Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-01
READERS VIEWPOINT
Will the Government Relieve the Housing
Situation?

To the Editor of the Evening Public LedDer.
Sir-After reading article from a build
and real estate operator in which he states
that houses were not of paramount neces-
sity. would naturally, assume a feeling
of security and brush this question of rent
profteering from his mind. Yet we must look
into the future, even though the present Is,
as he states, taken care of. and we must be
guided by the great possibilities of our city
in our various lines of war activities and as
to what this is to mean in the requirements
for homes.
Upon interviewing Mr.. j. willison Smith,
housing director, the writer was informed
that at the time the Emergency Fleet Corpo-
ration moved its force from Washington
it experienced great difficulty in obtaining
400 new houses required but he also states
that the number of rooming accommodations
was not fully exhausted, which would seem
a very natural condition, as even today there
could he found thousands of such rooming
accommodations If they were really essen
taL A spare room is not uncommon in many
homes.
However. this is not exactly what is most
practical as employees of the Government are
fully capable and able to buy homes IL they
are obtainable, and they. like others, are
anxious to have their own homes and not
merely exist in rooms.
As we have for the last twenty years found
it necessary to build yearly about 1900
houses to supply the real estate demand. it
would hardly seem practical to figure that
in view of this demand and considering that
thousands of new people have moved to our
city, new houses should not be built to take
care of the future.
We must keep in mind that It takes from
four to six months to erect an operation of
100 to 500 houses, even in normal times, and
II no houses are contemplated started this
year the only alternative is that old proper
ties will enhance in value and become just
as high in price as the demand assumes
Rents. too, will be raised to meet the ques-
ton of that of supply and demand, and it Is
not difficult to the result, remembering
the fact that owners of houses in the past
years have found them a poor investment on
account of the rents being low compared
to the carrying charges which means that
real estate has been more one of speculation
than an investment.
The editor of this paper is. to my mind
correct in urging the application of the only
remedy that will bring relief and offset sure
possibilities of high prices on old houses and
increase in rentals, and if want to he
able to house new people this year, or the
years of prosperity which are sure. .to fol-
low, houses must be built
We find house market virtually
exhausted and the consensus of opinion is
that like ships" more houses are very es-
sential and very necessary. and the question
is one to be worked out by the builders and
real estate men, that building can be gone
on ahead of the great developments in our
city.
If concerted action is taken to obtain Gov
ernment help, the question of mortgage
money and labor will, in some way. be over
come. WILLIAM r. NICHOLSON, JR.
Philadelphia, June 90