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

WHITING, IND, March T.
This community in the northwest
corner of Lake county, the leading
oil refining center in the midwest,
has set out to apply practical
methods in alleviating the lack Of
housing conditions.
It is being accomplished through
a corporation that is unique in re-
spect to its organization: neither
banks nor industries nor capitalists
are financing it.
The Home Building company of whit
Ing, Ind. as Il is soon TO be incorporat-
ed IS q concern that has its stock
dirused in small holdings among en-
ployes Of the great Standard Oil COM
pany's works here As q starter they
are going to build between SO and so
houses in Whiting. Stieglitz park and
Indiana Harbor to be sold on easy pay
rnent plans to workmen.
WRITINGS POSITION.
This is how Whiting Is situated with
reference to her own needs and the de-
xnands made upon her:
1, Theirs are 1000 men employed
in the Standard OIL plant here, 1000
more than were working year ago,
2, OF this number 1,5oo are IN
ab1e 20 live in whiting because OK
lack Of houses.
q. Just back OF whiting IS ths
raw Sinclair oil rshnsries, soon to
employe 500 men In the first unit.
vvhit.ng must house nearly half OF
these men.
4. Completing just east OF whit
ing Ia the Mark stel plant, 1rse unit.
while the company IS putting up 400
houses at North Harbor, sttl whit
ing and Indiana Harhor must house
part OF the 1000 employees. Eventu-
aIlv the Marx tube works viii have
be+ween 5000 and 10000 men.
3. No one builds houses for rent
in whiting. There are no apart
mers houses.
6. 30 far, outside of the Marx
1eopla. corporations IN North town
shin have not built houses during
ths war.
7, whiting Is getting another
nsw industry, the Great western
Refining company's smelling works,
which VIII soon need homes for 100
men.
g. Due to tie strain on 4t railway
and traction service no longer can
get to work IN time the extra forces
OF war workers. AS result Whit
ing plants, Like those in other near
by towns, lose heavily because
vrorkmsn soon go elsewhere, being
unable to afford to Live at q distance
in Chicago.
These are the conditions that Whiting
faces. Whiting could be far bigger
town were these (1) corporation help
znd il is reported that the Standard Oil
4s about to depart from its traditional
methods and supply houses or money
for them: (2) were there housing invest
nents by local capital; (3) were busi
ness interests more aggressive. That
would mean more houses and between
5000 and 10000 more people would live
here had they houses
MOST STABLE CITY.
With reference 10 housing invest
snents here this much may be said:
whiting ss the most stable city in In
ojanai Not once In a quarter OF a GEN.
tury has the great Standard Oil refner-
les here been shut down for single day
due 20 industrial depression Elsewhere
In the region-in "a in o.. in the great
war panic during the winter OF 14-t5, |
when steel plants and car works were
boarded up. the Rockefeller plant con- |
tinued its even tenor. its workmen draw |
ing their usual pay
SO stable is Writings foundation, 50
steady is the inflow of Standard Oil
gold (the psyrolo that here IS no where /
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