Evening star., 1935-03-09
HOUS|NGPROCRAM
PRAISED BY EDITOR
All Cities Have Benefited,
Says R. v. SaWhiIl of
Plumbers Organ.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

special DlSpatcn 10 Inc otdi'
NEW YORK, March 9.-"Every city
In the United States has undoubtedly
felt the good effects of the national
better housing program in the form
of more employment, more money
spent for wages and materials and,
recently, in the form Of dividend
checks" said r. v. Sawhill, editor OF
Domestic Engineering, today, follow
ing a countrywide check.
"Some people who fail to study the
full effect Of this national housing
program on American business ques-
ton the value of the work of the
Federal Housing Administration SIM
ply because the dollar volume Of newly
created business might be larger That
does not reveal the benefits American
business, particularly the building in
dustry, has secured from the Federal
Housing Administration.
ITO appraise the full contribution
to American business of the housing
program, one must take into account
the complete change which it has
made in the viewpoint of the building
industry Thousands of dealers, ma
terial and supply men, distributors,
statesmen and manufacturers have
gained a new and healthy viewpoint
during the six months in which this
program has been pushed. In spite
of the retarding influence of cold
weather. the great majority Of the
building industry has been stirred to
new and confident activity.
Profits Being Revived.
"The record of resumption of divi-
dend payments shows how definitely
some companies have realized on this
new viewpoint of the industry Others
are approaching the proflt-making
period and only comparative few
are continuing the old-time attitude
Of waiting for business to pick up
The Federal Housing Administration
has made most of us in the building
industry decide to quit waiting and
to go after business
Continued announcement of the
national housing program" continued
MIR. Sawhill, whose publication serves
the plumbing and heating field, sis
vital because the odds are now in favor
OF the business man who has products
to offer the American home. It is
essential that the work of the Federal
Housing Administration at Washing
ton be continued along its present
lines because coming months offer
even greater prospects for additional
business.
Some data to which I have just had
access substantiate this statement. A
short time ago ROLAND j. Hamilton,
president of the American Radiator
Co., showed me how he had been able
to correlate two indices for the build
ing industry with rather striking re-
suits.
Realty Inventory Recalled.
"In the early part of 1884 a C. w. A.
project was carried out, involving
real property inventory in Ga cities,
representing every State in the Union,
and with 1880 population of 9,793, ,371
persons. The cities selected were
samples but the coverage for each
city was 100 per cent. The inventory
covered 1888, ,135 family dwelling units
contained in 1,931,055 residential
structures of all kinds. Following are
some Of the existing facts: 43,068
structures, or % per cent of the total.
were unfit for use; 297,791 structures,
or 1874 per cent of the total, were in
need of major repairs: 857 ,648 struc-
lures, or 444 per cent of the total,
were in need of minor repairs; 204 ,227
dwelling units we're vacant. or TT per
cent of the total, which includes apart
ments as well as singlefamily dwell
ings; 412,342 family units were listed
as crowded, overcrowded or greatly
overcroWded, being 1876 per cent of
the total number of family units, this
in measure representing the doubling
up process made necessary by the de-
presssion.
1.-The foregoing figures made al
most year ago show ~ per cent OF
vacancies in all classes of dwelling
units. We now have before us semi
annual bulletin of the National As
sociation of Real Estate Boards set
ting forth figures compiled from re-
plies to a QUESTIONABLE submitted to
the secretaries of real estate boards
in about 800 cities of the United |
States and Canada. On December 81.
1884, only 5 per cent OF the cities re-
ported an overage in single family
dwellings, AZ per cent reported a nor
NAL condition and SO per cent re-
ported shortage
Shortage Increases.
On December 81, 1927, the overage
was "a per cent, normal, 48 per cent,
and shortage, % per cent. Between
December 81, 1927, and December 81.
1882, the averages went down, as did
the shortages, but normalcy reached
its peak at rs per cent as regards
number Of cities involved. with the
clear indication in so far as these
particular statistics bear weight land
they are the best we have) that at
the end of 1882 the supply of single
family dwellings was very closely in !
balance. Since that time the num-
ber Of cities in which there are short
ages has mounted very rapidly.