Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-07-28
HOMEBUILDERS' COOP. ASSN
REMEDIES HOUSING SHORTAGE

After waiting these many years for
real estate spectators, contractors,
and benevolent landlords to provide
sufficient houses for workers, the
Building Trades Council of Reading,
Pennsylvania, has formed a Home
builders Cooperative Association to
remedy the shortage of 5000 houses
in that community The first building
operations of the Association began
three weeks ago with the construction
of s model homes adjoining the West
Reading Cooperative Associations
store. The houses are 10 X 45 feet,
with three rooms and kitchen down
stairs and 3 rooms and bath on the
second floor. They have front and
rear porches, large back yards (the
lots are 1903 feet deep, and an 8-ft.
space between houses. These model
homes cost only slightly more than
$500, effecting saving of nearly
so per cent under the usual specuIa-
tive price for such houses. Needless
to say, they were all sold before the
cellar excavations were completed.
By the organization of the Home
builders Cooperative Association, the
Reading Building Trades Council not
only insures steady employment under
ideal working conditions to the mem
bers of the Building Trades of that CT
ty, but it also enables the workers to
get decent homes at cost. The neces-
sary money was raised by selling
shares at $40 each, payable in ST.
monthly installments if desired. Five
per cent interest is paid to investors,
and this cost of hiring the necessary
capital is the only addition to the ac-
tual cost of land. labor, and mater
ials used in building these homes.
Organized labor of St. Paul, Mime
sofa, has also formed a cooperative
construction company, with an auxil-
larry building and loan association, anc
is already on the job building home;
for workers. Several of the strongest
labor organizations of that city have
taken their money out Of the banks
and invested it with safety and prof
in this cooperative enterprise.
We believe that these are but tn,
pioneer steps In a cooperative build
ing campaign to remedy the shameful
! shortage of houses which the Lane
Spectators and building profiteer
Ihave created in every large city of tn,
country. Cooperative home buildin,
renders two-fold service: it makes
normal, wholesome home life possibl
for thousands of families now congest
ed in one Or two rooms, for which tn
exorbitant rental is often extorted an,
it provides steady and satisfactory EN-
ployment to the workers in the build
ing trades under their own manage
ment and control. Cooperative horo
building is not new or rash expe-
ment. The British Building Trade
workers have successfully solved tn
BODYBUILDING problem for severe
large municipalities, contracting t
build as many as 5000 homes at on
time. Private speculative homebuilc
ing has so signally failed in these eli
les that the municipality agrees to pre-
vide the money and the land, and tax
full charge of construction. In ado
ition. various local cooperative home
building associations are erectin
houses throughout England Many {
these houses are furnished completed
with cooperative products. includin
furniture, paint. and hardware turne
out by the big cooperative factori'
of the British Cooperative Wholesa
Society Italian co-operators repo
similar achievements, and in Switze
land. whole village is being built c,
operatively.