Evening star., 1921-04-11
Editorial Digest
The Homes of the Free"


The Senate committee on recon-
struction can evidently depend on the
friendly support of large part of the
press in its effort to meet housing
needs. The findings OF the committed e
are accepted as throwing additional
light on problem that is acute in
practically every community. and its
recommendations are welcomed by
most writer's at least las useful
starting point"
Some papers agree with the st. Louis
Post Dispatch independently that the
showing up of evils is a futile pastime
if it be not followed by recommends =
tons of practical remedy and in this
specific case there is "a lack OF any
satisfactory solution of the drastic
housing shortage But while objec-
tionS are made to some of its pro-
posals. the general feeling is that the
committee. in the words of the st.
Louis be-DemoCrat trcpuhlican).
has done a great service in laying
the facts before the public" irrespec-
tive of whether the measures proposed
prove effective.
The conclusion at which the Balti-
more American trepublicam arrives
after reading the report is that the
journey back to the normal in house
construction will be Il long and hard
one, and even the proposals of the
committee are suggestions which
pursue the slow and painful course OF
normalcy. Recognizing also this ab-
Sencc of Immediate panacea, the RoS-
ton Transcript tndepcndcnt repuh-
lican) draws the moral that cit is ap-
parent that no time should be lost in
finding ways of raising the needed
80 n "a no
The necessity for cooperation of
all forces in solving what the Cleve-
land Plain Dealer Gndependent demo
Cratic) says lis recognized as a ma
tional problem" is emphasized by the
Atlanta journal (democratic) because:
NO city can truly thrive and fulfill
its riehtful purpose. no city can meas
IRE up to standards of sanitation and
material prosperity. much less of de-
mocracy and social justice, while part
quarters which are unhygienic. or are
driven from pillar to post because
there are not enough houses to go
around"
SO far as concerns the suggestions
of the committee. the Newark News
independently virtually expresses the
press estimate of the proposed rene
dies when it says they are like the
disposition of the little girl in child
hoods remembered rhyme: When
tfeE are SOOu tneE are very. very
good. and when they are bad they are
horrid. Th" News cannot indOrse'
the proposal in the committee pro-
gram TO amend the federal reserve
act SO that savings and time deposits
may be used for longtime loans be-
cause it is bad: while to the Omaha
News Independently this feature of
tn. plan seems sensible and prac-
teal"
So. also. with the proposal to give
certain tax exemptions to money in
vested in building. which the New
condemns, because TO add to the al
ready long list Of tax-exempt securi-
ties would be mischievous" if not dan
gerous" and further. this measure
offers less stimulus to housing than
Is often supposed" On the other hand,
the canton News (democratic) ap-
proves this scheme as means of "di-
Verting to real estate investment
much money that has been attracted
by tax-free industrial securities"
Objection to the whole scheme pro-
posed by the senators is voiced in
some southern papers, because of
What the Louisville Post Gndepend
enD calls Its paternalistic feature.
The Chattanooga Times Gndependent
democratic) agrees that the PROPOSE
ton goes very far toward govern
ment interference in individual affairs
and leans in the direction of big
father but at the same time it sym
pathizes with the position of the
Knoxville Sentinel independent
democratic) that however much ave
may coincide with the view that
governments business is to govern
and suffer private and individual en-
terprise to carry on business for the
people. We cannot view without SYM
pathy and approval the awakening
interest the federal government is
in the progressing home
lessuess" of the American people.