New-York tribune., 1922-04-23
Ownership
Helps to Make
Good Citizens
English Colonial Design IXat Has Won (our>Vide Pne
,oendihrifts Fewer Among
> Real Estate Owners. Says
c. B. Elmer: Most Nalu-
able Government Adjunct
Bv Carl B. Elmer

Ir'etGry of long IstdRd hcdt I
4 Estate Board
w .1perience in the real estate pro
.s,ion :or period extending over
,,nber Of years has proven, to my
lsasfacton. that the average individual |
comparatively ignorant of the funda-
\ ..otal principles that affect real estate |
zines and Of the fundamental princi-
les which are involved in the pur- !
..sse Of land and the erecting OF
yelling house. However, am CON
Ir'ced that the same individual, at
,ome time or other in his life, hopes 10
become the owner Of that enchanted
,,ot which we all ike 10 think Of as
It almost goes without saying that
home ownership is by far the most
sluable adjunct TO government and
rat the former IS a tremendous power
II stabihzjnP the latter. The nomad
constantly desires change, because
wherever he pitches his tent he con
,ders himself 10 be at home. On the
other hand. the responsible property
ovner abhors nothing SO much rs
eisnge because his hearth is not one
vaich can be moved and which would
h the last thing he would wish 10 see
Affected. The classic illustration, which
has been used before this by many
writer's, is that of AleXander's conquest
o. Persia; ;his country was n constant
source OF civil war and rebellion until
sctrg upon the advice of one Of the
Philosophers attached TO his court,
alexander saw to it that the Persians
became . nation Of shopkeepers, which
in turn caused them to set up perma-
rsnt dwellings, and ultimately to be
cone the most peaceful and law
sb!ding citizens. The sponsible
cowboy was inclined in the old days to
ihoot-up frontier towns, since if tie
leighborhood became too hot for him he
could simply pull up stakes and "drift'
70 some other part Of the country; no
body 20 MY knowledge in those days
ever heard of substantial ranchman
being guilty of that sort Of conduct.
Our New York bandits, you may be
.gre, are not men of substance. Having
nothing to lose, they are driven to the
5tter heights OF recklessness. Had they
he possession Of tangible property
hey would be among the first to insist
apon law and order.
Realty Ownership Helps Thrift
We fnd fewer spendthrifts among
the owners of real estate. They know
that the mere filing OF Judgment In
the County Clerks Office become.
len on their real property-not as i
they could conceal their assets Ia some
cut-of-town bank and when they found
heir debts accommodating silently steal
away Hence, 1t is to the real estate
owners that the storekeeper looks for
as best customers, and since, after all.
me entire fiscal powers OF the govern
ment arc nourished by trade, it can
readily be seen that home ownership
'ncourages trade and stabilizes credits.
One Of the chief ways in which home
tWnerSh'p can be stimulated is
trough tho education of the general
nblc. OF late years it has become
Eparent 10 the leaders in the real es-
ute profession that many people have
Nt purchased their homes, not through
liability or unwillingness, but simply
Acause OF their lack OF knowledge.
iiey dread the fear that they might
lid themselves engaged IN a venture
I"out which they know nothing, and
thsequently did not appeal to their
knservatlsm. The one best method of
ltucating the public Is by visualizing
k'SSSpHco AbNUiNoQ ia t0S hCQulSl-
fon Of home and home site. This is
Fest done by having representative men
/ tho industries allied to homo con-
l',ruction brought together at an ex-
Position to show people ae first hand
lVhat hss been done and what NAV be
accomplished in the future and to give
hem authoritative information and
definite costs.
The "Own Your Home" exposition
las been uniformly successful. because,
believe, that in everybody's conscious
1es', there glows tiny spark of the
fes!re 70 own portion Of mother earth
and to erect upon that the family altar
ot the hearth and fireside. This seems
10 be horne out by the fact that these
eSposlNons are not in the ordinary
sense amusing or entertaining. In one
sense, they are like school or univer-
S'y, where PEOPLE attend in order to
earn something and not to be amused.
me lrdlv dual that comes to the expo
sAon IN tho hope Of seeing something
ssin TO a vaudeville show or circus
Will be bitterly disappointed, but to him
Tho comes with a desire to improve
Mmseif ] would go so far as to say
mat HIS ttue could not be better spent.