South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-04-18
RENT A ROOM TO
HELP CITY GROW
INDUSTRIES PLEA
Chamber of Commerce Sec.
Onds Appeal for Living
Quarters.

aid South Bend iu meeting the
present housing situation, and at the
same time aid yourself by adding TO
your income" is an appeal going
out TO every householder IN the city.
The appeal, which IS being sent
out by the Industries OF the COM
nlunity and the Chamber or Com
merCe does not ask that houses be
built. Instead, Il asks that present
homes in the city be shared win
men brought here 10 aid IN the IA
dustriai expansion now going on
II Is an appeal FOR rooms AZ
reasonable rental
The appeal points out that unless
some way Is found IN which 10 pro
Vides homes for men who come mere
TO work in the various plants the
expansion plans W'1ll fail. and oOutn
Bends many industrial advantages
viii be unava.sing.
Rooms Tor single Men.
Efforts are being made 10 erect a
sufficient number OF houses to care
for the hundreds Of families that
viii be brought to the city by the
expansion and enlargement OF the
plants here. but the burden of the
appeal is for rooms for the hundreds
build houses and who must have
"a place OF abode in order 10 WORK
here.
The appeal asks that South Bend
citizens open their homes 10 these
men, many Of whom are young and
who are just beginning their ca
rcers. Most OF them are from good
families and are well bred.
The industries and Chamber of
Commerce want every family in the
city that can possibly do so, 20 rent
rooms 70 these young men. The
families doing this are assured OF a
reasonable remuneration for their
Efforts 10 aid the city ia meeting the
housing problem. Each family that
can spare room for rental is asked
10 list 1t with the Industrial plants
or with the Chamber OF Commerce,
and IN turn these institutions oner
TO send only rOOmers whose char
acters have been investigated and
found TO meet with approval
Instance of PrOhtcering.
The families are asked not TO
charge an unreasonable rental for
their rooms. An instance of where
Overcharging drove one man who
would undoubtedly have become a
substantial citizen of the community
from the city - cited. The appeal
recttes how a man brought his tam
ily here. He was successful in find-
ing a house, but soon had 10 vacate
the house because II had been sold.
This potential citizen was prevented
BY circumstances from leaving the
city at once. He was forced TO seek
accommodations, and finally sue
ceeded In renting a furnished room
IN the home Of one OF the city's
wealthy families. The rent charged
for this room was $50 a week, or
500 a month. He occupied the
furnished room for one month. Then
he left South Bend for another city.
He was an executive in a South Bend
concern, well bred and public spirit
ed, and he would have made south
Bend bis permanent home had he
not been driven away by circum-
stances greatly mitigated by a room
prOhteer who did not need the
money.
Many instances Of a like nature
are cited, but il IS not believed by
the city's industrial heads or the
officials OF the Chamber of Com
merCe that the great majority Of
South Bend families are inclined to
take advantage OF a depIorable stu
alton TO prOfiteer.