The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-03-01

they live and what they do when not at
work. As on manufacturer Interested
in housing has stated: Tt is not 40
much a question or surrounding i'm
p factory that affects the workman. be
cause he is more directly Interested i'm
the size OF his pay envelope. but II
the manufactured can provide COM
Portable and sanitary homes so that the
workman will hnd his home a place
IA which 20 spend his idle hours. then
the workman VIII unconsciously do
more work because of his happier
frame OF mind and better condition.
Housing of Workmen In Foreign
Countries.
The question OF housing workmeu is
not a new one. II has been treated
from a social standpoint for a lumber
Of years. In Europe the overnmen
are directly interested and have pro-
vided schemes By which q workman
can build for himself by borrowing
from his government. on certain condi-
tons. The development Of government
assistance in building houses is espec-
tally marked in New Zealand. Austria.
Germany n England. In some cases
the government has gone so far as TO
build colonies for workmen. in which
the houses are sold outright on paw
Tents. Various housing laws have
been enacted and housing associations
have been organized in many foreign
countries to take advantage OF these
laws.
At the present time, England. be
cause Of the conditions arising from
the war, is building for
w~orkingmen. The most recent scheme
and the one which has been termed:
easily the first thing in cottage plans
and elevations for the whole world" is
that known a. Well Hall. situated
about a mile from WooIwich. 1t con-
sists entirely Of permanent DWELLINGS
for workingmen- A picturesque town
with winding streets, preserving the
traditions Of English rural life was
planned. Already sixteen houses have
been built. containing from two to four
rooms and bath, which are rented for
a sum within the means Of the ordinary
workman. In a description of this de-
veIopment. an article in the Journal Of
the American Institute Of Architects for
September. 1917, states.
OF primary importance in tho CON
sideration Of the underlying reasons
which led 70 the building Of the Well
Hall is the fact that in spite OF urgent
necessity. it was decided TO make it 4
permanent enterprise rather than a
merely temporary one. This has been
the consistent policy Of the British
government. except where urgence made
il impossible to wait upon permanent
construction. The difference in cost
between permanent and temporary work
IS measured by a small margin and it
was decided that it would be folly
10 throw away money upon makeshift
expedients."
With the coming OF peace there will
certainly be q demand for homes to
take care OF the returning soldiers and
to provide for those industries which
during war times have been neglected..
Special Problera of workingmsn in
America.
Conditions in England and the coun-
tries on the continent indicate what the
United States NAV expect. hut We must
also taken into consideration the fact
that the workingnaan in the United
states lives on a much higher plane
than the man similarly situated i'm for
eign countries. The problem here fire.
Quently involves the foreigner with g.
family. who is accustomed 10 poor &C
commodations and is in tho United
states merely 10 accumulate money
which he expects 70 spend in his home
country. He lives az cheaplv as posi-
BILE and, therefore, lessons 20 that en-
tent the standard Of his fellow en-
ployes. By creating in such men the
desire to make homes for themselves in
America. employers will be developing a
supply of labor constant in quality,
largely eliminating The turn
over" in hiring employees. which. as al
ready mentioned. frequently amounts to
as much As 400 per cent per wear. A
definite instance has been shown where
a factory employing 10000 men had TO
hire 10000 men during the year to
keep up it's production.
Economy OF Large Scale Production.
It Is evident that the cost OF hiring.
training and releasing 10000 men a
year. even a. a unit rate Of & days
wage amounts to ? large sum. which
ought 70 he considerably lessened. One
ready available means is by the con-
~struction OF homes for workmen on a
large scale.
With modern methods pointing out
the economy OF large scale production
il is now q cause for wonder that the
problems Of large scale house produc-
tion has not heretofore been given more
careful tho gh and study. Large build
ers are agreed that the day Of the one
house contractor is practically ended
and that the future will see the intro
| duction Of high-class organization in
the construction Of houses in large
quantities.
In fact. one prominent contracting
company, the A~berthsw Construction
Company Of Boston. has just shown
the possibilities Of introducing modern
factory methods in house construction
by the erection Of 100 concrete houses
at Donora. Pa. for the American Steel
& Wire Company. The same is true
with the work being done by the Unit
Construction Company Of 81. Louis,
Thompson-Starrett Company of Chi
cago and New York, MeIlon-Stuart
Company OF Pittsburgh. and Stone
Wester Company Of Boston. Other
large contracting companies are study
ing the neld of building groups Of
houses. as they realize that this is one
Of the most promising developments in
this country
Several Cities working on Problem.
During the past few years several
communities in the United States have
been taking up this question of build
ing houses in quantities for workmen.