The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-03
FINN WORKERS
Give LEAD IN
COOPERATION
Bing, Builder, Boosts
Municipal Housing
By LELAND oLDs
Federated Press Industrial Editor)

Nr ederated Fress industrial Editor)
Abolition of the slums thru private
initiative is hopeless, said Alexander
NJ. Bing, one of the largest real es-
tate operators and builders in New
York, at the opening of the cooper
alive housing exhibit held under the
auspices Of the United Neighborhood
Houses, Inc. Bing favored state aid
in housing and stated that it was
possible for the state or municipality
to embark on a program Of slum
clearance without losing money.
State aid in financing the cooper
alive housing efforts of groups of
wage earners appeared to be the most
practical method to those attending
the exhibit which contains models
and posters illustrating cooperative
housing ventures already undertaken
by wage earners in New York City.
The cooperative housing proper
ties of a colony of Firms in Bay
Ridge, Brooklyn, afford the most in
teresting example of such ventures
by New York wage earners. A group
of Finnish workers, chiefly carpen-
tiers and bricklayers, started their CO.
operative idea in 1916. Today they
own comparatively ten apartment
houses sheltering 450 families or
about $3.50 persons. The tenants
incomes vary between S40-$50 a
week and their rents between $50
$50 a month. For this they get
apartments which compare favor
ably with those renting for three
times as much in New York Apart
ments are thoroly up to date with
electric light, steam heat and hot
water. Bathrooms include tub and
shower.
Workers purchased their apart
ments in these cooperative houses for
about 500 a room. In the newest
building this price has been some
what increased as result Of the high
cost of building. If. however,
worker is without the necessary cash
he receives loan to the extent nee
essary.
The cooperative housing idea in
this instance has branched out to in
clude cooperative meat market, a
cooperative bakery and a club. The
club has large auditorium for lee
lures, dramatics, musicals, dances,
ETC., pool room, a coffee room and
other clubrooms and serves as a gen
eral center for the community.
Other outstanding examples of CO.
operative housing undertaken by
New York wage earners include the
five comparatively conducted tene-
ments begun under the auspices of
Or. H. M. Tyndall of the Peoples
Tabernacle, the Beekman Hill Homes
on East 50th ST., and the Worknen's
Cooperative House at 1876 Licking
ton ave.
These experiments show what can
be accomplished when people get to-
gether. and throw over their depend
ence up proft-seeking private mi
tiatlve. But even in this matter of
housing the possibilities of coopera-
tive effort cannot be fully realized
because the cooperators must 90 to
prohteerlng private interests for the
land on which their houses rest. for
building materials and for the credit
required during the building period.
Only when private interests have
been ousted from their control of
land and other natural resources will
it be possible for workers to ACQUIRE
good homes with a reasonable ex-
penditure of labor. This cooperative
housing exhibit simply points the
way.