Evening star., 1927-12-24
HOME OWNERSHIP DECLARED
FOUNDATION OF CIVILIZATION
Only 50 Per Cent of Families Have Deeds
% Own Dwellings in Capital,
A. N. Miller Says.

CphnldirC home ownership as the
foundation 81 ne of Amefican Civiliza
ilrn and pointing ~ the manifold
benefits to I've derived from the
ownership If Il home. A. ~ Miller,
member of the WASHINGTON Real
Estate Roard, in addressing The Y. Nj.
{. \. class in real estate this week.
declared that 65 per cent of the
families in the United States should
own the houses they live IN rather
Than only 10 per cent. aS shown hN
the latest census taken lN the HoN-
errment in 1870.
IN aShincton the census fcurrS
show that only approximately 80 per
cen; of the families OWN their own
homes, this being far below normal
for city of this size. the speaker
said. There is. thercfo-~. he con
Guided. ample opportunity here. a>
Wen as in many other sections of th"
country, for increasing the proportion
of home owners as compared with the
total population.
There is nothing that will make
possible better citizenship than L"
have the ma jority Of the citizens of
the Nation 10 own a parcel Of the land
that comprises this country" Mir.
Miller said. Nothing hetter could b.
done ;o develop patriotism and good
morals. We would rid the country nf
ho3sheVislN and the spirit of anarCh'
ism and all agencies that tend II.
w3rd governmental destruction, for
no persons would try ~ destroy the
thing ef which he is part owner.''
Figures for Other Cities.
While estimating that only about
30 per cent of the dwellings, in the
vic 1f f~oyY. -
families that occupy them. MIR. Miller
said the census figures show that in
Baltimore - per cent Of tho families
own their homes: in Minneapolis II
per cent. Sn Philadelphia 50 per cent.
N Buffalo 10 per cent, in Milwaukee
= per cent and il >s<ansas City So
Presenting the figures on home
ownership in the course of a lecture
IN building operations. Mr. Miller
pointed out the fact that the increase
in the population of this city and Of
The country generally created a de-
rnand for rev homes at a rapid ra;e.
The population Of the United States.
he said. increased from 76 600 600 in
1920 10 III 600 geo in 1927. The pop
ulation of Washington increased from
Us 600 in 1900 10 about $50 800 i'm
1877. nearly doubiin. the local popu-
lation
There is grea; tendency today
for people IN move from the country
into the cities ard from the center of
the cities into the nearby suburbs"
H. continued. This had been brought
about by the development OF ma
cl1inerv for farm work and hy the au-
tos7ofile. Machinery used on the farm
has made the demand for farm l3l or
Jess ard has attracted il IN the city.
where wages are high. The automo-
hile has made transportation easier
and quicker. which has attracted
people frc11 the ccuceeted parts Of
tfs cifv into The suburbs.
There are certain qualifications
that res'tor should possess before
starting building program. These
are as follows: 4 proper finansia ial
etructu IRE an architectural depart.
1rent. an est stinsaring department. n
purchasing Department. "a construc-
tion department. an accounting de-
yaTtnen;. sales department and
statistical department.
Large Capital Required.
Building ~ homes on large scale
requires large capital and no cne
should start a building program unless
be is sure that ne can carry IL
through. In the FIRST place. he must
purchase the ground. finance the
building and be IN a position 10 carry
& until j; is sold. Then he must he
in a position tn finance the purchaser.
for the rna jori;y Of homes are bought
On the easy pa%meA plan.
"IneTiclert flna ncing iE the biggest
v-as ste in the building business and has
"a.