Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1919-06-26
HOUSES, MORE HOUSES.


During one period Of the late world
war, things looked especially gloomy
for US and the very success Of the al
lies seemed to depend upon greatly
increased ocean transportation. II
was then that David Lloyd George,
the, British premier, sounded the cry,
1Ships, more ships" and still ssships,
more ships"
The people of the allied nations
who were engaged in building boats,
we especially, repeated that cry until
Ships, more ships" was the domin-
ating incentive. The result was al
most magical; the required boats were
built and built quickly. This, shows
the possibilities when people concen-
trate on a definite object Of attain
ment.
Today all over this country and in
Missouri Valley in particular, the
shibboleth has been revised; war has
given way to peace and /" ships" trans
posed to "houses.' 2
HOUSES. MORE HOUSES, is now
the acme of achievement. Let us
sound that cry from day to day until
we are thoroughly permeated with
the BUILDING idea. Talk it over
with your neighbors, your fellow la.
borers and your business associates.
Concentration is the marvel worker:
let's concentrate on, HOUSES. Houses.
even rooms, to be had in this city, are
scarcer than the proverbial hens
teeth.
We must do something to alleviate
this condition. How can we ever hope
to grow and attract others to us if
we can offer no houses to live in?
The railway company, our greatest
support, perhaps, is being most seri-
ously handicapped by this lack of
adequate housing facilities. Men,
especially those with families, abso-
lutely will not come here to work in
the shops as there are no houses to
move into. Even the single men are
baking on coming, as rooms are also
becoming impossibilities. It's really
serious situation. WE MUST MEET
1T. Il
With all due respect to many other
desired and much needed improve
ments, such as parks, hospital, hotel,
new depot, ETC., the PARAMOUNT
ISSUE in Missouri Valley, Iowa, is
HOUSES. Do not think for one mo-
nent that we are trying to disparage
the various citations just mentioned
above, but let us lay all air-castle
theories aside, come down to real ter
ra firma and proceed, first of all, to
meet this HOUSING problem, face to
face.
We simply MUST do it, else we
stagnate. It's IMPERATIVE to the
superlative degree and then some.
The arguments that houses are also
scarce in other towns, that building
material is too high, labor too high,
taxes too high, ETC., will never get us
anywhere. While those arguments
may be true as matters of fact,
greater fact exists that regardless
of all other considerations whatso-
ever, HOUSES MUST BE BUILT IN
SUFFICIENT NUMBER TO MEET
ITS NEEDS, else we might as we'll
close up shop.
just HOW can it be done? That's
the problem. But all problems can be
solved. The solution Of this one, we
are sure, is in getting together, offer
ing and exchanging the best thoughts
and ideas, picking out the most feasi-
bic mode of procedure, and then trans
forming the selected mode into AC-
TON. united, concentrated action.
The time for open-air, curb-stone
propaganda has passed. It's exhiler-
ating, but it. don't erect houses.
A MOSES is wanted, BUILDING
Moses, here and now. WHO WILL
TAKE THE LEAD? LET'S BUILD.