Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-11
Homemak1ng and Unrest
From Daily Financial America.

What does the workingman need to make
him happy? There is still "a large minority who
would prescribe whisky. Others suggest still
higher wages. few employers are trying the
bonus. Some are handing out shares in their
business in small doses. Many preachers say
that his soul, not his body, needs attention.
The pleasure car builders are turning out new
automobiles for him in great number. The boil
shevik urges that he become robber. late
idea comes from committee of savings bank
officers They present plan to provide more
homes.
Home is magic word for millions. 1t was
the magnet that drew our army back from Eu-
rope. Our government heard the demand tor
home from two million soldiers "over there.
1t moved back in eight months the army that
it required 18 months to send abroad
In Americans the home-making instinct is
strong as it ever was. But for four years we
have repressed it. Rome-making has been
made difficult. Making war has been made easy.
Home-builders were invited to stand aside.
We built ships in great number. We built mu-
nitions factories We laid. the Hun peril low.
We saved Europe. We greatly enlarged our
commerce. But we lost some OF the JOY out OF
our national life. The homes that in peace
would have been created are not here. Others
have been made in dark, noisy, overcrowded
tenements.
These home makers are troubled by that
vague disease called unrest. They are disap-
pointed. Theft home is not the home of their
dreams. 1t has an absentee landlord fire.
quent rent day, stern collector. 1t has eternal
has neighbors too close for American nd-
viduality. America and its institutions were
founded by men who lived in one-family houses.
The tenement is an intrusion Of Europe into our
cities.
America has millions for speculation, mil
lions still for suffering Europe, millions for
mere pleasure seeking. There should be enough
to build this road to happiness called home.
The savings bank managers say they have
enough of the peoples fund to do the work.
Why not let them do it? Money is the stumb-
ling block in the home-bulder's way. Loans
conservative members Of the National Confer
ence of Savings Bankers want state laws
amended so they can provide money on reason
able terms Their chairman is John J. Pulleyn,
president of one of the oldest and largest of
savings banks in this city, They would make
them in monthly. or other frequent install
ments. They would advance up to 20 per cent
of the value of the home. They would encour
age companies and societies making similar
loans by investing in their securities. They
would build dwellings. They would buy and
would sell these on long-term mortgages. We
have seen the strength of united banking re-
sources for war. They would unite the savings
banks for home building and farm production.
They have organized committees in every state
to these ends.
Property values and building costs are at
high mark in sympathy with the general rise in
prices. Consequently loans advanced now may
be affected by future shrinkage in quotations.
A conservative attitude therefore. in loans upon
real estate is prudent. The investment of pop
ular funds by federal boards has not inspired
confidence. The wind. of political influence is
exercised on such bodies. There is the vast and
expensive fzzle in nitrate production as warm
ing. There was great waste in government
aeroplane manufacture. In shipbuilding the
lumber influence in the first shipping board cost
US heavily in worthless wooden ships
The high cost of politics figures as heavy
liability. Let us have no federal house-building
folly. Politics are too expensive as decoration
for our business enterprises. Federal funds are
not needed. The peoples savings should build
their homes