The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1919-04-02
Home Building
Boon Worldwide

The greatest home building "boom"
the world has ever known will be
launched this springs, in fact, al
ready started. Such is the maGni-
tude of this unprecedented activity
tnat the human mind cannot fully
grasp its immensely and extent.
Most of US have at some time seen
localities experience blooms" IN
building-even seen, perhaps, whole
sections of the country undergo
process of abnormally rapid develop
ment that entailed an extraordinary
amount of building. But the boom
chat we have with US today" as the
after-dinner speakers say, is mani,
Testing itself in every civilized
country in the world-a universal
stimulus that is moving humanity TO
create more homes. The United
States will be no exception among
countries, for nowhere is the spirit
and sentiment for home building so
pronounced as here.
One purpose of this worldwide
building activity will be, in European
countries, to restore homes that were
in the path of wars devastation. In
this country there are many factors
important in the great movement.
In the first place, the United States IS
far behind in it's normal home-bulld-
ing. because such work practically
came to a standstill here for more
than a year while the nation concen-
trated all it's energies on the prosecu-
ton of the war. During that lnten-
siye period the Government discour-
aged home building. while now the
national administration is calling up
on the people to build, not only as a
natriotic duty, but as a means OF
nroyiding additional employment for
returning soldiers and for artisans
released from war production actlvl-
ties. Secretary Wilson of the De-
partment of Labor has caused to De
sent out from Washington all over
the country, large placards adVocat-
inc. immediate home-bulldlng. Dur
ing the war it was patriotic not TO
build, now we can best show our
patriotism by building" reads one OF
these placards. Another READS
"Own a Home for Your Children's
Sake, and third says, "Construc-
ton adds to the wealth of the
now" There are
others lust as urgent. Last but not
least in the influences tending to
stimulate BODYBUILDING throughout
this country are the nationwide
publicity campaigns being conducted
hv manufacturers of, and dealers IN,
building materials who are pointing
out to the public the advisability and
economy in building homes now.
One association of manufacturers
alone, the Southern Pine Association,
is extending more than 500 100000 a |
month in telling the people of the
country of the prospective great
foreign demand for american lumber
and pointing out the fact that the
price of lumber today is far less, by
comparison, than that of other I'M
1ortant commodities. Manutactuf,
,rs of paints, makers of patented
materials and other assoclat-
ID interests are conducting similar
Undoubtedly the foremost factor in
American home building activity,
however, is an intensified sentiment
egarding home ownership. The peo-
lie of this country never before real
zed to such a degree what the home
meant; certainly American soldiers
Tho went to the battle fronts of
Europe and saw the thousands of
ONES DESTROYED and the hundreds of +
thousands of homeless people, are a
oming home with new and more q
ivid appreciation of the comfort, e
and happiness that IS a
ound only in the home. The hard 9
hips of war have quickened their c
of the attractions of f
cal home,, and they are coming back e
ungry for "all the comforts of h
for the cherries hospi- u
,lity of a boarding house or the Q
ramped and artificial environment :
the apartment house.