The Washington herald., 1921-11-06
suegests Employment Plan.

008kC6S8 61U RkVy AAASAAs Ao4ss
To the Editor. Ths washinstoa Herald;
The conference on Unemployment
has come and gone. A week or 20
before its convening wrote to the
chairman. outlining a plan for un-
employed relief, both temporary and
permanent, and while / was assured
by Mr.. Hoover that my suggestions
would receive the attention of the
proper committee. nothing came Of
Il, 80 ! am constrained to appeal
to the Open Court for q hearing.
To abbreviats what ! wrote to the
conference II Is estimated that
there 10 need Of 100000 additional
homes In the United States. and
some 100000 Idle men. These two
facts taken together suggest the
remedy for both. Uso the unem-
ployed to build homes for the
homeless
It Is generally supposed that
Washington can always be relied
on as the dog on which to try any
new thing 30 I will use IL as an
illustration. There Is q shortgae Of
1000 dwelling houses In Washing
ton within . few months. unless
the law 10 changed extending the
time limit many alley houses will
have to be vacated. rendering many
homeless, estimated 1t $500.
What 10 the remedy?
Let the District Of Columbia issue
$4,000. 900, more or less as needed.
In bonds running twelve or fifteen
years. purchase lots In various parts
of the city Or suburbs, build small
but substantial dwellings of four
to six rooms, and sell them to bona
ffde homeseekers at actual cost,
which should be from $4,000 to
$4,000. on monthly payments, the
amount of these payments being ar
rived at by dividing the principal
into $50 or $50 parts and adding
thereto the interest on the unpaid
principal for one month at 6 per
cent. so that the whole debt would
be paid In twelve and . half or fif-
teen years, according to the plan
adopted.
This 10 practically the present
building and loan plan, with the
difference that the capital IL pro-
vided In advance instead OF wait
ing for It's accumulation The Dis
trict would retain title to the prop
erty until fully paid for. and all
improvements (but not the land)
should be exempt from taxation for
. period Of fvs years.
This plan would not take any
money out of the Treasury nor re-
duce the gevenue OF the District to
be derived from taxation. nor cost
the taxpayers I cent. but on the
contrary at the expiration of five
years when improvements become
taxable, revenue would be Increased
by assessing the value Of these i'm
rrovements.
II these bonds bore per cent
interest and were exempt from tax
alton. they would readily sell at par,
and no trouble would be expert
enced In raising the necessary funds
to carry out the plan. The interest
collected from purchasers would
pay the interest on the bonds with
. surplus to cover expenses of ad-
ministration. while the payments on
the principal would be set aside as
sinking fund to retire the bonds
at maturity.
Starting with say 800 houses and
keeping that number under con-
struction at all times until the de-
mand was met would furnish con-
unuous employment to 1000 work
men and mechanics. not counting
those engaged in furnishing ma
terials. transporting same, etc. This
plan. put into effect In 100 cities
throughout the country. would give
employment to 100000 workmen and
mechanics In construction work
alone. and would start up saw mills,
sash and door factories, cement
works. brick kilns. transportation
companies and other enterprises
necessary to supply materials, stim-
ulating business in all lines.
JOHN p. HEAP.