Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-29
eOL0N|STS FORCE
CHANGES IN HOMES
Matanuska Officials Back
Down Before Fight on
81 Growing Plan.
BY AWHILE SCHALEBEN.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
PALMER, Alaska, July 20 MAN
AA.-The Matanuska colonists made
soficials back down on theii announced
program to build all houses on the
growing plan by threatening through
the Colony Council u return to the
States unless they got the houses they
had selected
: Under the growing plan. small
houses Of three rooms in row would
have been built this year and the
Settlers would have added to them IN
the future. ,
orrin Powell and Jack Lund led
the attack on the new-s-yle houses.
!, Give us the homes tnat we picked
out or give us transportation" Powell
INSISTED at the council meeting. All
but three of the 80 families I repre-
sent are ready to quit"
, CurtaiIed Plan Abandoned.
. Lund, a lanky. skilled carpenter
argued vociferously that it wouldn't
take appreciably more time to erect
the chosen cottages than the growing
type houses. With the whole council
erimly determined to win the demand,
5officials abandoned the curtailed plan.
: Col L. p. Hunt, two-fisted, red
faced Marine, now in full charge, said
that this meant getting the cottages
done in time by close squeak, but
he believed they would succeed.
z Previously, when officials were still
determined to change tie plans. S. r.
Fuller. sent here by the administra-
2ion to speed things up, had esti-
mated that 1t would take until Octo-
Der % to finish all the chosen cot
stages.
/ When all the new men arrive, Hunt
expects to have working force OF
300. counting the male colonists.
! During the general uprising and
siiscontent that preceded the council
action, even Fuller was forced to ac-
seept some downright insults and smile.
i Some housewives were irate. They
had ordered furniture for the par
sticular houses selected from five Of
Efered plans. In pairs and in groups
sthey stood before the new plans and
4ried to figure out how they would
arrange their furniture.
= Hearts Set on No. Structure.
: Carl Meier of Duluth and his fam
ily had their minds and hearts set
ON plan No S, tidy log structure.
Il want No. 5 and nothing else"
Meier growled to Fuller. L amt
done any kicking before. I've worked
and taken the bumps, but I'm stub
born German and this time I'm
really stubborn. We come up here
and the Government has been letting
us down. First there's one thing and
then another. Now it wants me to
live some place won't live in"
. Just q minute" cut in Fuller.
we've got"
!: Hold on. I'm doing the talking"
Meier exploded You wouldn't live
IN a house you didn't want, would
you?"
: I'D want a roof. I'd add to my
house as I needed it," Fuller coun-
tered. Here we have perhaps 30
days to build. We've got so many men
to do it. I considered building all
No. houses. We figured it out that
IF every man did just what was ex-
.pected of him. If all lumber arrived
Just as scheduled. if no trucks broke
down. we could do it by october %.
That's right up against Winter.
! Margin of Time Needed.
I'VE needed a margin. We couldn't
take chance of not having every
family under roof. So we changed
to the new design. 1t saves us Is
per cent on labor on frame houses
and 80 per cent on logs. That gives
us a margin. Some little things can
go wrong and still everybody'll have
a house"
: But don't want that house."
Meier protested, scowling and shak-
ing his arm menacingly. That's
been the He'll of it! That's the whole
project. too much changing. You're
going to make some change here and
you're going to find yourself going out
with lead following you"
:, Fuller, with the authority Of all
washington behind him, just sat
there smiling.
Fuller and all his party except three
who remain in top positions left for
the States after the housing problem
was settled. Hunt inherits Fuller's
Authority until America solves the
tempest in its attic.
ktcSpyrisht. 1898 BY the North American
Newspa per Alliance Incl