Norwich bulletin., 1920-09-02
RoTARIANs MAKE MOVE TO
 HELP HOUSING sITU

That Norwich is decidedly in need of better housing facilities and that the Ro- tary club is out to do all it can to get back of plan to promote the building of houses was shown at the weekly noon day lunch held at the Wauregan house Wednesday. James L. Case, T. c. Mur- phy, Charles R. Butts, L. NJ Young. E. O. Rodier, Richard L. Tarrent. Shepard B. Palmer and Arthur M. Thompson all expressed their opinions on the matter and offered suggestions that might solve the problem for Norwich.
 Mir. Case was the first speaker after the luncheon and called attention to how Norwich a few years ago had a surplus of vacant houses but that now it was
 different, every available rent having
 been taken. No city can grow faster
 that the growth of the homes. Mir Case said that he did not believe that Nor
 wich would stand still. we must either
 go forward or> we will fall backward.
 To go forward we must have more homes
 to accommodate the people that come to Norwich with new industries and unless we have homes for new industries they
 will ot come here
 Mir Case then introduced r. C. Mur-
 phy, who spoke to the meeting as a c,l-
 izen Mir. MurplSy said that Norwich had |
 the same problem confronting it as many | | other cities. When we look at the build | | 4ilS peTiIlllS lSSued DN the Ire OdTSndl | | during the past ten years we see how | | little building of Aew homes has been |
 done. It is up to the people of Norwich |
 to build homes. But why don't they
 build? The banks are as liberal as the
 law allows and any deserving person IS
 hardly ever refused a first mortgage
 loan. I suggest that the manufactur-
 CTS pay their pro rata share in the con- struction Of new homes. this will not
 only give their own employees a place to
 live but will release other houses for
 people coming to our city. Transporta-
 ton is another thing that makes a city
 The legislators should bear this in mind
 and help keep the trolleys running by acts that will give them more funds.
 Cities should not compel trolley com panies to stand part of the expense or improving highways. To return to the housing problem there are many large ) houses in Norwich that could be made , into apartment houses and I suggest that ? this be done.
 Richard l.. Tarrant. speaking as a ; real estate broker, spoke of the scarcity of rents in the city. He said that if : the brokers deper ded on the renting of the houses they would go out of busi- ness. Mir. Tarrant advised that anyone 7 with spare capital should invest it in s apartment houses as the returns were
 never greater. Land is cheap and any . kind of an apartment house would be a paying venture.
 Shepard B Palmer as an engineer. said n that the cause of the shortage was due h largely to the advance in wages as the I. man wants a better home as his in |, come increases. Why don't people build | can be answered by saying that it is e easier to get equally large returns or e money invested in another way without Y as much trouble. The cost of material: l. is thing that prevents building. MT e Palmer thought that an increase in th' j., rental rates in this city would induc,
 more people to build and he thought tha h there should be a revaluation of prop # erty.
 n L. NJ Young from the standpoint of h builder, said that propaganda of fsi l. return should be launched and that un m less the owner gets a fair return he vii :. not continue to build. He also spok ;,, of the lack of building material - Arthur NJ Thompson, architect. sug gested that a careful survey of the cit.
 be made to ascertain where the most SC - rieus shortage occurs and then to To
 cate plot and build. Not houses of tn
 same construction but houses of an in F dividual type. These houses should b z- well built and well planned. \ person in oa house that pleases him will remain i be your city and be a happy citizen. IT. Charles R. Butts. banker. said tha + the banks stood ready 10 lend money O e. first mortgage loans and would do a o in their power to be as liberal as possi ,i- ble. MT. Butts told of the terms O n- which loans for building could be SC ,;s cured
 a ns Ernest o. Rodier, president of tn -io Building and Loan Association, spoke a ,5 | length on how the association was vii ,ir, ing to help those who wished to bull ,,, their own houses He told how tn ,,s ,,s membership in the association was no IVY 275, bringing in about S1,S00 per mont a and that there were about 1.600 share
 out Mir Rodier said that there was 80 al 900 available for loans. Three ne ,Iu houses are now under construction ar 'iS We are helping others to buy homes. W
 have got to have homes to get industriC i- here. From all reports it looks as .Nn N We were going to have more industrit m m,r here, but we must have homes for tf sss help.
 re- NIT. Rodier was the last speaker of tf t afternoon and then Mir. Case presente
 ne three motions: First, that a committt a1 be named to make survey of the city second, that an architect sketch sever; De houses of the cottage type. two an <, three tenement houses; third, that I!. committee on financing a building proje' rr me be appointed. These committees to mar E a report at a later meeting. The mt ,.. ton was Seconded ana voted ana FIeS .s. dent is to appoint the committees. G There were about 35 present and s st' guests. President Worth called u ili i meeting to order and Rev. c. H. Ricl1et w offered grace. Eben Learned was |: @ oI song leader and also sang a delghtf riI1 solo. There was selection by qua ,ili VI tette. Mayor Lerou. c. F. Wells, All tl McNicol and John Blackmar.
 -i During the meeting Mayor Lerou a ni nounced the decision of Judge Hmm; 4o regarding the injunction sought again
 the city. Mayor Lerou said that it w
 ' partly favorably to the city and part
 against the city. He said that the
 junction ruled against the keeping of {
 Jitneys out of the three quarter m OR distance along Main street. He spo ,rd of Waterbury and how they had rout f, the jitneys and that it had stood the te ,c- He said that a new ordinance would Ia, enacted that would route jitneys in u A city. He hoped this would be done wit tba in a month.
 'H0 The meeting closed with the St ,t. Spangled Banner.
 the -------- rty AT DAVIS THEATRE.