Arizona republican., 1920-01-05
Where The People
 May Have a Hearing
The Shacks

Phoenix. Arizona, January ., 19ZO- Editor of the Arizona Republican. Dear Sir: In the January 1st issue of The Republican I noticed shoit editorial headed Down With the Shacks." The arguments you pre- sented seem thoroughly sound, but | do not think you have said the final word on the subject. There is a phase left undiscussed that perhaps ought 10 receive a little consideration
 I will admit that many Of the shacks now in the process of construction are being thrown together" by the owners with the purpose of renting them as soon as completed, and profiteering on the rents thereby thus taking ad- vantage of q situation in Phoenix whereby a newcomer is forced to take any caricature offered in the cem- blance of a house in order to have sheltering roof over his head. What percentage of these shacks are being erected with this purpose in view l do not know, and have no means Of ascer- taining.
 But I do know that in a number of instances that have come under my observation, these shacks are being built by honest laborers with the bona fide purpose of housing their families in them, preferrng to do this and un- dergoing some discomforts rather than pay the eXorbitant rents being de- manded by many of the landlords. These workingmen are driveh to this extremity by the knowledge that their wages cannot soon compass the cost of supporting their families and the constantly increasing rents besides. The only course open to them is 10 leave with. what savings they have managed to amass in past months and build as good a roof over them as their capital will allow. As a rule. the savings of renter are meager, and his first attempt at a home of his own after striking out on his own initiative is apt to be only a shack.
 Of course, we do not want a shack town" if it can be prevented. but I would like to suggest in this letter that the present landlords themselves could have a selfish motive in advo- eating regulation restricting the building of shacks. Would not such measure take away from the erst- while renting laborer his one alterna- tiveand thus keep him under the tive and thus keep him under the
 Renting is not exactly a form of serfdom, but in the present day some strong similarities are discernible be- tween the two. The above is a serious question, and needs careful consider ation.
 Even a shack gives to the poor man who owns it and dwells in it. a certain feeling of independence. He knowa that he cannot have the cost of living under his own roof raised arbitrarily. he knows that he cannot be elected upon short notice; in short, he knows that he is beyond the wholesale profi- teering of a brother human. The main purpose in the creation of our American institutions was to permit and foster such a feeling of indepen- dance. Which spirit should be en- couraged rather than curbed, whether our shacks continue to exist or not.
 Consider me a party not financially biased on this topic. I am interested in this question as I would be inter ested in any other question involving the city's welfare. I neither own a shack nor do I contemplate building one in the immediate future.
 To return to the subject, there may be wey by which both evils afore- mentioned may be lessened and a re- striction of the shacks gained at the same time that the workingman is as sured protection from excessive in creases in rents. Can you suggest some such remedy?
 A READER.