Evening star., 1934-12-01
GAINS REPORTED
|NREPA|RS DRIVE
CAPITAL Leads Country in
Home Modernization
Activities.
(Continued From First Page.)

and equipment, and the re-employ-
ment of labor.
Housing heads plan to keep the
campaign alive during the Winter
months, and to intensity 1t next
Spring. 1t is anticipated that the
greatest success in modernization will
be achieved when warm weather re-
turns. Title of the housing act, the
property modernization section, does
not expire until the end of 1885. 1t
Is believed that every home owner
will thoroughly understand the ad-
vantages of the low-cost insured i'm
provement loans by next Spring.
Many Drives Planned.
FIJI. A. heads estimate that more
than 5000 modernization campaigns
are being organized in as many cities
and towns of the country and that
more than 100 million dollars worth
of work on renovation and repairs has
been started Latest reports show
so per cent increase in dollar volume
of alterations and repairs for the
last 80 days as compared with the
same period a year ago.
In some sections of the country
waiting lists for skilled laborers have
actually been established In Ratoon,
N. Mex, the modernization commit
tee has had to slow up its campaign
because skilled laborers are all at
work. In Sacramento, Calf, there is
not a painter available, and there
exists a shortage of journeymen and
craftsmen in practically every craft,
the administration reports.
It is estimated that rs per cent Of
the money paid out for repairs and
moderniZation work is going directly
for wages, and these wages are being
spent for other products which the
workers require.
F. H. A. announced that Washing
ton, since the moderniZation drive
began, has showed a greater per
capita expenditure for property re-
pairs and alterations than any other
large city in the country. 1t is esti-
mated by Thomas p Littlepage, gen.
eral chairman of the Washington Bet
ter Housing Campaign, that approx
mately S2,500,00O has been spent so
far on property modernization; that is,
since the drive began late in August.
In addition, the average amount of the
loans here has been larger than the
countrywide average.
Exposition Continues.
Although hampered by unfavorab!e
weather, the Better Homes Exposition
which got under way in the bus center
of Washington, Sixth street and Penn
sylvania avenue, last Monday night,
has attracted sufficient interest to
please it's sponsors. Alfred L. Stern,
director of the show, announced today
that exhibitors report that business
in home improvement material and
house equipment has improved greatly
since the exposition was launched. 1t
is planned to continue the exposition
for another week.
Tonight officials and members of
four local organizations will be guests
of honor at the exposition. These
groups and the presidents who will
be in attendance are: The Probus
Club, John D. Sadler; Monarch Club,
Laurance H. Riggles; the Zonta Club,
DR.. Mildred w. Dickerson, and the
Soroptimist Club, Mrs. Edna Knight
Gasch.
The show will be closed tomorrow,
but will be open daily next week from
to and Z to $50 pm. Admission
is free and the public is invited to
inspect the SO attractive exhibits.
Many of the country's largest firms
have started to cooperate entirely
with the Housing Administration. A
report from Nashville, Tenn, states
that the manager of the largest sheet
metal and roofing firm in the city
announced that his business has dou-
bled in the last 80 days and that his
plant is now running at full capacity.
Nearly a million dollars is being spent
for modernization in Denver, Colo.
The president of the Michigan Con-
struction League reported the follow
ing results of the better housing
campaign to date:
Our league represents the larger
construction firms. Many of them
handle construction for the main in
dustrieS. Some of them have reported
in the last week that they have taken
in more construction work in the last
month than they had handled in the
whole previous three years.
Detroit building permits were over
a million dollars for October the larg-
est in several years, and gratifying
because they were the aggregate of
many small items. While part of
this may be due to better general feel
ing, it has largely resulted from Fed
eral Housing Administration recondi-
tioning activities. Our industry feels
encouraged and is glad to express ap-
probation on this effort, and hope for
its continuance"