The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-24

If we contrast the plan OF
gram that has been worked out by
the Communist Party, We shall see
that Roosevelt's program is in the
interests Of the mortgage sharks and
landlords, who are guaranteed 10
per cent on mortgages and loans.
The plan of the Communist Party,
on the other hand, would provide
decent housing for every worker and
farmer and give jobs to the 100000
unemployed workers who are Deepen
dent, directly and indirectly. on the
construction industry or jobs.
The facts about the housing stu
alton in this country reveal truly
appalling condition. The magazine
Fortune claimed in 1892 that more
than so per. cent of the houses and
homes in America we're below mini
mum standards Of health and de-
cency. In New York City alone
more than a million people live in
fire. trap tenements which were con-
demned as being unit for human
beings more than 80 years ago.
Recent government surveys dis
closed that % per cent of the ma
tons homes had no bathtubs or
showers; 70 per cent had no hot
water facilities; 80 per cent had no
gas, electric or cooking facilities;
over so per cent were in need Of
repairs.
Brought OvercrOwding
The crisis has brought overcrowd-
ing and the forced doubling-up of
workers families. The government
reports that II per cent of the
homes that it investigated in "a
cities had more than three persons
living in every room.
In these same cities some 440, 900
houses were reported as being unit
for human habitation More than
100000 homes, for example, did not
have toilets.
It is these conditions that have
led housing experts to declare that
American slums are the worst in
the world, far worse than the most
rTserable slums anywhere else in
TIE capitalist world.
The greed Of the landlords is oi-
rectly responsible for the fact that
workers and farmers have to live
in rat-traps. There are available
enough equipment and skill so that
everyone could live in a decent
home. But the government is COM
fnitted to protecting the profits Of
the landlords. Consequently it has
done nothing in the way of better
housing. It's work to date has been
devoted to giving subsidies to big
builders, and guaranteeing the mort
cages and investments of the land
lords.
While it has given billions to the
bankers and indust-ialists, the adj
ministration has only allotted about
$145, 100000 for housing. This Is a
ridiculous sum when we remember
that this is only is per cent of the
sums spent for construction an
nually during the years 1s2S-1929
And even this pitiful sum was only
used to erect apartment houses for
the upper middle class-not for the
workers, who are so desperately in
need of decent housing.
The present housing plans of the
Administration have no other pur-
pose than to guarantee mortgage
and loans at 10 per cent interest
Roosevelt naively proposes to per-
suade people who have money in
the bank to build new homes. on
which they are to borrow money al
usurious rates.
New Program Will Not Help
Since the unemployed and even
the employed workers have nc
money, the new program will not
help them in the least. 1t will help
no one except the mortgage sharks
provided they can persuade some
middle-class home owner to burden
himself with new debts by buying a
new home. The best indication Of
the failure Of this scheme is thai
the present volume of residential
building is at a new low for the
crisis
Roosevelt's acts have shown very
clearly that the administration in
tends to perpetuate the evils Of the
slums in order to guarantee the
rents Of the landlords. 1t will moi
protect the home of the poor owner
who cannot pay his taxes or NEE
/. his interest. 1t will do nothing II
/. provide jobs for the millions of un-
employed building workers.
J. The c. p. Program
/. In contrast to the capitalistic pro
{ gram Of the administration, the
Communist Party has worked ou
; housing plans that would provide
! for the needs Of all workers anc
. farmers. 1t has worked out plan!
in conjunction with the Unemploy
ment Councils, trade unions ane
other workers organizations, anc
groups of architects and technicians
that call for the immediate inaugu.
ration. of a national slum clearance
program that would provide jobs fol
millions of workers. This program
would be financed by the fedora
government with sums raised by
taxing the rich and the big cor
porations.
The new homes would be rented
to the workers at sum that would
be a fraction of their wages. The
unemployed would not have to pay
rent, but would be given apartments
rent-free as a social insurance right