The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-26

N6W xOkk lily ~
Bfeathes there Q msn With . soul
20 dead who never to himself hath
ssid: own Your Own Hcme!s !!
II 90. let him attend the n-Your-
Ovn-Homs exposition whom It ap-
pears in his town and forthwith Do
con, erted.
This exposition has already bsen
held in Chicago and New YORK.
where It turned thousands OF set
tied cliff dwellers into determined
home owners, and - now on III
way to various other cities.
It consists Of . whole miniature
suburb, reproduced in elaborate de-
tail, including many different types
Of attractive homes, 81 on BY tiny
gardens and dignifed By that booa
Of the landscape gardener-the tall
and stataly cedar. Nothing u
lacking In the way Of homely real
ism, from the latest thing In laun-
dry tubs to the best type OF ramo-
Ter rose for the front veranda- All
that goes into the making OF the
modern American home-as well ~
much that doesnt-is there before
the dazzled gaze Of the home seek
er, to say nothing OF the homes
themselves. There are severe.
little stucco houses; quaint, little
frame dwellings. large and preten-
tious brick houses wide selec-
ton to choose from.
All are reproductions OF prize
winning designs from a recent ma
tional small-house contest, which
was held under the auspices Of the
American Institute OF Architects
and in which q Thousand architects
took part A nationally known ar
Ichitectural Jury selected % designs
| in three classes Clumber, brick and
stucco and back plastered metal
lath) for prizes totaling $4,000
The awards were governed princi
pally by the economy Of space
shown in the floor plans, and pref
erence was given to designs that
would be reasonable in upkeep and
reduce general operating expenses
to a minimum.
For the exposition is designed tt
reach the great mass Of small-homt
builders. It strives to show th<
man with only a small amount ol
capital how he can build a comfort
able, thoroughly up-to-date hous<
at q surprisingly low cost and thu
escape exorbitant rent
BODYBUILDING is not only desir
able now, it is q necessity. the or
ganizers of the exposition poin1
out According to Robert H. Sex
ton, its managing director. the ma
tional dwelling shortage at tn
close of last year was placed at ths
appalling figure Of 1.260.000. I'll
normal times" he says. 1.-THE Unit
ed States builds between 35O, 0ol
and 100000 family dwellings eacf
year. In 1919 only $1,000 sucf
dwellings were erected, and in 1872
but $4,000 were reported. One
fourth of the population Is eithel
living in rented quarters or is i'm
properly housed. The country il
/ 900 900 homes short
| Effects Of Housing Shortage.
This situation. the BODYBUILDING
promoters declare, is a menace t
the nation from two important as
poets. First, it has a deleteriou:
effect upon the public health. II
New York a recent housing surve!
brought to light many instances
where families of IL and Is mem
bers we're living crowded togethel
in one and two rooms. The pub
lie health departments of other cit
les report a similar state OF at
fairs. Nor is overcoming con
fined to so-called slum districts
it is also found to prevail among
the middle classes.
| The scarcity of homes likewis'
breeds discomfort, it is pointed out
and keeps a large part Of the pop
ulation restless and rowing wherea
for the good of the nation it shoult
be quietly housed. The homeless
citizen, who drifts from one com
munity to another, is seen to be ;
possible source Of social and polit
ical disorder.
The government 10 beginning t.
realize that homeless citizens an.
families, rich and poor, are no
usually the best American citizens,
says Mr.. Sexton. 1T is beginnin:
to realize that every additions
home owner makes an additiona
credit possibility to the nation
wealth and an additional urge TO
all other forms Of permanent con
struction." In other words, MI
Sexton believes the government q