The Wrangell sentinel., 1927-03-31
Better Homes 1927 Campaign
 Next Month
Rapid Growth of Movement Proves Its Importance as
 a Social and Civic Force

There Is every indication that
 che 1927 Better Homes campaign
 will be the most extensive ever
 held This national educational
 movement in which Secretary Hoover is 50 keenIy interested has been growing since is inception in
 1923, al rate which proves its
 importance as social and civic force
 In 1925 there were I667 local 1 committees carrying on campaigns ot education in Che ways of improy- Ing housing conditions and home Hfe- more than twice the number
 Tor the year previous. In 1926 the figure mounted to 2965. Already.
 III March ls27. there are 2910 com mIttees established in cities. towns
 and rural communities through
 out the country. or these over two hundred are representative ot whole counties. It is confidently expected that before Better Homes Week, April 24 to May l. I9z4. there will be more than 5000, and that the Better Homes movement Will reacA millions of home makers and prospective home oWners-esz specially those with small or mod crate incomes.
 In each of four states, Califer=
 nia, New York, Tennessee and Tex as there are already more than one hundred local committees. Three of these are large states.
 with comparatively high popuia-
 lions. The proportion of commit ! tees 10 population is greater iu l Tennessee than in the other states. and this is generally true through out the south where in some states there is one committee for slightly over twenty thousand people But campaigns are being organized in every part of the nation, and home
 makers of small means, no matter where they live. are nowhere far removed from a Better Homes Com mittee, which acts as a clearing house of information on home building. plans. financing. budgets. furni hing. and the improvement of home life in its moral and social aspects.
 The Better Homes movement is not confined 10 the forty-eight states. There are four committees ia the Hawaiian Islands. one Of them representative of the whole
 island of Kauai. There are also or ganizations in Alaska and Porto Rio. In Hawaii and Porto Rico. where there are large native popu- lations, The committees carry on
 most valuable work i'll educating
 the people to modern living condi-
 tions-showing how health and happiness can be conserved by
 houses, furnished and equipped
 with regard for American stand
 ards.
 One of the most interesting pro
 jects being conducted locally is in St Paul. where a house has been built during the winter. This pro feet is important in view of the re eommendations of Mr Hoover. ] Committee on Seasonal Operation in the Construction Industries. which was part of the Presidentss $ Conference on Unemployment of 1921. That committee reported briefly, that custom, not climate, is mainly responsible for seasonal idleness in the construction indus
 tries. and that such idleness results
 in serious loss to producer and dis tributors, ard particularly To em- ] ployees and the public.
 In this St Paul undertaking has been actually shown that house can be built during severe
 winter weather, not at greater, bu'
 at less cost than during the rush 1 season of building. This is q Yala- able object lesson, and has airead! attracted widespread attention.