Evening star., 1933-02-19
'RENOVzING' OPENSI
PHILADELPHIA Jobs
$4,000, 900 Already Pledged
in Spirited Drive to End
Slump.


concerted campaign, now under way,
has resulted in definite pledges of i'm
provements costing more than s15,-
900 600.
II 1ications thcre are that many mil
lions norc Will be put into circulation
befo e conclusion of the drive. Phila-
delD-lia expects a gross expansion of
bucUess amounting to nearly half a
billion dollars to develop out of the
colle teral effects on business.
This has been achieved, too, without
| the aid of a special credit pool such
as the District of Columbia Bankers
Association has established here
The remarkable accomplishments of
the RenoviZe Philadelphia Campaign
were detailed recently by A E. Horst
chairman of the Campaign Construc-
ton Committee.
Through a central organization, the
Philadelphia Federation of the Con-
Struction Industry, the Philadelphia
builders seized upon the "renovizing"
idea as "a means of relieving unem-
ployment, stimulating business, bolster
ing up the morale of its business and
banking leaders and citizens and stabil-
izing property values and hence the
real estate investments of all banks
and financial institutions with millions
OF dollars at stake therein"
Hopes Far Exceeded.
early in 1882" Mr.. Horst said,
when the Executive Committee of the
Philadelphia Federation Of the Con-
Struction Industry first conceived this
renovlze movement as practical
means of electrifying common -sensed
property owners into spending money
on their home or business properties,
it was thought that the ultimate out
come would be at best modest relief
OF building craftsmen from the horrors
OF ldleness and reaSsuring activity
for the reliable contractors, subcon-
tractors and material firms in the
building industry.
1T was originally hoped that S15,-
100000 of additional purchasing power
could be injected into Philadelphia
business through the channels of the
construction industry. Today. with the
active solicitation work of the cam
paign still uncompleted, the original
goal has been easily attained. The en-
thusiasm engendered by the campaign
has induced its leaders and workers to
continue the campaign until every
property owner in metropolitan Phila-
delphia-more than 600, 900 in num-
Der-haS been personally contacted and
peen given an opportunity to pledge
the expenditure of reasonable sums for
the renovation of his home or business
quarters.
Certain definite economic policies
were kept in mind in developing this
campaign. While the prices of ma
terlals are fixed by the inexorable law
OF supply and demand, frequently the
price OF labor is not. To be certain
that labor in Philadelphia's construc-
tlon industry would cooperate in the
campaign by performing work at wage
rates, prevailing in other lines of in
dustry, the cooperation of the labor
leaders was sought and obtained.
Labor Groups Cooperate.
In the public prints and in confer
enceS with the leaders of the construc-
tion industry the labor groups have
expressed their willingness to cooper
ate by doing the work developed by
the Renovize Philadelphia Campaign at
wage rates that ignore any normal re-
Strictions In brief, the renovize work
done by the craftsmen in the various
divisions in the construction industry,
both union and non-union artisans, is
nelng done at rates that recognize the
crying need for employment.
In order that the work turned I'D
by the campaign might be utilized di-
rectly to relieve unemployment in
neighborhood centerS, the property
owner, through a personal approach,
has been encouraged in positive fashion
to have the work done through the
contracting firms or craftsmen in his
neighborhood. In fact, one of the guild
ing principles of the campaign has
been to have the work done through
regular channels of the construction
industry, without favoring any particu-
nI- ir1I ItryiI
ing firm. Each private business firm
or craftsman in the industry qualified
TO do reputable work has thus been
given equal opportunity of meeting his
own unemployment problem by exer-
clsing his own business initiative and
foresight.
I'VE have clearly realized that the
unemployment problem applies as much
to the contracting or jobbing firm as
to the individual unemployed crafts
man, and hence we have been meticu-
lous in our desire to help both types
of unemployment in the construction
industry, deliberately seeking to avoid
the establishment of machinery which
would break down the regular method
Of doing business.
Serve as Guides.
AN appropriate sticker hung in the
window of the property owner pledging
himself to do repairing or lnodernizing
work is the indication that here is a |
property from which work can be OBJ |
tanned by a business-like solicitation"
Mr. Horst explained that the metro |
politan district of Philadelphia has been
Subdtvided into % geographic divisions, |
10 which have been assigned 1000
volunteer solicitors coming from the
mem hers hin nf inf air
community, trade and religious organi- |
cations, under guidance of competent |
colonels and captains, properly trained
on saleSmanship methods.
In house-tO-houSe canvass the home !
owner or mortgage is asked to indi- |
cate on signed pledge card the amount
OF money which he reasonably believes
ne can see his way clear to spend in re- !
pairing and undermining his home or
business property. The pledges, there |
lore, are made in specific items and
amounts To be certain that the prop |
erty owners have fulfilled their original |
pledges as indicated on the signed |
pledge card, comprehensive folloW-up |
procedure will extend over a six-month |
period |
Further details of the PHILADELPHIA !
plan were outlined by Mr.. Horst as |
follows:
win the generous cooperation OF !
Philadelphia architects and engineers, a |
competent staff has been organized and |
Is prepared to counsel property owners |
on any architectural and engineering |
problem that may occur in connection |
with the renovation of their properties. |
While this advice and counsel definitely |
will be of a preliminary nature and |
only for the purpose of enabling the |
property owner to reach decision to |
proceed with renovizing work, it will |
have back of it all the skill and intel |