The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-06-19
The Book World

A MERICA is going at its housing problem
n from the wrong end when it starts with
slum clearance, in the opinion OF Henry Wright
architect and intensive student Of housing in
this country and abroad.
The price Of land is still so high in SUM
areas as to make decent housing, at a price
workers can afford TO pay, out OF the question,
he says. But of even more consideration TO
him. is the effect on cities Of many years hence
of starting much needed rebuilding in this area.
Mr. Wright believes it would be more eth-
Gent, and better from every point OF view, TO
start reconstruction in what he calls tine
bhghted areas" those older residential districts
lying between the slums and the new suburbs.
He sets forth his reasons in "Rehousng urhan
America" columbia University PressO
There are two possible and distinct choices,
he SAYS I'VE may rush our slum clearance IN
the face Of land costs that have not declined 10
their true-vaue limitation for housing purposes
onlv At the same time we begin the
process of reaSsembling and replatting our
suburbs on new modern garden-city lines, with
large blocks and few and smaller streets we
can hardly at the same time undertake an
active campaign Of rehabilitation in the bhghted
areas.
The objection to this course is that the slurn
program carried out on the present land-price
level VII require fairly intensive use OF these
areas. This will not only mean that larger
percentage Of our population must be housed
in tenement buildings-or model apartments
the needs of the full population that we would
eventually have to evacuate large part OF the
blighted area. This would create an unneces-
sarily large expanse of open land here.
The advantage of this plan, on the other hand,
would be that industry on a large scale might
expand and recenter on this area con-
veniently within reach Of both the outer and
inner living area.
THE second plan is to begin first with the
rehabilitation of the blighted areas, pOStponing
slum clearance until later. The land prices in
this larger but less congested intermediate dis
trict are at present very much lower and are
likely to continue low. The present aWk-
ward and waSteful buildings provide ample
open space in which not only to restore perma-
nently desirable residential conditions, but also
to increase the number of people housed.
The space is ample and land prices are low
enough to permit in these districts the use of
small multi family or row-type houses
"Rehousing Urban America" should be re-
CURED reading for every real estate man.
NEARLY all of Indianapolis-and the rest of
IN the world, too-seems to have had enough
of George Bernard Shaw and it is almost TAX
ing risk to mention that G. B. S. has just
published Nine Plays" (Dodd, Mead; $500
Shaw has virtually talked everybody to sleep,
but the fact remains that his Nine Plays" con-
tain some of the finest works of his life.
Included are Caesar and Cleopatra" Mrs.
Warren's Profession" Arms and the Man.,
Candida" Saint JOAN Man and Superman,"
"Fannv's First PLAY" "Androces and the Lion"
and The Devils DISCIPLE
These nine plays will stand up Tor many
moons for the ideas they contain and the Ian
guage in which they are written. If anybody
has yen for the theater they should own this
book for despite the irascible Irishnan'S tongue
they remain works of art.