The Washington times., 1926-09-04
Co Operative Plan
Started in 1920

OF living in accordance with the
standards of today.
Naturally, New York with its
millions was the first place in the
United State to turn to the 60
operative method Of providing home,
ownership at mi mum cost: In
more than so years since It was
adopted there It has flourished until
now, every variety of cooperative
family flat on the East Side to the
luxurious homes Of wealth on Fifth
Avenue, Is available at prices
hundreds OF thousands Of dollars
each.
Spread to All Big Cities
More than S75.O0O,OOO has been
invested In the Park Avenue district
of New York City IN cooperative
apartments. More than 1900 fami.
lies live In cooperative apartment
buildings sold in one community in
Queens Borough, New York. Tn
Chicago there are more than 100
apartment buildings operating ufl-
der this plan, including many Of
the finest buildings In the city.
The movement also has become an
important factor IN Philadelphia,
BROOKLYN, Los Angeles, Seattle here
Tin washington and number of
other large cities.
In some Of the cities mentioned
the need for placing ownership Of
comfortable homes within the pur-
chasing power OF the average IN.
come would seem greater than It
I is IN washington. We have. no
lsluTns. no c0ngested sections which
properly could be compared with
RE taeming tenement districts Of
tOtller large cities In contrast also,
though. neither have we any .arge
element Of our population that Is
Injured to such living conditions or
resigned TO submerged status,
Az q matter Of fact q very con-
siderable percentage Of Washing
toms people Is composed Of what
may be termed hoine-oWning stock,
Want to Own Homes
Many of them; IL not most Of
them, have come from smaller cities
OF towns where the cost .of home
ownership II lower and within the
average local means. They have.
owned their own homes: they want
rs own their own homes. They are
not fitted BY heritage or tempera-
ment to find physical or mental
comfort In rented dwellings, yet
their. incomes will not permit the
purchase or upleep Of suitable IN.
dlvidual homes at lsietropp Titan
prices.
these people present no problem,
to be solved by philanthropy. The
thought Of charity as the rAci-
pients thereof Is repugnant to their
rugged Americanism. They want
to own their own homes and to
own homes that give them the
comforts and conveniences their
rearing and social status demand,
but they also want TO acquire that
ownership by their own independent
There can be- no disputing thar
the average wage of Federal en-
pIoyes Is inadequate Tor the main
tenance OF the average FEDERAL
worker according to the standards
he demands and to which he y
entitled. The majority have had TO
resign themselves to the lrksone
impost Of heavy rental payments
and the general Insecurity and dis
satisfaction Of existence ais rental
tenant.
Started Here Seven Years Ago
Aside from an equitable increase
in Government salaries, which still
seems impossible to obtain, there
was offered no solution to this
problem until co-operafively-owned
and operated apartments were in.
troduced into Washington a little
more than seven years ago. The
late Allan E. Walker, with whom
/ was then associated, was the
sponsor Of the cooperative apart
ment plan in this city. At the
outset, as with all innovations, 1t
met with considerable opposition
and prejudice, until its merits be-
came manifest through the success
of the original projects, but today