Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-06
UNDERMINING HOUSES
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Modernizing old houses ran into a
| half -billion-do business during the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1929, and for
the year just ended 1t Is stated that the
! showing will be even larger. This is
quite drop in the industrial bucket
and building interests say 1t will grow
larger rapidly.
There are 1000, 900 residences in the
United States that need undermining,
| according to leaders of a drive that is
being made in various parts of the
country, and II all this work were done
| at cost Of from 81 900 to $4,000 Der
| house it is obvious that the aggregate
expenditure would be important money
In all there are about 10000 600
homes in this country and their aver
| age age is fixed at Is years. Hundreds
OF thousands of them, however. are 90
Is and 80 years old, and many of them
even Older. Most of these lack modern
| conveniences, or have obsolete conven-
! fences, all Of them are unattractive and
all of them are depreciating rapidly in
value, and hence are poor investments
Every city. town and village in the
United States has its quota OF these an
tiquated dwellings-in some communi-
ties fully one-half the houses. It is said
are In this class. More than 1000 OOO
houses that are within central station
| areas are not wired for electricity.
Sixteen million are wired. but in
three-fourths Of them the wiring is OBJ
solete and in half OF them the fixtures
are out of date.
Americans pride themselves on their
familiarity with and use of bathtubs
but 1t is represented that over IL, OOO, OOO
people living In cities of over 10. 600 in
habltantS have no bath rooms at all
ana In 10000 900 homes the bath rooms
are obsolete. Millions Of Kitchens Are
poorly arranged and equipped, making
the work Of housewives and servants
UNNECESSARILY harder or more incon-
venient than it should be.
There's Money in 1t.
On the whole, there Is scarcelv anv
end to the arguments in favor of mod
ernlzlng but perhaps the most innor-
tant one is that there's money in it
money In which the entire Community
shares. Builders, dealers in buildin1
materials and workingmen profit dio
rectly, and necessarily they must mass
along 10 others a measure Of their nros-
perNy. The owner finds himself with
not only more livable home. but with
one that is marketable If he decides to
sen or rentaole If he wishes to make 1t
income producing.
Every piece OF property in the neish-
oorhood of the improved house is In
creased In value and realty values of
the entire community are advanta-
geouSly affected.
These increased values are not i'm
aglnatlve. They are real and tangible
sno Inere are innumerable examples to
INSPIRE the doubtful or hesitant. In a
Middle West city, for instance, there
was an old-fashioned, rambling frame
QWelllnR 1hAt -
the owner decided 1t was hopeless and
moved out. He tried to rent the place,
D Due mao no offers. Finally he sold the
property for $3.500-little more than
half what the lot alone had once been
Wortn-to man who had the mod
Inc purchaser transformed the place
INTO an attractive four-apartment build
ing with four brick garages. Each
apartment Is equipped with the last
word in appointments, even to tinted
bathroom fixtures and electric refrieera
ton. A gas boiler heats it. The floors,
walls, sash. trim, roof, lighting fixtures