The Ordway new era., 1918-05-03
Government Plans to House lis
Big New Army Of
Shipbuilders.
TO Be DONE IN RECORD TIME
Community Houses. Equipped Like
Club, for Single men-Homes With
All Modern conveniences for
Married Men-Standardiza-
tion for High Speed.
BY JAMES II. COLLINS.

In a hastily remodeled suite of
Washington offices today sits man
who has war task that appeals to
the Imagination.
Between now and July l he Is to
build s5O,OOO,OOO worth of homes for
workers In Uncle Sans new shipbuild-
ing army, which Is being mobilized
from the picked mechanics of every
state In the union.
This army will number something
like 10000 men. Fifty million dol
lars invested In houses for work
force Of that size gives 1925 per man.
That seems rather n 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
to mike his $125 per man suffice for
the Job and carry out his construc-
tion In record time.
1t is Interesting to figure with him
a httle-if you just remember that
present figures must be rough esti-
W teAtuih
First of all, he can eliminate large
proportion Of this shipbuilding army,
because many of the new shipyards are
handy to cities with ample housing
and nll 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 andeveloped spots along
our wide stretches of seacoast. and In
these places 1t becomes necessary to
provide workers with modern living
quarters.
Community Dwellings.
Thousands Of these shipbuilders will
be single men, and for them special
type of community dwelling has been
designed on the order of club house.
Each community dwelling will accom-
modate l25 men. Each man will have
n 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
will have shower baths and large
community lounge, making 1t pos
sihle 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
club house will have community din
Ing room with modern kitchen and
serving facilities, giving board on the
mess plan at reasonable rates and with
minimum labor. These community club
houses are to be of frame construc
tion. but standard type. Many o
them will be erected In localities whicl
are not likely to become permanent
shipbuiltiing centers. Therefore, per
mnnent construction has not been tn,
chief necessity. Nevertheless, the!
will be substantial enough to last 81
years II need be, and where erected
in localities with severe winter wealth
er will Jack nothing in warmth.
When the plans for such house
were standardized by the shipping
board experts, they achieved two re
suits in house building that seemed t,
be new. First, speed of construction
All the doors. windows. pipes. ant
ether things that go Into a house wer
gut on basis of uniform sizes. Muc