Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-09-09
MUST MEET HOUSING DEMAND DECLARE CITIZENS
AT LUNCHEON MONDAY

! every little thing that we don't take
time to analyZe What is the matter
with Wausau?
Fond du Laos Experience
E. NJ. Jenison of Fond du Lac, fol-
lowed with an address in which Fond
du Laos experience and its plans
were carefully related. Fond du Lac
has vision" the speaker emphasized.
"Wausau has a vision or should have.
1t is a big vision but it is better to
have that than none at ALL Fond du
Laos vision is that of city of $4,000
in ten years. During the next ten
years we are sure to see a movement
Of big industries from the large cities
to smaller cities on account of the
unrest, and the labor troubles with
which they are now being confronted.
Serious study, cooperation and the
development of leadership are neces-
sary in solving the housing problem
confronting u.s." declared the speaker
'The housing question is the biggest
thing we ever tackled in Fond du Lac.
It's consideration commenced when a
new industry came to the city. There
were then more jobs than there were
men, and we had in addition to pro-
vide the new plant with labor"
Through publicity, the editor averred,
the people were informed of the ex-
IRENE necessity for the building of
homes. A committee was appointed
and various plans of other cities were
investigated.
Not Solved
I'VE have not solved our problem
but we have begun Mr.. Jenison as
serted. "The Fond du Lac Home Build
ing company was formed capitalized
at 100000. 1t was organized primar-
lily for the purpose of getting homes
built though its powers extended to
that of purchasing, selling, mortgag-
ing and leasing homes, fiat buildings,
hotels, apartment houses, restaurants,
etc. The men in that business de-
clared that we would ruin their bust
ness. Instead Fond du Laos BUSH
ness men said No, not ruin but assist
you. Whatever houses are put up will
be sold at reasonable profit just as
yours are 1t has not been neces-
sary for this corporation to erect any
homes. One of the city's big men is
putting up 800 homes, another 80, an
other q and a fourth rs homes. At
the present time, according to the
most reliable information. | could get
from contractor, ten completed
homes are being placed on the mar
ket each day now and will continue
to be until cold weather. To date,
none of these homes have been rent
ing. 1t has been thought necessary
to organize building corporation for
the express purpose of building for
rent. This has not materialized yet.
1T was decided at the start that
every citizen must be a booster. But
tons were obtained and to every man
who refused a boosters button, a
hammer was to be given. No ham
mers are out yet.
81 understand that eighty per cent
of your homes i'm Wausau are owned
by the occupants. That is splendid
and | only hope you can always hold
that percentage. 1t is the Surest rem.
edy for BOlshevism and every other
ism you can find. Renters throw
away dollars. The buyer of home
gets the spirit of thrift, which he
passes on. He becomes a worker and
booster for your city. So there you
get two good results"
Others Speak
H. G. Flieth moved a committee of
five be appointed to investigate the
situation. President Smith will ap-
point the committee within a few DAYS,
l., E. Blackmer, chairman of the
publicity committee, made strong
plea for larger financial appropria-
ton for publicity. He declared that
the Chamber of Commerce was likely
to do the same thing with the com
mittee on housing which it had done
with the publicity committee-define
its work but leave it penniless. Other
speakers were G. d. Jones and Or.
Smith, the latter of whom declared
there was more talk than action
among the Chamber of Commerce
members.