The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1920-03-04
HOME AMID A CHANGING
ORDER

Every age brings its changes and
its problems. Peculiarly interesting
and significant are the problems con
fronting the home Of today.
The home is the shelter of the
family: the cradle Of children; the
nursery Of mutual affection. and the
training-school for citizenship in the
community. Human history is divid-
ed into five great periods; the hunt
ing, pastoral, agricultural, hand
craft, and industrial. In each Of these
the home existed, though its life and
organization differed from time TO
time The modern home is simply an
evolution of the primitive home. and
this fact should be kept in mind
when one seeks 10 interpret this in
stitution.
In primitive times there was little
necessity for a home except as n
nest for the young or cache for
provisions Often II was only rough
shelter to which the hunter brought
the game he killed. Later came the
agricultural, handicraft, and indus
trial periods, each representing
higher and more stable civilization.
with better and more permanent
homes. Thus, today we have the mod
ern home in keeping with the evolu-
ton of civilization.
Certain conditions have created
some very acute problems for the
modern home until il now seems that
the very foundations of this institu-
tion are endangered. From a number
Of economic factors whose influences
do not contribute 10 that sturdy
permanent type Of home life. so char
acteristic Of the American people.
we mention two,--the modern apart
ment and the rent house The apart
ment is n product of modern civil
zation,. and is fast becoming a fore
most feature in the life of our cities
II may be defined as any building
rented as the home or residence Of
three or more families, living indie
pendently Of each other, doing light
housekeeping usually and having
common right in the halls, stairways
and toilets. Four facts account for
the rise of the apartment: the great
drift Of the people to the city, short
I age Of living quarters, increased liv-
ing expenses, and desire for gain.
These houses are not without their
advantages. In fact, they seem TO
have become a necessity in the pres
ent order of things. They reduce
living expenses. lessen home tasks.
and provide shelter for thousands
who otherwise might find il difficult
to get a home in the crowded cities.
But it's weaknesses and dangers are
apparent. II breaks up the permanent
home, inyades the privacy Of home
! and family life. and weakens the
home influence. The cherished mem
cries, the sacred influences and ira
, ditions, the shaping ideals Of the old
home. in which the young life is
nurtured and grows TO maturity, are
among the most lasting and determ-
ming influences of life. But these are
generated about the old family fire.
side and not in a modern apartment,
with its impersonal air and public
character. For two reasons the apart
cent inhibits the home building in
stinct and the rearing Of families
It is inconvenient to have large
family housed in a very few rooms.
then, the general attitude Of the
apartment owner and dweller is. "No
children wanted here"
or the 3,437.202 people living in
greater New York in 1900. more
than two-thirds lived in apartments,
and the percentage has risen steadily /
since that time. Three-fOurths Of
Manhattan's population live in houses
OF not less than twenty persons each. |
the density of the its population be-
ing $50 to the acre In a Texas city
two apartments, each TO house five
hundred families. are now under
construction. As the people continue
crowding to the cities the apartments
will multiply, and as they multiply |
the old permanent home life will pass
away.
A second factor detracting from
a permanent home life Is the rent
house, whether il be on the farm or
IN the town. We do not say that Il
should not be. nor that il Is an un-
mixed evil The demand for labor
shifts from place TO place. Influenced |
by varying conditions and seasons. |
and this means a shifting Of popula- |
ton, Many occupations are Of such |
nature ~ TO require q rather trans |
lent life Of those following them.
From this standpoint the rent house
Il an advantage and, under our pres.
ent regime, seems a necessity. but |
their necessity does not remove the
other fact that they 40 not contrib.
uio 90 The most abiding type of home
life
l.lho The apartment, the roni house
lnhlhlls the home. building instinct, |
and weakons the home spirit and In. |
forrest One does not feel Disposed % |
spend Time. money and labor Zoe loo.
profemenia on q place not he Own.