The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-03-11
URGES ACTION
TO GET HOMES
Report of National Confer
ence Urges Action to
Promote Building.
MADE LABOR

With Kenosha already suffering
severely from the shortage of housing
facilities, and with even greater hard
ships looming. in the near future, To-
cal construction firms and dealers in
building materials have called atten-
ton to the report of the national con-
ference on concrete house construction
recently held in Chicago
"This report is Of such breath of
vision and contains such definite sug-
gestions that it should be brought to
the attention Of the public" said one
Of the leading contractors to-day. One
part of the document states that we
are facing an industrial Development
in which every $1,000 invested in a
plant would require about $4,000 in
vested in housing. In other words,
while it takes about $1,000 invested
in plant to give man employment,
it takes at least $4,000 to give him a
home to live in"
Shortage Due to War.
The report considers the situation
under the headings of land, material,
labor, finance, design, transportation
and legislation and building codes. 1t
say in part:
"The United States and Canada are
now confronted with an unprecedent-
ed housing famine, so universally rec
ognized as to need no emphasis. This
originated in government ALLEGATION
Of labor, materials and capital to war
needs, and has been continued and ac-
centuated by the diversion of labor,
materials and capital to the produc-
ton Of non-essentials. To such an ex-
tent is this true that the public de-
mand for these non-essentials and even
| for Injuries is raising the cost of
housing, while the people are bidding
against each other for the houses that
exist.
Value of Money Cut.
Depreciation of the dollar hangs
| like a cloud over the whole business
horizon. To the mass of people this is
still mysterious phenomenon. 1t be-
| gan before the war, due to great in
crease in gold production, and has of
course, been intensified by the infla-
tion Of the currency. While the peo-
pie at large are thinking in terms of
the movement of coal and essential
food articles and should issue such
priority order as will insure the I'M
restricted shipment of building ma
terials.
mo further restriction on freight
rates for building materials and equip
high prices, they would be nearer the
truth if they were thinking in terms
of lowered standards of value.
"Since the housing scarcity is the
result of government restrictions
and taxation, we must resort to pref
erential ALLEGATIONS of material and
cars and to governmental exemptions
to restore normal conditions.
"Price and availability of land at
present are not such as to be serious
obstacles. Unimproved land is held
at low figures because Of the difficulty
Whlch It's owners flnd IN putting 1t to
profitable use. The condition should
in reality act as a stimulus to build
ing.
High Rents Offset Wages.
Every available means should be
employed to call the attention of labor
to the fact that it Injuries itself by ar
bitrarily retarding construction. Di-
minished construction results in high
rents. These nullify the benefits de-
rived from high wages.
SIN the distribution of empty cars
the railroads should subordinate ship
ments of building materials only to
ment should be allowed by the inter
state commerce commission or by the
various state utility commission hav-
sing jurisdiction in such matters until