The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-06-23

structon industry, was org lnized IN Washington
early this week. This that the builders, the
dealers in land the dealers in raw material and all
others concerned in erecting houses viii set to work
on the problem together. Ii is impossible for the
individual to bring about any noticeable relief
Prospective home buyers sometimes are inclined
to blame local business for the high prices.
These men are more to blame than the private in
the rear rank of German regiment to blame
for the devastation of Northern France. They are
caught in the cogs of vicious system. They
would be the first to welcome any opportunity to
furnish individual houses for the public at lower
prices.
But with all elements of the trade joining hands
to improve the situation there is to expect
noticeable changes
Only men actually engaged in the business can
appreciate the nnunerabe items which enter into
the cost of the finished dwelling house. For any
individual to try to bring about reform would be
as foolish as the old lady in the nursery rhyme
who tried to hold back the tide with her kitchen
broom. All must get together and build dixie IT
the of construction cost is not to flood Amer
lean civilization.
Here are just few of the items which the ex-
perts have set themselves to consider: Shortage OF
building trades mechanics, revision of existing
freight rates on construction material. uniform
building codes, simpl6caton. Standardization, elimi-
nation of waste, financing of operations, and gen.
eral education of the public. hundred or more
nher considerations enter into the problem they
must solve.
The future will probably bring about more and
more Standardization in the home building industry
of the United States Standardization in everything
is the inevitable trend of American civilization 1t
is essential in order to maintain the delicate bal
ance between costs and income From the artists
standpoint, of course. this is wrong. Sentimental
| lovers of abstract beauty are inclined to place
human comfort behind picturesqueness. They find
more to admire in the tumbledown shack Of an
Irish peasant than in the uniformity of houses IN
a row on Washington street, with electric lights,
running water and steam heat But not liv-
| ing in an artistic This is age when the
welfare of the individual is paramount.
An artist friend has just spoken in rebuttal Of
this argument. He says, and he considers no other
| words necessary to support his cause-"Go to Bal
timore."
He means, of course, to look at the monot-
/. ouous rows of unshaded brick houses with their
white steps so characteristic of the neghbor city
He asks if this sort of thing is what advocate
for the future of America Not exactly. We pre-
sumo the American Construction Council will be
models--and a century from these will be con-
sidered as beautiful specimens of home architecture
as can be found in the world.
But even those monotonous in Baltimore,
which will admit is the ugliest city in the world
with the exception of New York and Liverpool,
England are far better than the smoky huts OF the
| Irish peasant. One keep cleaner and warmer
in them during the winter-and live longer.