New Britain herald., 1918-12-23
SUGGESTS SOLUTION
 OF SOCIAL UNREST
Industrial Housing Is Put For ward as One Answer to Question
(By Noble Foster Hoggson, Presi- dent Hoggson Brothers, Builders,
 New York

There are two great movements. almost so closely related as to be one, either or both of which threaten this country. One is economic; the other social The first is called re- trenchment; the second Bolshevism.
 To the extent that the continued spending of money for materials or waging war is concerned, now that it Is won, the move for economy is well directed. But in carrying this project to the intended limit we would at the same time be destroying some of the great social betterments, the possibi- lities of which the war has brought to us. And by taking away privileges rights and benefits which mankind has gained through bloodshed we may unwittingly perhaps be producing an excuse for Bo1shevism.
 One rarely hears Of workmen re- ceivtng "a fair days wage for a fair days work" who have the means to provide for their families in the way of homes, clothes, food, education and recreation, leaning to Bolshevism or the doctrine of excesses which gains its title from that word. A contented workman who receives even approximately a fair return on his labor strives for bettering the whole social condition rather than destroying one social structure in order to set up another.
 A man holds his home sacred above all things. Take his home away pr the right to create 8 homeland
 
 under conditions not fit for animals; such conditions we have witnessed in our own northwest. The result is new members for the I. W. W.--inci- pient Bolshevists.
 The war provided the greatest i'm petus to the movement for decent homes for employees. Under govern mental auspices and direction, and with government money, plants en- gagged i2 war work undertook to create villages designed along model lines to house their workmen, and so reduce shifting of labor from place to place and cut down the cost of 1 labor turnover.
 Our housing scheme developed during the war was not perfect; it was adapted to the occasion. Per- haps many of the newly created will
 lages will soon be only a memory 1 But to ignore our housing needs in our future calculations will be no less than a calamity.
 It is said that certain manufact- turers believe labor will soon be so plentiful that it will occasion no trouble at all to get men for jobs of all sorts at whatever wage is offered, and without the present considera- Sp+ this belief represents any consider able or important element of employ CTS, 1t means that one of the pr1n- cip1es for which this war was fought has not penetrated their conscious ness The consensus of opinion of l the delegates to the convention held 1 at Atlantic City last week-this con- vention bringing together the most | important industries of the country l was that labor would be scarce and not over-plentiful, excepting tempo ra~ily in the districts where war
 work was being done. This conges-
 ton would be relieved almost imme- diately by the surplus returning to their vacations in their home Iocali- ties. Employers who, with selfish thoughts only, expect to thus take advantage of a possible over-supply of labor, are short visioned and
 harmful to the successful solution of the future social state.
 We must take care of housing our l employees; we must provide homes for them. It is our duty to raise the stan dards of living If there are class istinctions in this country, the best way to obliterate them is to CO., operate with the workers, the great producing class, to assist them in be-
 coming even more useful to them selves and to the country by evincing an understanding of their hopes, de- sires and aspirations. That will re- quire, first of all, sympathetic CO., operation. and second, a compre- hensive plan of education. The most important step in the matter of edu- cation begins with the home. Inn prove living conditions; make home things of comfort and attraction. The close of the war has not 1essened the importance of housing: it has in