Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-02-09
EDITED RY NOBLE FOSTER HOCCS,
PRESIDENT HoCcsoN DRoTHERs BUILD

The first factories of the world were
in the homes of the people. Here, in
the quaint villages OF days long past.
the men and women OF the wnrd.old
crafts first carved and spun. dream.
ed and wrought their products for a
wider use than that of home demand
or such were the first piece-workers
of old England forebears of the in.
dnstrlal workers of the world. carry.
ing their wares from the home to a
central point in the community. from
whence to be shipped and sold
AS the years passed, it was realized
mat greater producing power could
be attained through the assembling Of
plece-Workers under one roof, and. as
the young men and women of the PEG.
PIE became accustomed to working in
ms manner, trades evolved from
what had been heretofore but family
accomplishments crafts passed down
from father to son and from mother TO
daughter Wage scales were gradual.
~ introduced; this Capitalization of
human ingenuity stimulated inven.
uon:and tireless mechanical fingers
OF power-drfven steel took up the task
OF production to satisfy the growing
demand of commercial Interchange.
With the Introduction Of machinery.
the growth of manufacturing indus
tries was so rapid that thousands of
human beings were employed where
hundreds had worked before. Limited
transportation facilities brought about
the natural establishment of living
quarters for employees within easy
walking distance of mills and fac
tories. And, with the attention of
manufacturers focused ON mechanical
Improvement and production. the hui
man element with them became a less
important factor
From the garden villages of their
foreIathers the industrial workers
Hooked to dwell in vastly growing in
dustrial centers. The housing of
W0rkmen was left to the haphazard
solution of supply and demand: and
these industrial centers congestion
set in, with its aftermath of Stun con.
ditlonS Shack and tenements. con
2lomcrate housing of the worst ma.
ture, became comm0n-nC. only in
the cities, but in every section where
mills and factories were located.
Unhealthy living conditions re.
suited IN stunted growth and narrow.
ed outlook; interminged social rel9.
caused a decline of person.
al efficiency, dirty streets and alleys,
instead of broad lawns, as the play.
grounds of childrenhood, lowered the
physical standard; and the atmos.
phere Of low dives and drinking places
was substituted for that of the normal
healthy home, demanding its toll from
the workman, and impairing the very
moral fibre which Is the basis of what
we call human efficiency.
Today, the average workman's home
is but a place to eat and sleep de-
void of attractiveness. Consider on
the other hand. the saloons and divers
places of amusement, which absorb
so much of the national industrial
payroll Is there not pathetic signi.
flcanCe in the fact that long ago the
saloon-keeper learned the lesson
which we have failed to interpret?
In America until very recent years,
the question Of industrial housing has
been lost in the intricate maze Of com.
mercial competition As far as man
power is concerned, the great influx
Of immigration has provided the so.
luton of the labor question: but |
slums and tenement districts, the
'uiINuuA hlC NUTS VI lillllluS i0NllS, anu |.
the monotonous. unsghtly rows of |
tast-depreciating houses common to
industrial centers. are not conducive |
TO efficiency or stable labor market /.
which will insure high ratio of pro.
Such housing has resulted
from the unguded and unchecked ac.
tivlties of the speculative builders and
of temporary, unwished.for landlord. |
ISM
For years the speculative builder
has been intrusted with the spend !
ing OF that portion of the American
payroll which has pro-
vided for the housing Of his work. |
men.
He has not spent II well. nor has
no rendered to the manufacturer value