniture. Bedssre
to be free standing. not located in
corner or with the side against wal
Sinks and washtubs are to have a rim
thirty-six inches above the floor.
Winding stairs are prohibited 1t
has been found that not only are they
a constant peril to children, but adults
with difficulty get accustomed to them.
AS regards plumbing. antiquated
types of fixtures are prohibited, as are
outdoor water closets Access shall be
had to all water closet compartments
either from a hall or vestibule. never
solely from room Wooden sinks and
wash trays are not allowed.
The height of single family houses
is to be limited 10 two and a. half
stories. Two family houses are limited
to two stories Tenement houses, hotels
and lodging houses are to be limited TO
four stories.
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
The Paint Box
and the Submarine

There is, OF course. technical side
TO the work which the artist cannon
feur readily grasps in his profes-
sional capacity and which is not necos-
sary to enter upon here. The uses Of
paint as an anti-submarne asset are
multiplying every day New IDEAS are
constantly begging recognition. And
the department of camoutlage seems
20 !, nave achleved enough already to in
OF its work to Uncle Sam.
There is scarcely need to say that
some battle painted ships have been
sunk. The scheme has never been
claimed to be perfect safeguard. ,hu,
SIMPLY an additional defensive meas
ure The British Admiralty has record
ed proof of many battle painted ships
naVihg oeen missed by torpedoes fred
at them during tho period of a single
week
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
Rooms From d
Woman''s S Viewpoint

The technique derived from expert
cnce is TO be the guide to the room
accommo odation. Form erly six and seven
room houses have predominated in
architectural schemes for working
mems dwellings. But does the average
workman want so manv rooms? There
is the extra expense OF furnishing them
the extra work for his wife to keep
them in order. Finally. to make the
extra space pay, there is the tempts'
tion to take dodgers. It has therefore
been suggested that the best type Of
house for the higher paid worker is
five-room type, consisting of parlor,
large kitchen, three bedrooms ana
bathroom. while for the lower PAID
worker the four-room type, consisting
of a parlor, a kitchen. two bedrooms
and Z bathroom. is the most desirable.
When a single family house has rooms
for lodgers or boarders the additional
rooms must be so arranged that privacy,
of access for boarders and privacy Of
toilet accommodations is assured II
is required that dodgers shall have &C.
cess to their bedrooms and to sep,
arate water closet compartment without
having TO pass through the rooms de-
signed for the use of the family.
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
National Housing Association Super
vising Buildings Near Yards, NUM-
ton Works and in Washington

built to last only two, three or five
years, but as good homes as can be
built anywhere. Temporary barracks
for the housing Of workmen at Hog
Island arc, of course, necessary, but
they should be used only to house re-
lays Of workmcn for few weeks at a
time, until permanent houses can be
built for them"
"America has been slow in coming to
government participation in the hous-
ing Of the country's workers." declares
Lawrence Ncillcr secretary of the Ma
tional Housing Association. "The war
has driven her to it, Housing reform
ers throughout the country are watch :
ing with keen interest the new in
dustrial developments which are TO
come from the millions now being ex-
pended by the Federal government un-
der Nr. f'idlitz, in the Department Of
Labor and under the Shipping Board
Country Certain
To Be Gamer
while everybody recognizes that in
granting what to-day is considered a
drop in the bucket and what before the
war we should have considered a vast
sum, Congress has done so solely as
one means of winning the war through
qulckening the production of ships and
munitions; yet there are many persons
throughout the country who believe
that the government, once launched
upon Federal housing enterprises, will
probably continue this work in some
form or another after the close Of the
war
"In any event, the country is bound
to be the gamer by it's participation in
tho building of workingmen's dwellings,
If we do not have several Garden Vii
lage developments in this country as
result of those efforts it will indeed be
surprising. Already the country has
greatly benefited through the activities
of Mr.. Eidlitz and his associates at
Washington in the enunciation and
formulation Of the new governmental
standards for permanent construction.
These are bound to influence the type
OF house to be built by the commercial
builder for many years to come.
"Mr. Eidlitz has been very wise in
his decision to have the government
keep control of the various activities
upon which government money is to be
expended. While this places an addi
tlcnal burden and responsibility upon
his shoulders, it seems to me the only
safe course for the government to fol-
low. l can see no other method bv
which proper maintenance Of the vari
GUS colonies to be established can be
assured"
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

camou7age painting of all vessels -
those of the United States Shipping
Board and the United States navy, the
work for the navy being done in CO.
ordination with the proper officials in
each naval district corresponding to
each of the districts of the Shipping
Board. The camoutlage painting Of all
vessels by the battle system is neces-
sary and obligatory. 1t superscdes all
other meth hodS
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
There Is No
lnvisibility

And that consideration involves the
efficiency of the submarine hydrophone.
This highly developed instrument ia
able not only to determine the probable
class or a ship, whether shc is alone
or the number Of vessels if in CONVOY.
put can, by series Of listening OBJ
servat'ons, obtain approximately a
ships direction Of course But the in
formation OF primo Importance to the
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
Edwin D. Twombly
Comoudoge Department Of the u. S.
.Shipplng Board and Emerqencu
FLEET CO7-DOruIio17

the way Of eagle in search Of its prey
the way. Of a ship in the midst of the
sea and the way Of the serpent sub
marine. And the sooner a ship dons her
rlany-hurd garment Of camoufasc the
better for her her captain and crew and
cargo The baffc cloak Of camcuhagc
constitutes the first of all Safety First
PRINCIPLES ,',1 as applied to Uncle Sans ships
.HEY were edging into the harbor
an excursion steamer with q
fair complement of passengers,
The usual crowd of pleasure seekers
who had spent the day at famous
seaside resort and tho usual unnamed
Atlantic port 1t was perhaps their
last outing of the sort, the word hav-
ing leaked out that pleasure craft, in
view of certain rumors, were to be de-
MED outharbor privileges. And it was
Sunday afternoon
A young couple, Tom and Mary
their real names appeared in the news
papers next morning stood leaning
over the forward starboard rail, Mary
gazing dreamingly into the churning
foam Any further facts about this
pair were no. mentioned
A general movement among the pas
sengers indicated that something in the
ofng had attracted attention. The
query went around--what was the
strange object apparently approaching
at u distance Of about two miles.
Some Of the passengers declared it
to be wreck on her beam ends with
broken back Presently others pro-
nounced it tug with couple Of
barges in tow All sorts Of conjectures
we're venturcd.
But Tom presently assured the by
standers, as the vessels drew nearer
that the strange looking craft Was one
Of Uncle Sans latest productions. 1t
vas one Of the Emergency Fleet Cor
porAtion's nen steel ships, low-Struct-
ured. clean~cut and rakish, Of the ways
only couple Of weeks, and now out
ward bound for The war zone.
And sbe'B cumounaged by the baf-
re system, which is the last word in
marine cafnonnagr, ncw system re-
Gently adopted by this government" he
ozplaineA> That's What makes her
ook 50 qact-r like almost any kind Of
object which she really is not"
As the big freighter drew nearer.
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

manent buildings of certain kinds can
be erected almost as cheapy and
quickly as barracks is modifying this
tendency. The result has been the
adoption Of varying policies, depending
on the exigencics of each case