The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-23
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HASKIN, Director,
Washington, d. C.
OWN YOUR OWN HOME.

there a man with soul so dead who
never to himself hath said: Gown
Your Own Homei'? If so, let him at
tend the Own Y our Own Home expo
sition when it appears in his town and
forthwith be converted.
This exposition has already been
held in Chicago and New York, where
it turned thousands of settled cliff
jewellers into determined home own
ers, and is low on its way to various
other cities.
1t consists of a whole miniature
suburb, reproduced in elaborate detail,
including many different types of at
tractive homes. set off by tiny gardens
and dignified by that boon of the land
Scape gardener-the tall and stately
cedar. Nothing is lacking in the way
of homely realism, from the latest
thing in laundry tubs to the best type
of rambler rose for the front~veranda.
All that goes into the making of the
modern American home-as well as
much that doeSn It's there before the
dazzled gaze of the homeseeker, to. say
nothing of the homes themselves These
are severe, little stucco houses; quaint,
little frame dwellings, large preten-
tious brick houses wide selection
to choose from.
All are reproductions of prize win
ming designs from a recent national
small-house contest, which was held
under the auspices of the American
Institute of Architects, and in which
a thousand architects took part. A
nationally known architectural jury
selected tWenty-nine designs in three
classes Qumber, brick and stucco and
back plastered metal lath) for prizes
totaling $4,000. The awards were
governed principally by the economy
OF space shown in the floor plans, ana
n a
would be reasonable in upkeep and
reduce general operating expenses to
a minimum.
For the exposition is designed to
reach the great mass of small home
builders. 1t strives to show the man
with only a small amount of capital
how he can build comforta BILE, thoro-
ly up-to-date house at a surprisingly
low cost, and thus escape eXorhitant
rent.
Home building is not only desirable
now, it is a necessity, the organizers
of the exposition point out According
to Robert H. Sexton, its managing di-
rector, the national dwelling shortage
at the close of last year was placed at
the appalling figure of 1,250,000. I'm
normal times" he says, the United
States builds between $50 900 and 400
600 family dwellings each year. In
1919 only $4,000 such dwellings were
erected, and in 1920 but $4,000 were
reported. One-fourth of the popula-
ton is either living in rented quarters
or is Improperly housed, The country
is 100000 homes short"
Effects of Housing Shortage.
This situation, the home-building
promoters declare, is a menace to the
nation from two important aspects.
First, it has a deleterious effect upon
the public health. In New York
Hf tn
many instances where families of IL
and Is members were living crowded
together in one and two rooms. The
public health departments of other
cities report a similar state of affairs.
Nor is oyercrowding confined to So
called slum districts; it is also found
to prevail among the middle classes.
The scarcity of homes likewise
breeds discomfort, it is pointed out, and
keeps a large part of the population
restless and, rowing whereas for the
good of the nation it>should be quietly
housed. The homeless citizen, who
drifts from one community to another,
is seen to be a. possible source of social
and political disorder
1.-The government is beginning to
realize that homeless citizens and fam
lilies, rich and poor. are not usually
the best American citizens" says Mr.
Sexton 'It is beginning to realize
that every additional home owner
makes an additional credit possibility
to the nations wealth and an addi-
tional urge for all other forms OF per
manent construction" In other
words, Mr.. Sexton believes the gov
eminent is coming around to the
Chestertonian belief that under the
system of private property. every citi-
zen should be a private property
owner.
Just what the government intends
ofT,cy
a mystery. 1t is known to have ac-
Quired vast reams of information upon
the subject; to have been deep in the
consideration of PUBLIC health reports
on housing conditions and financial
reports concerning mortgages and
loans. as well as reports on rent in
creases in various cities. but the ma
ton still awaits a home run from
congress-. Senators Calder, Edge and
Kenyon have made their important
recommendations, out as yet nothing
has come of them.
City Building Projects.
Meantime various cities have at
tempted relief measures. A few have
themselves gone intO the home build
ing business for the benefit of the
public. While others have placed re-
strictive measures upon profiteering
landlords. New York has made things
as pleasant as possible for the home
building public by exempting its prop
erty from taxes for the next five years.
But, for the most part, the would
be home owner is left to solve his diff
ficulties for himself. He can either
build a house at the present high cost
of building materials, knowing that
eventually that price must come down;
or he can pay anNexorbitant rent for a
house which he never will, and pre- ba-
bly, wouldn't want to, own. In one
case, he buys stock that is certain to
go down: in the other, he pays a large
rate of interest on stock that belongs
to someone else. OF the two alterna-
tives building seems to offer the bet
ter returns.
Take, for instance, house which
costs S6,545, including the price of
the land. If rented, the owner would
demand Is per cent profit on his in
vestment, which would make the
,r,nntInI,r rnnta1 So1 81 LIZ ~