Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-07

facilities pays subsidy 10
some and no subsidy for others
NC shall be heading for serious
political troubles.
Under such conditions whole
blocks of charity recipients arc
created who can be politically
manipulated, and friction lnvari-
ably follows with the Stepchll-
dren. those whose superior earning
power turns out 10 be a liability
Ito them rather than an asset.
nLENTY tof experience in other
Il countries shows the lack OF
wisdom of such procedures.
The Austrian Social Democratic
Party rehouSed the workers OF
Vienna IN a grandiose manner, but
the superior facilities offered to
one part of the population at the
expense of another turned out to
have fateful political consequences.
I Moreover, in this country, which
was the first in the world to un-
derstand mass production, there is
no reason why housing should not
be produced at price that work
crS are able to pay
Mass production OF housing has
not occurred because there was m
sufficient demand and an made
quatcly certain market.
Now suddenly, the demand and
the market are both here And
there is no more reason why the
state should subsidize rents or
ownership of houses than of auto
mobiles or clothes. :.
The question is one OF technical
efficiency. adequate wages and the
elimination of speculative values
in building and in land.
THESE remarks OF course do NOT
L apply 10 housing that is plainly
temporary.
/ If a powder plant is set up in a
desert. obviously 10 be dismantled
when the demand for vast quantl-
ties of powder shrinks, the housing
problem is like the problem OF
building barracks for soldiers. Such
houses should be built with the
clear intention to dismantle and
salvage.
But much of the housing now
needed is in industrial areas where
there was a housing shortage be-
fore the defense program began
and where the houses now erected
will be used in the future, perma-
nently displacing slums.
1T IS in this connection that the
Il federal works agency's so-called
Camden Plan" or IN Tut a |
Homes" merits attention and APP
proXal, --==-=l-
The author is Col. Lawrence
Westbrook, who has applied it to
the problem of providing houses
for several thousand workers OF
the New York Shipbuilding Com
pany, in the Camden area.
The plan is uniquely American;
ii is copied from the mutual in
Surance idea; il is excellent invest
ment capitalism and thoroughly
social. and il does away entirely
with subsidy -same-time
keeping for the workers something
of the elasticity of rent, with the
stability Of ownership.
j That il has the approval OF both
the National Association of Manu-
,facturers and the Go commends
it uniquely.
briefly, Mutual Homes" sets
~. up a large housing complex Of
units OF various sizes and sells
stock in the whole to the occu-
pants. who agree 10 pay monthly a
sum sufficient TO ocover interest,
amortization, insurance, taxes,
maintenance repair, vacancy re-
serve and administration expenses
1 Initial monthly payments range
from S24 to $50 depending on the
size of the house.
If the resident keeps up his
place adequately the percentage
OF maintenance is released back
into the reserve; after the eXpira-
tiion of year the occupant re-
cieveS certain credits and cannot
be deprived OF his equity
In other words. the home -owner
has what amounts TO a policy,
with cash surrender value or a
paid-up insurance value.
/ Furthermore, as his housing
needs expand or contract. he can
move inside the Mutual Homes
Corporation, without disturbing
his equity.
Theoretically. mutual homes
could be built throughout the
whole United States. and the
pollcy-holder could move from
Hartford 10 Detroit to Los An
geles without loss.
COLONEL WESTBROOK and
- his associates erected Audu-
bon Village by prefabrication in a
! factory set up for that purpose. 10
demonstrate the superior speed
and efficiency Of such a process.
Were the procedure universally
adopted the saving in building
costs would be immense.
The whole program is liquida-
bic. costs the taxpayers nothing
and risks decrease IN proportion
10 the number of units and par
Elephants on an actuarial basis.