Norwich bulletin., 1922-10-04
Humanity in Government
By James J Davis. Secretary of Labor
The Housing Problem

by James J. DAVIS. Secretary or Labor
 The Housing Problem
 Created during the war for the pur- pose of providing housing accommoda- tiens for those engaged in war industries, the United States housing corporation has furnished a permanent contribution in the field of industrial nousing W:hcn is of inestimable value. Proof Of this statement may be found in a survey of the twenty-eight model communities which have been built under it's direc- tion in several states throughput the country and which are practical dem onstrations of the fact that in the con struction of homes for wage earners it is possible to consider the aesthetic as well as the ucilitarian viewpoint.
 Upon the termination of hostilities the construction work of the cooperation ceased. Its activities at the present time
 may be summarized as follows:
 1-Rentals and sales.
 2-Collections from rentals and sales
 S-Liquidation of transportation and public utility loans.
 4.-Auditing of original construction accounts
 5-operation of the Norfolk county ferries.
 6-operation of the government hotels. The properties of c;1e corporation com promise some 5000 housas as we'll as several hotels and dormit3ries They are scattered throughout seventeen diff ferent states of the Union. Throughout l the war these properties were rented 10 | empleyes engaged in industries essential to the national defense. With the ces- i sation of armed strife the necessity or government intervention in this field Of business ended and the duty of recover ing the largest possible proportion of the | governments vast expenditures 6n this i account devolved upon the corporation. ! Instead of authorizing the immediate l sale of it's properties to speculators, with l the opportunity for exploitation Of the i ultimate purchasers which such d course
 would have involved. the corporation | formulated policy which was not with out touch of altruism and which was l calculated to increase home ownership throughout the nation. It contemplated
 that an effort should be made to dispose
 of these properties to individual owners for their own occupancy before they were 1 offered in bulk to speculators
 A considerable proportion of the eorp- oration's work today is fairly comparable | with that of huge real estate and title company combined. It requires knowl- edge of, and the application of the local
 laws governing conveyaneing in each of the various Jurisdictions in which these properties are located, and the drawing of the necessary deeds, mortgages, notes and other instruments, incident thereto As a corollary to creating additional housing accommodations the corporation was also charged with the duty of i'm l proving existent transportation and ether
 public utilities to meet the needs Of pop. uleus centres affected by the war. Ad- 1 vanees on this account amounted to an. preximately $6Oo0,0 ,0oe. These advances are secured by liens on~the properties ln- voIved or by collateral security bearins interest at the rate of per cent Perl odical collections of interest on these loans are being made and arrangement are now underway for the liquidation oi several of them in accordance wi-h the terms of the respective contracts.