Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-27
More Farm Houses
Urged by Government
By Fredesls ]. HaskIn

Washington, d. c., December a.
Not enough houses in some places, and
| whole citi0 Of empty houses in other
plnoes. That Is the situation with re-
] gnYd TO housing which the United States
faces and it is one OF the least serious
| phases OF world housing problem. In
| European countries, not only have
| whole cities been shot TO pieces, but
| houses, both in the city and in the coun-
| try, have literally fallen 10 pieces for
lack of the labor and the material where
with 70 repair them.
Tho British government in tacklng iie
| housing problem in earnest The British
Labor party Is back Of q plan for the
government to construct houses in the
| country, where farmers and laborers may
live. This is the plan generally described
as the Garden city plan," which has
been advocated by students for some
yenrs. Generally regarded heretofore as
somewhat Utopian, II seems to have
been seized upon now as a possible So
luton of the housing problem in England
PROBLEM LESS SERIOUS HERE.
In this country the problem is much
less serious, and there docs not appear
to be much sentiment in favor Of the
government undertaking the building
n houses. The senate appears 10 be OPP
posed even to the completion Of the
rtomfng house for war workers, which
has been half-built here in Washington
by the government.
On the other hand, the plan which
Secretary OF tho Interior, Lane, is work
ing out for supplying soldiers with farms
Is understood to include the building
Of houses ON these farms, and even the
equpping of them with machinery
and live stock. That In the way the thing
has been done by the Land Settlement
Board OF California, and in Australia,
whence the California people got their
idea
DIR. Elwood Meade, who was chair
man of the land settlement board IN
California, il here In Washington help
ing Secretary Lane work out bis pians,
and DR.. Meade is known TO be in favor
Of selling the soldiers fully equipped
farms, with houses, machinery and all,
on long time payments He holds that
1T Is worse than useless, under preeent
conditions, to give man piece of raw
land without house or tools, and e1-
pect him TO make q Irving out Of il.
II the government must build houses,
it is generally conceded that the build
ing of farm houses would be the best
expedient. For The problem in this corln-
try arises largely from the fact that
during the war people have migrated
IN tens Of Thousands from the country
10 cities. Anything that will tend to
stimulate the reverse movement, and
keep the soldiers from congrrgat,ng
in the cities, is much to be desired
NEVER sUcH sH HITTING.
In a speech made recently, Joseph d
Leland, vice president Of the United
States Housing Corporation, said
Never before has the world seen such
a moving about Of population as America
has witnessed in 1917 and 1913 The
census, if taken today, would be found
completely adrift from official estimates
based on normal growth
II Is the belief of most experts here in
Washington that similar shift will take
place in the next year: but whether this
will e more or less extensive than the
shift during the war they cannot predict
The reason for the unprecedented
series OF miTations during the past two
years is well known TO everyone II was
the mushroom growth of gigantic war
industry plants. Scarcely a manufectur-
ing town IN the country but has increased
its population from twenty to two hun 4red
per cent Norf lk Virginia with q normal
population Of 10000 finds itself sheltering
10000 souls Both banks of the Della
ware from Bristol to Wilmington have
changed from quiet agricultural communi-
ties TO crowded industrial towns.
OF course, immigration TO this country
virtually ceased in 1915 These miga-
tions. which have overhooded the in
dustrial cities, were entirely internal,
The workmen and their families who
crowded the cities came from somewhere
in the United States, and it has been
shown that many of them cams from farm
and mountain districts 4 number Of