Evening star., 1925-04-30
Reduce High Cost of Building.

under discussion in the District, The
the obvious practical remedy for the
evil of congested and inadequate
housing was to build and to ) en-
courage the building of houses, ant
houses, and more houses; very cheaT
houses for the alley dwellers already
in theory though not in fact evicted
by existing law: better, more expen
sive, but still. cheap, sanitary houses
for Government employees whose
salary increases during the war have
not been in proportion to increase OF
the cost of building and of housing
and of the general cost of living.
The ending of rent regulation by
law on May % will remove the check
upon building houses for rent, which
the rentals commission law naturally
and inevitably has imposed. But this
impetus to building must be
supplemented by others, in order espe
cially to secure an adequate supply OF
cheap, sanitary houses for rent or
sale.
These conditions impose a definite
obligation upon all employers, includ
employer in the National Capital
with more than $4,000 employees.
Private citizens, in their capacity
as members of the realty board, are
endeavoring to carry out faithfully
their pledge to cooperate to hold in
check demands of excessive rentals
by landlords, after the compulsion of
the rentals legislation ceases on
May %.
Further contribution to the public
welfare is to be made through such
organizations as the Sanitary Hous-
ing Company, multiplied and en-
larged in scope, and through public.
spirited builders of Washington, who
are ready to make individual sacri.
fees; if invited, to help TO supply the
multitude of cheap but sanitary
houses which the situation demands
There is also the obligation upon the
bankers and loaning companies of the
city to promote house-building by
cheapening the cost of building loans.
Whatever policy tends to develop
Washington as distinctively city of
home owners is wholesome and help
ful.
The same considerations of public
welfare which apply to other Wash.
ington employers apply also to Uncle
Sam, the great local employer.
Is Uncle Sam, as an employer, do.
ing all he should to enable his en-
ployes TO meet the increased cost of
living? Is he paying his lowest-paiti
employees, who suffer the most, an in.
crease Of compensation even approx
mating the increase in the cost of
living or the increase in compensa.
tion of employees paid by all other
District employers?
Has Uncle Sam taken the same
pains to provide cheap, sanitary hous.
ing for his employees in part at his
own expense that many great private
employers have taken? Where are his
model villages? Why should he not
extend largely the principle and pol.
ley which authorized and justified the
building of Government hotels for EN-.
ployes? Secretary Hoover suggests
that Uncle Sam will release large
buildings for tenement use when un
der the $50 900, 900 bill he has substi
tuted for rented quarters new depart
ment buildings of his own.
Why should not Uncle Sam follow
the example of other employers, in
cluding The Star. in helping his EN-
ployes to obtain homes of their own
AC financing them in the purchase OF
m house, so that they may get a long
MTm, low-interest first trust and a
second trust, if needed. at reasonable
interest and without commission?
The last question is answered by
the announced project of attacking
the high cost of financing building
operations i'm Washington, which rep
resents the thought of Secretary
Hoover and ex-senator Ball and which
has received the approval of the Presi
dent. Upon this plan the administra
ton will center its first efforts to aiG
in reducing rents and the cost of iv
ing in Washington for the benefit OF
Government employees.
Local and New York or other out
side capital is to be interested in the
formation of a corporation, acting
partly, it is said, as bank and partly
as building and loan corporation
which will make loans at reasonable
rates of interest to the builders OF
residences and apartment houses
Probably the effort will be made tC
increase the percentage-of-value fig
ure of amount loaned and to lengther
the term of first trust loans and tC
out down the interest rate and com
mission charges on second and sub
sequent trusts.
Whatever can be accomplished in
this direction will be distinctly i'm the
community interest, and the hope viii
prevail that the plan of ex-senator
Ball, working in cooperation will
Secretary Hoover and with the Presi
dents approval, will be notably sue
cessful.