The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-09
Chicago Report Shows
No Homes Being Built
for the Working Class
BY J. LOUIS ENoDAHL.

EVERY American city has its housing problem The poit
clans play with this issue deudng the masses into beey
the whole horde of profit Vuures from the smallest con-
tractor to the biggest bank schemes to increase their toll OF
loot 1t is generally admitted however, by all those who
stick to the facts that housing conditions getting WORSE
not better
Chicago is planning special Housing Conference for
April 10th to confess that the nations second largest city
not providing decent places to live for the masses of its
Wage-earning population.
New York has admitted that tumbedown tenements,
condemned unnhabtabIe than half century ago.
still dong business the old stand at fabulous rentals
Chicago as if refusing to be outdone in survey OF it's de-
partment of public welfare, proclaims the following:
Between 1914
building operations have been carried in Chicago such scale
that the postwar housing shortage THE SUPPLY
OF AVAILABLE HOMES FOR THE SMALL WAGE GARNER HAS
NOT BEEN AFFECTED"
The survey claims that the Negro and foregn-born
workers the sufferers. On Forquer Street. eight
Mexicans were found living in On another street
is Mexicans lived in six More than 10 per of
apartments visited bringing the industrial and commercial
districts, without windows the outside air. 1t is
revealed in this survey that large closets and acoves
stair landings had been converted into places odg
ing for undepad workers unable afford anything better
The present session of the New York state legislature
has been given in large part this problem As usual
however, nothing being done except to hold committee
hearings issue voumnous reports and plans and to
mend palliative legislation that gets nowhere Efforts to
leve the situation without curing have been exposed
futile The great insurance companies, with billions of
ing apartments for the salared middle class that able
pay never touching the wageearnng The
true of housing scheme proposed by the labor bankers
The Chicago survey quotes the recommendation of the
1920 report of the housing committee of the
commission of the state of New York. offering remedy
the community ownership and control of large of
land urged that the city could let the land long
leases to tenants who would agree build thereon But
the American Federatonst, the official organ of
American Federation of Labor, in its ISSUE
article the bagmaking industry in New York City, admits
that labor paid the pttance of $12 per week. Small
chance there to set aside than enough buy toy
house in five and ten store" The revelations
cdental to the Passac mill strike have shown in gIarng
fashion the crowded. nsantary and
dangerous structures in which workers housed in the
smaller industrial centers.
Profiteering produces these housing conditions. The
housing problem cannot be solved without abolition
profits which means the Wpng out of its parentcapas.
This realization must be the stable basis on which the
workers must fight class against the tumbling
their heads Militant class action economically and
politically the part of the workers against the housing
proteers must be waged enegecaIy. But only
complete crushing of the profit monster will pave way
for social order that will attempt provide workers with
homes, one of the most elementary needs.