Evening star., 1935-09-07
PUBLICATION ASKS
END OF SUBSIDIES
Home Building Should Have
Chance to Revive Itself,
Says Builder.

Declaring against Government sub
sides to increase residential con-
struction, the September issue of the
American Builder asks the admins
tation to "give home building fair
chance to revive itself by terminating
all unnecessary spending and other
policies that increase building costs
Summarizing the present situation,
the prominent business journal states
that the national housing act is a
conservative measure because 1t is
stimulating investment of private
capital.
THE administration deserves credit"
the magazine continues, "for having
supported the N. H. A. and helped
make it effective. Recent reports
from Government circles are that
the next big push will be to increase
residential construction. Subsidies are
hinted at.
Should Oppose PUSH"
THE building industry should op-
pose any push that would involve
increased use of the taxpayers money.
That would be the best way to de-
moralize the industry and hinder the
revival of construction now under
way.
Since May, 1888, almost every i'm
portant recovery policy of the Gov
eminent, excepting the national hous-
ing act, has retarded recovery. Its
vast expenditures to prime the pump
of business have clogged, not 'primed,
the pump, and piled up billions OF
national debt, most of which readers
OF the American Builder and other
members of the middle class will have
to pay in taxes. Until the Supreme
Court killed it, N. r. A. hindered re-
vival of all the durable goods indus
tries, including home building.
1T would be to the interest OF every
industry and every employed or un-
employed person for the Government
drastically to reduce its insane spend
ing and quit interfering in every
body's business ostensibly to oenent
some at the expense of others-osten-
sibly. because the plain principal pur-
pose of almost every measure passed
at the recent session OF Congress was
to influence votes.
People Who Build.
Building and buying of homes are
done by the intelligent, thrifty, tax
paving part of the people. They can
be sold only by making the cost OF
building or buying good investment.
In every instance that the Govern
ment has interfered in any indus
try-excepting with the national hous-
ing act-it has increased the cost OF
production. This has been done,
cstensibly in the interest Of labor, by
increasing hourly wages. 1t has in
jured every class, and especially labor,
by preventing the large increase OF
production and employment in the
durable goods industries that other
wise would have occurred. But for
this retarding influence the depres-
sion would be virtually over in the
United StateS-aS 1t is in England
and many other countries"
The outlook for an immediate
healthy and substantial home build
ing revival under private initiative
is revealed at the conclusion Of this
Amtrican Builder editorial: Contracts
for residential construction in the first
half of 1885 were 10 per cent larger
than in 1884, and 100 per cent larger
than in 1888. In July they were 100
per cent larger than in 1884, and
$50 per cent larger than in 1888.
When the home building industry is
making such progress It may we'll
regard with suspicion and apprehen-
sion any proposal for q big push
emanating from Washington, whose
experiments reforms and gigantic
spending already have needlessly pro-
longed the depression two years."