Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-15
HOME OWNERSHIP
FARLEY. IS CALLED
Hoover Arranges Conference
to Discuss All Angles
of House Problem.

The Presidents conference on home
building and home ownership, for which
preparations have been in progress mere
than year, will be held in Washington
December to 5, inclusive, it was an
nounced at the White House today
The conference will be the first of its
kind on such a large scale ever held in
thu United States. 1t VIII deal with
the whole question of hom' construc-
ton and ownership, and of the home
environment. 1t will embrace finance,
design equipment, city planning,
household management and many other
aspects. About 400 persons have as
sisted in the preparatory work and 900
representative citizens OF the 48 States,
associated with building and housing
activities, are expected to participate.
The conference has been organized I'M
der the craftsmanship of Secretary La
mint of the Department of Commerce
Il decided a year ago." President
Hoover stated t9dav. at a conference
with interested leaders in various parts
of the. country. to undertake the or
gani2Stion Of an adequate investigation
asaA study. on a Nationwide scale. OF
1.-THE problems presented in home owner
ship and home building, with the hope
Of developing the facts and a better
understanding Of the questions involved
and inspiring better organization and
the removal OF influences which Seri-
ously limit the spread Of home owner
ship. both town and country
"A planning committee comprising
representatives Of some 90 voluntary
associations was created to make the
study and set up national conference
for consideration of the data and rec
ommenda tons of expert committees.
The plan IS somewhat similar to that
Of the White House Conference on Child
Health and Protection. held in Washing
ton in November, 1880.
Has Funds fer Research.
Funds have been provided privately
10 cover research and other activities
of the committees of the housing con-
ference
twenty-five committees headed by
men and women of authority and ex-
porenCe in various phases of the ques-
ton. have been engaged for months
in gathering and analyzing available
Information and in making additional
being correlated so that. on the basis
Of the facts, a collective judgment may
be formulated upon the best contempo-
rary experience of leaders who have
special knowledge of the subjects. 1t,
obviously. is not not our purpose to
SCI up the Federal Government in the
building of homes. But the conference
will I believe, afford a basis for the
Development Of a sound policy and in
tN
cope with the problem.
adequate housing goes to the very
roots of Will being CT the family and
the family is the social unit CT the Ma
ticn. The question involves important
aspects OF health. morals. education and
efficiency. Nothing contributes more to
social stability and the happiness of
Cur people than the surroundings of
their homes"
Urges Home Ownership.
Although we have a larger proper
ton CT adequate housing than any other
country, we have not yet reached our
ideal Of homes for all our people It
Should be possible in cur country for
any person Of sound character and in
dustrious habits to provide himself with
adequate and suitable housing and pref
erably to own his own home.
This principle. I believe to be sound
and controlling at all times. It is not
necessary to point out the beneficial eff
feet which the we'll considered Nation
wide program directed to the extension
or home building and home ownership
in the immediate future would have
upon our current unemployment and
economic situation. The forthcoming
conference, however was initiated to
deal with the question under a long
range plan 1t will be doubly fortunate
il it should result not only in a sounder
permanent policy but in some degree OF
relief Of current unemployment and in
stimulation Of the industries on which
building denenGS,"
Three Washington persons were
ramed by the President as charmen Of
three of the IS committees appointed
to study the many phases of the home
owning and building problem. They
are Miss Harlean James. Committee on
Organization Programs. local and ma
tlonal; Frederick NJ. Feikor. Recondi-
tioning. Remodeling and Modernizing,
and Frederic A. Delano. Committee on
City Planning and Zoning.