Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-18
Humanity In
Government
THE HOUSING PROBLEM
By JAMES j. DAVIS
Secretary of Labor

created uu1lnS lHb wa ~
| purpose of providing housing ac-
Communications for those engaged Ill
war industries, the United states
| Housing Corporation has furnished
a permanent contribution In the helu
OF industrial housing which IS OF
iEestimable value. Proof or TINS
statement may be found in a survey
Of the twenty-eight model commu!ll-
ties which have been built under It's
direction in several states
out the country n which are piac-
teal demonstrations OF the fact tnat
in the construction OF homes .or
wage-earner it is possible to CON
siGer the aesthetic as well as ne
unitarian viewpoint. 80.
Upon the termination of hostlll-
,ies the construction work of the
corporation ceased. Its activities at
The present time may be summarized
as follows:
RENTALS and sales.
2.-Collection5 from rentals and
sales.
3-Liquidation or transportation
ana public utility loans.
Auditing of original con-
struetion accounts.
5.-Operation of the Norfolk
COlllN ItlllNo'
G.-Operation of the government
hotels.
The properties of the corporation
comprise some 5000 houses as well
as several hotels and dormitories.
They are scattered throughout sew
enteen different states of the Union.
Throughout the war these properties
were rented to employees engaged
in Industries essential to the nation
al defense. With the cessation OF
armed strife the necessity of gov
eminent Intervention in this field or
business ended and the duty of re-
covering the largest possible proper
ton of the governments vast
penditures on this account devolved
upon the corporation. Instead OF
authorizing the immediate sale OF
its properties to SPECTATORS. with
the opportunity for exploitation. OF
the ultimate purchasers which Such
a curse would have involved, the
corporation formulated a policy
which was not without a touch of
altruism and which was calculated
to increase home ownership
throughout the nation. 1t contem-
plated tina an effort should be made
to dispose of these properties to in
dividual owners for their own oc-
DelOre tHey were ollelcu al
bulk to spectators.
A considerable proportion OF the
corporations work today Is fairly
comparable with hat of a huge real
estate and title company combined.
1t requires a knowledge OF, II the
application of the local laws govern
ing conveyance in each OF the Vdrl-
Gus jurisdictions in which these
properties are located and the draw
ing of the necessary deeds, mort
cages, notes, and Other instruments
incident thereto.
AS a corollary to creating addi-
tional housing accommodations the
corporation was also charged with
the duty OF improving t~ranspoc:a-
ton and other public utilities to
meet the needs of the populous CEN
ters affected by the a Advances
on this account amounted to ap-
proximately $4,000, 600. These ad-
vances are secured by liens on the
properties involved or by collateral
security bearing interest at tho rate
OF 5 per cent. Periodical colIec-
tons on these loans are being me-
and arrangements are now Under
way for the liquidation of severa. of
them in accordance with the terms
Of the respective contracts.
Another important function or
the corporation is the operation of
the Norfolk County Ferries. Nor
folk and Portsmouth, Virginia, le-
tween which cities this utility fur
nishes the principal means OF trans
portation, were the scena of great
war activities. Neither the city of
Portsmouth nor the county of Ncr-
folk, which Jointly own this utiil:y,
was financially able 20 undertake the
improvements necessitated by this
increased traffic. On behalf Of the
federal government, therefore, The
housing corporation assumed super
vision over these properties and
spent over 100000 in their reha-
bilitation. 1t is consequently in
the liquidation of it's loan. During
the past fiscal year the increase in
earnings over all preceding years
which the corporation has been EN-
abled to show, as a result of eco
nomical and efficient management,
has called forth the highest Com
mendation.
The government hotel is, perhaps,
the largest American plan hotel in
the world. Erected to provide &C
commodations for employees of the
federal government drawn to Wash
ington during the war, the hotel is
still filling an urgent need in the ma
tons capital. For the nominal sum
of $45.50 per month, it's patrons are
furnished accommodations which
far surpass those obtainable else
| where at a similar rate. A standard
of service is maintained which is
designated to promote the physical