The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-11-29
]. S. WANTS
SELL THIRTY
NEW VILLAGES
BY Richard s. ChiIds, of the United
States Housing Corporation.

States Housing Corporation.
The war ended, Uncle Sam mas on
! MS hands a dozen wooden cities, rang
ing in population from 1900 TO 5000
temporary towns erected m remote
Wildernesses for explosive plants.
IheSe towns will in most cases be de-
populated, plants dismantfed and
houses and dormitories taken apart
and sold for use in other localities.
Permanent Villages
Ready for Occupancy.
Uncle Sam also has on his hands
about 80 new permanent villages. The
principal ones OF this type are Muscle
shoals, Ala, 1900 dwellings, and Perry
Vile, Md, 160 dwellings built and
owned by the war department and OPP
Grated under the departments super
vision. There are so more villages
just ready for occupancy, built by
the Emergency Fleet Corporation,
ranging in size from a group of 90
dwellings in Bath, Me-, to one of 1900
dwellings, ia Yorkship village, near
Camden, New Jersey
In several other places. notably
Bethlehem, Pa, Niagara Falls, Bridge
port, Conn. and Erie, Pa, the work Of
the United States Housing Corpora
ton is So far advanced that economy
and common sense compel the finish
ing OF the work, although the great
majority of the corporations 80 pro-
Jects are being discontinued at various
stages of incompletion
Inc completed, permanent villages
nave been constructed only in those
places where there is reasonable GER
tainty of a market for the houses after
the War, subject merely to writing Off
the element OF excessive cost due to
the war conditions under which they
were built, as compared with the post
war costs with which they must now
compete.
sam has 80 villages which he is ready |
to sell for whatever they will bring.
Dwellings Designed
BY Noted Architects.
The properties divide themselves
into two classes:
!. Those which are so small rela-
lively to adjoining cities or scattered
u small groups throughout the city
that they are not separable from Or
1inary private property. These we
,all building projects"
z. Those which are separte villages
If such size and isolation as to con-
'tltute natural and complete social
lnits. These are town projects
The first class can be sold as
groups Of houses to real estate opera
ors or individuals On appropriate
erms, with the assistance of local
'anks or employers. The second class
'iven an opportunity such as may
lever come again for trial in this
COUNTRY OF the principle Of group own
rship OF housing, along with the lines
4 the co-partnership arrangements
Which are the basis of the famous Eng
lsh garden suburbs.
These towns are the products of IA
nous architects and town planners.
Zach building has been constructed
With due regard to the value of it's
eighbor and in harmony with the
own plan. The grocery store does not
ntrude itself on a residential corner, | .
or confront the neighboring cottages
nth a bare blank brick side wall
earring a gaudy soap advertisement
The individual occupant cannot spofl
is property by painting his house a
ky-blue pink or putting a dirty gar
age On his front lawn. BY yielding
o common control of the use of the
property, Workmen attain the advan-
ages of harmonious, weIl-kept
ark-hke environment.
These physical advantages may be
btained if these towns are purchased
Y large employers OF labor, who, in
eed, already are operating most Of
hem But the moral advantage of
rivate ownership is wanting, and it /
) not fortunate as a general thing to | |
ave the employer also to be the land
,rd.
ociaI Experiment Is Made Possible.
The ideal solution, retaining unity
the town without paternalism or
'ss of the sense of ownership, is to
I'll these towns intact to the residents,
} be held in trust for them and by
lem as a communal property.
Erect a local Incorporated assecia-
on Of the tenants in which each sha.
ave vote. Levy an amortization
large in the rents to retire the prin-
pal as rapidly as possible. Vest the =
'operty in a tenants association I'M
r a deed of trust which keeps the l.
'operty a unit. prohibits sale of
fuses and prohibits private profit
II revenues will then he reGiSfrihuted =