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

cities, confronted by = lack Of proper
housing facilities. determined 10 make
provision for the housing of their en-
pioyes. The work they have lone along
this line has emphasized the fact that
houses should be built on a large scale
TO effect savings which will place COM
Portable quarters within the reach OF
the average workman.
Kenosha idea.
A study OF the situation a. Kenoshs,
Wis. shows what can be done in SINH
lar communities. When the m~anufac-
turers Of kenoshs, IN the early part Of
1916. found that they could not hold
skilled laborers because no suitable
horaes were available. they organized To
secure a supply Of good houses. Ar
engagements were made for the orsaniza-
ton Of the Kenosha House Building
Company. composed Of real estate mon
and a lunlberman. which was 10 build
the houses. Tho original plan called
for 40o dwellings. Bids were asked for
and a contract made with Nelson Bros.
of Kenosha. for the construction of
houses in groups Of nfty-the third fifty.
not TO be started until the FIRST fifty
was completed. Materials were pur-
chased in large quantities at a consid-
cradle saving. John NoIen, the we'll
known city plauner Of Cambridge. Mass,
was called into consultation and helped
lay out the subdivision IN which the
houses we're 10 be huilt. A variety OF
plans were selected and the location
Of the house arranged with an eye for
attractiveucss. They are mostly of the
Ave and siX-room bungalow type. To
inform the workmen that houses were
available, posters were PUT up at the
various factories and there vas ina
m~ediately q demand for these houses,
the cost OF which. including lot and i'm
provements. ranged from $500 to So
600.
Financial details caTled FOR a first
i~nstallment OF 500. after the applica-
ton Of the purchaser is approved by
the manufacturer for whom he works.
Installmcnts per month are SIS for 3
s2.56o house and $50 for a $4,000 house.
The second mortgage. equalling $500 on
a $4,000 house is handled by the House
building Company. while the first mort
gage Of 1000 is handled by the banks
with whom arrangements have been
previously made. When the second
mortgage is paid up the purchaser re
REEVES 9 deed. He Is charged s per cent
interest on unpaid sums and the differ
ence between this amount and his in
stalIments is applied on the principal.
Conditions have SO arranged themselves
that the KenoShs House Building Com
pauy VIII he taken over by the Kenosha
Homes COMPANY. which was organized
early in the development to act for the
manufacturers OF the city. 1t has been
found that two companies are not nee
essary. and the Kenosha Homes Com
psny Will build all future houses.
A most unusual result Of the con-
struction Of the houses by the kenosha
House Building Company. was the i'm
petus given TO additional construction
By independent builders. which mount
ed 10 over 500 houses since the develop
mcut Was started. OF the 400 houses
planned by the kenosha House Building
Company. 125 have already been built
and others viii be constructed in ac-
cordance with demands.
From the builders and manufactur-
ers' standpoint the success OF the
scheme is definite. That the working
men appreciate what * being done for
them is proved by the waiting list for
houses that are TO be constructed.
OtneI AAAh-
The success Of the venture at Ken
osha has appealed to the ueishboring
city Of Racine. q busy town OF 3S,oeo
population. about ten miles north eff
Kenosha. where the manufacturers arc
now hard pressed for proper scconlno-
eations for their worBmen. \ local
real estate company realized the oppor-
tunitv and plans on building an initial
6ftv houses. The scheme differs some
what from the Kenosha idea in that
the manufacturers Will be required to
guarantee only the first $500 that the
workingman is TO pay. The houses VIII
be allotted to the applicant on pay
ment Of 10 per cent of the purchase
price-the difference between that fig
ure and $500 being guaranteed by j
EMPLOYER. No second mortgage Will
he required. but the purchaser viii be
given 4 deed after tho payment OF a
certain sum on the first mortgage
which Will be handled by tho real estate
company.
Bridgeport. Conn. expanded sensa-
~tionailv because Of var contracts. with
the natural result that housing con-
ditious became very bad. The problem
was then taken in hand by the chamber
of commerce of that city. John Nolen,
the city p~lanner, was called in to re-
port on conditions and make suggest
ions. His report is the basis of the
Man now being used 10 provide proper
living quarters i'm Bridgeport.
AT Akron. Ohio. the Goodyear Tire &
Rubber COMPANY. has developed a large
tract Of land. handled by the Goodyear
Hights Realty Company. The houses