The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-05-04
Government Plans to House Its
Big New Army Of
ShipbuiIders.
TO Be DONE IN RECORD TIME
Community Houses, Equipped Like
Club, for Single Men-Homes With
All Modern Conveniences for
Married Men-Standardiza-
ton for High Speed.
BY JAMES n. COLLINS.

In a hastily remodeled suite @
Washington offices today sits mar
who has war task that appeals t.
the Imagination.
Between now and July / he IS tC
build 100000 600 worth of homes for
workers in Uncle Sans new shfpbuild
Ing army, which is being modified
from the picked mechanics Of every
state in the union.
This army will number something
Ike 10000 men. Fifty million dol
lars invested in houses for work
force of that size gives 1925 per man.
That seems rather q limited sum Of
money with which to provide anybody
with warm sanitary living quarters,
having baths, hot and cold water,
steam heat, electric light, modern
kitchen facilities, and all the com
forts of home. Yet this man is going
70 make his 1925 per man suffice for
the Job and carry out his construc-
ton In record time.
1t is interesting to figure with him
a Ittle-if you just remember that
present figures must be rough esti-
mates to certain extent.
First Of all, he can eliminate a large
proportion Of this shipbuilding army,
because many Of the new shipyards are
handy to cities with ample housing
and all conveniences, and Uncle Sam
will solve the housing problem in those
places by improving the transportation
service between mans work and his
home. But other shipyards have been
created in undeveloped spots along
our wide stretches of SeacoaSt, and in
these places it becomes necessary to
provide workers with modern living
quarters.
Community Dwellings.
Thousands of these shipbuilders will |
be single men, and for them a special /
type of community dwelling has been |
designed on the order of q club house.
modate 125 men. Each man will have
a room to himself and it will be an
outside room. Each clubhouse, more
over, will be divided into five groups
or separate clubs Of from % to 80
men. Each Of these separate clubs
viii have shower baths and a large
lounge, making 1t pos
sible for worker to find congenial
crowd Of his own and for that little
community subdivision to organize its
OWN home life, amusements, sports,
social affairs, and studies. Each
Hub house will have a community din {
ng room with modern kitchen and I
serving facilities, giving board on the ]
ness plan at reasonable rates and with t
minimum labor. These community club I
Houses are to be of frame construc- [
ion, but standard type. Many OF I
hem will be erected in localities which S
re not likely to become permanent
centers. Therefore, per
lament construction has not been the S
hief necessity. Nevertheless, they $
I'LL be substantial enough to last 25 Fl
ears If need be and where erected b
1 localities with severe winter wealth ii
r will lack nothing in warmth. n
When the plagas for such houses ii
ere standardized by the shipping c,
GARD experts. they achieved two re- n,
Ats In house building that seemed to &C
new. First, speed Of construction.
IL the doors, windows, pipes, and III
her things that 60 into q house were n
Ut on basis of uniform sizes. Much tn