Evening star., 1919-02-23


II come bolshevist-, Bolshevism' n,
~ or what it stands for. thrives in
insanitary tenement houses and
slums. A man who does not own
home is much more likely to turn to
bolshevisrn, to feel the desire to turn
the existing order upside down in the
hope he may better his own condition.
The problem of putting industrial
wage earners into sanitary and COM
Portable homes Of their own in this
country Of ever-increasing congested in
dustriaI centers is occupying the minds
of number Of members of the Senate
and House. They are actuated in their
desire to aid not only by humanitarian
motives, but also by the desire to
solve the problem of unrest and rad
Committee Investigates.
icalism that is raising it's head.
The Senate committee on education
and labor, at the urgent demand of
Senator Kenyon of Iowa, has been in
vestigating the subject of Industrial
housing along with the subject of un-
employment, and the result has been
the introduction of bill by Senator
Kenyon himself to create commits
sion to Investigate and report to Con-
gress at its next session on methods
home ownership. The commission is
to consist of two senators. two rep
resentatives, a representative of the
Treasury Department and repre-
sentative of the Department of Labor
and two citizens of the United States
to be appointed by the President. 1t
is the hope of the proponents. of the
bill that it will lead to a. constructive
policy to be adopted by the govern
ment.
In some quarters this measure is re-
garded as a radical proposal. a move
toward paternalism and away from
the old individualistic idea which has
thriven in this country for SO long.
But the supporters of the bill say it
is calculated. on the contrary. to
put a stop to radical tendencies. which
are giving many thinking people con-
cern.
Slum Problem Not New in q. S.
The slum problem is not new in this
country; it Is only greater and more
serious owing to the ever-increasing
congestion in cities and Industrial
centers, Notwithstanding efforts made
by states. municipalities and philan-
thropic organizations TO solve the
problem. The solution lies in finding
an easy means to enable the workers
to obtain the money to build homes
for themselves. to bring the lender
and the borrower more closely into
touch.
the farm loan act. has already taken a
long step toward aiding the rural
population to own and improve the
homes Is there any more reason why
the government should aid a farmer
to own his home than it should aid a
factory worker to own HRS? Senator
Kenyon says no. Through the farm
loan act a chain of federal farm loan
banks has been estaoilshed where
farmers may borrow money at low
rates of interest on longtime
mortgages to buy and improve their
homes and farms. 1t is Senator Ken
yon's idea that chain of federal
mortgage banks to lend money to in
dustrtal workers at low rates of in
terest to build or buy homes also may
be established.
Will Not War for Boarding House.
Among the many wise pronounce
ments OF the. late Bob Ingersoll was
the statement that man will not go
to war for the sake of boarding
house Translate the boarding house
into an insanitary tenement house.
and YOU will find that he VIII not only
not 20 to war for the sake of the
tenement, but he may revolt to get out
Of 1t.
other governments have not been
SO slow to realize the need OF aiding
Industrial workers to obtatn' better
living conditions and homes Of their
own. Perhaps the fact that congested
conditions In European countries have
existed longer. than they have In this
country and to greater extreme may
be one reason for this. At any rate.
Great Britain, France, Germany. Bel
gium, Austria. Italy and Switzerland
have all tried their hands. at this Job.
while the government Of the United
States has done nothing. The govern.
- ~ IN EheTHfh a ASoASfNaVH