The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-01-09

lost by fire, or through decay, ana TO take care
of the increase in population. Consequently we
found ourselves about a million homes SNORT Vi
our requirements.
This situation was met, or. rather, the govern
meat attempted to meet it, by inauguratlng the
Own Your Own Home Campaign. Everyone
was urged to build homes, because homes were
needed and because it was necessary TO supply
work for the many thousands OF workers VINO
were released from the war activities. But lor
reasons that many were at Il loss 10 eApiah'
there were not and have not been as many homes
built as it was confidently expected there would
be. The real reason for this fact, to my mind, is
that while everyone was urged to build a nome
no method Of financing the home building prof.
ects was devised. nor even suggested. by the gov
eminent.
To meet this deficiency in the governments
campaign, public-spirited citizens in a number or
cities dubbed together and furnished limited
amounts of money to be loaned to home builders.
The response TO this offer was so great that the
funds available did not reach half way. There
were several applicants for loans to every loan
that could be made.
Thus after nearly a year of campaigning on the
part of the federal government, the state govern
mentS, chambers of commerce In thousands OF
cities and by organizations made up OF public
spirited citizens little has been accomplished.
Every man of family wants a home of his own.
He knows that he can build q home for himself
and Instantly and pay for 1t while he Is living IN
it. But he also knows that before he can build
the home and move into 1t he must have a GER
tain sum of money, small in comparison with the
cost of the home, but large enough SO that 1t Is
rather difficult to get 1t together. It's that first
payment that has baked the desire of thousands
upon thousands of families to have homes of thew
own. 1t is to make ii possible for everyone to 81
together in any easy manner a sum sufficient to
build a home that l have suggested to builders.
bankers and the public generally the formation i'll
every immunity Of Own a Home Savings clubs
and these clubs are already s%pringing up In many
localities.
The initiation fee in an "Own a Home
Savings club" Is the desire to own a home.
The dues, payable either weekly or month
ly. are what the one who desires a home feels
that he can spare from his income.
The benefits that the member derives frop"
his club are many. First, he will have a home
Of his own. Second, he will save money.
Third, he will have a comfortable place in
Which to live; it will cost no more monthly
than he pays In rent, and after a term of
years he will have the greatest of assets-a
home Of his own, all paid for and readily
convertible into cash.
The Inauguration Of a "Own a Home Savings
club" is simple. All it requires Is initiative on
the part of the bankers Of the country. They are
the ones who must start these clubs. And after
they are started l predict that being a member of
an "Own a Home Savings club" VIII be as pOpu-
lar as owning a Liberty bond or two was during
the war.
Before considering the reasons why "Own a
Home Savings clubs will be popular, let me ex.
plain more fully how the plan is conducted.
A bank that inaugurates a club should make II
a separate department, just as the Christmas
Savings clubs are. Special pass books calling for
the deposit of a certain sum at stated intervals
should be given the members. Tables showing
exactly how long 1t will require the depositor to
accumulate the sum he needs to secure a home of
his own should be prepared. And knowing what
that sum must be Is the vital part Of this plan, for
II gives the club member a definite objective. Take
away this objective and make it just a plan to
save systematically and the club will fail! 1t was
having such an objective that made the partial
payment plan of buying Liberty bonds a success.
The purchaser Of a bond knew just how much he
was required to save and exactly how long II
would take TO accumulate that amount.
BY first helping the members of the club to Sc
lect the type of home he wants, and knowing the
cost or that home. the bank can fix upon the sum
required as the first payment. For instance, II q