Evening star., 1939-04-15
BY NELSON SHEPARD.

A woman likes a home that stirs
her housekeeping instincts, whether
She lives in city slum dwelling or
IN the White House.
That is an impression Government
housing experts received yesterday
from Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt
who drew from her own knowledge
and experience to offer some helpful
suggestions about planning Ivable
homes for the Nations slum fam
lilies.
incidentally, she revealed that her
earlier formed ideas on public low
rent housing have undergone de-
cided changes. Instead of regard
ing the housing program as prim-
arily a matter of figuring out q
problem in terms of bricks and
financing, Mrs. Roosevelt explained
with enthusiasm she now realizes
it is actually making a new design
for living"
So it was with the critical and
practiced eye of a housewife who
knows what women like in a home
that she visited the study house
erected by the United States Hous-
ing Authority in its work and plan
ming shop over a garage at I'LL
Eighteenth street NV. She had
not only suggestions but kindly
worded criticisms to make about
some of the arrangements in this
so-called model" home.
Benefit of Studies.
Eight housekeepers from low-rent
housing projects had been called to
Washington to bring their expe-
rience to help decide such matters
as the shape and size of rooms, the
place to put the shelves, where the
family should eat-matters that dc
so much to determine the ease Of
daily living. With their help the
U. S. H. A. is seeking to give house
making in families of low income
the benefit of the efficiency of sci
entific studies.
Mrs. Roosevelt's inspection of the
study house was at the invitation
of Administrator Nathan Straus anC
she willingly offered her services a:
a housing consultant. Miss Cath
crime Bauer, director of research
and Mr.. Straus conducted her about
the large workshops where tech.
nicians put together models anc
were rewarded by her genuine in
terest and appreciation of all tina,
was going on.
The study house is one-story
dwelling unit consisting of living
room, kitchen -dinette, three bed
rooms and bath. Its walls are
movable so experiments can be made
in changing the size of the rooms
Mrs. Roosevelt wasn't satisfied unit
she was given a demonstration
just to see what different sizes the
living room could be given.
Equipped by Exchanges.
No attempt had been made tt
finish the exterior of the house, bu1
the rooms were furnished ane
equipped by the Self Help Exchange
and Good Will Industries. AS nearly
as possible the furnishings con.
formed to ideas within the pocket.
book Of low-incofne families.
The first thing Mrs. Roosevelt
noticed when she crossed the
threshold was the absence of a par.
tition between the living room anc
kitchen. The reason was one OF
economy. She suggested that a lo
Of people preferred a door, or al
least a screen or curtain to concea
the kitchen, but admitted that 9th.
ers don't mind the absence of pri.
vacy at all. So that was that. "But
Of course, I like my kitchen shu1
off," she said.
The movable kitchen shelve!
caught fancy. They could be ad.
justed to various heights. AN idea
arrangement" Mrs. Roosevelt com.
mented.
She had decided views of the liv.
ing ways and manners of slum fam.
lilies and one of these concerned the
kitchen table. II know of one fam.
lily that uses the table for every.
thing day and night" she explained
THE husband built a very large one