Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-05-17
Jack Pickering
Here
and
Now
PEACHES GOES HOME:

ILASIlI]O 1CL%O AANNAL'
Peaches" got his nickname
because he was born IN Georgia.
Now he's going back 10 Georgia
because there's no place for him
TO live in Detroit.
Detroit cant afford 10 lose
him, but il can't find roof TO
shelter him. There must be a
lot of men like Peaches, and IT
looks as though we're going TO
have some explosions if some
thing doesn't happen pretty
soon.
Peaches and his wife had a
place 10 live. but IT was sold
out from under them Totally
unable 10 find another apart
ment, Peaches said he wanted
10 60 homo.
The Manpower Commission
had him frozen on his job, OF
course, because he's a war
worker and. To boot a very i'm
pOrtant cog in the war machine.
He's an expert tank mechanic.
When a tank comes off the
assembly line Peaches and his
assistant get it. Between them
they give il "A final going over.
It's the last Hook When they
give it nm q. X. II goes TO the
army. 1t has 10 be right.
But the Manpower Commits
sion has heard about the hous-
Ing shortage. too. Last week
Peaches got his Telease-permis-
sion 10 leave the Ford tank
plant and GO back to Georgia.
The ration board allowed him 50
gallons of gas Ia get there. Exit
Peaches, hut not laughing. He
doesn't want TO go. but he can't
stay.
Take still another case. Mrs.
C.. r.. G., whose name has been
IN tins column In regard 10 hap
!. pier stories than this.
She's a Detroit glrt who mar
Iried a lieutenant about a year
and "A hall ago. making her a
war bride But. her husband, IS
in Africa with the air corps.
Ever since last fall she been
hunting for "A place 10 live,
pausing only while she was IN
the hospital for the birth Of her
daughter. She'll rent anything
from a small apartment 10
six-roOm house, but in some
eight months OF looking, she
can't find one
"How would you like IT," she
writes. "lf you were looking for
n place 10 live until this mess
IL over. and some lovely soul
who. having just showed YOU the
three-rOom apartment she has
In rent, barred her teeth and
said
We're awfully sorry, Mrs.
G., but after all your husband
Is hghting, and he COULD be
KILLED. II that happened.
well, you could get out OF pay
ing us rent for three months.
So, a. much as we'd like 10 rent
10 YOU, we do have 10 protect
ourselves, you know"
mo. I'm not kidding. ran
into that. not only once, hut
many times, How can people he
like that >"
She's quitreferring 10 them aS
"would-he landlords. She calls
them 'Wouldn The
'1ty Won know, she adds
Small babies don't seem 10
hit responsive cord In most
wouldn't-be and ord = souls.
Don't want their peace dis
turhed."
Here's St.ll another all of
these reports arrived Al my desk
the same day. which may give
D on a notion Of how widespread
pthese troubles are. II you hadn /
heard already, that is
Ny husband will he leaV-
ing for the army soon. We have
no children hut I have my dad
with me, and he is - years old.
have been i'll but the doctor
tells me I'll he able 10 work
again in about two months.
Here's my problem. Because
we are ChildlcSS, no one will rent
10 us Because I have no chill
drPn doesn't mean ] don't have
10 have some place 10 live.
Our home has been an up
stairs flat, and n pretty dirty
one hut we had 10 stand IL. Now
we don't even have that. I'm
not the only one In this predica-
ment, I realize, but honestly, I'm
at loss. I hope l haven't taken
up too much time, hut II YOU
have even suggestion :"
Charley Edgecomb Is doing
the best he can with the housing
commission, but the plain fact is
that there aren't enough places
10 60 around.
Nor is there much point In
trying 10 build enough new
houses. Anyway, you remember
what happened 10 the last low
cost housing project. The gov
eminent turned il down because
worlmen belonged 10 the wrong
union.
Nobody knows what 10 do
about It. Certainly | don't
Just wish. sorry and helpless,
that somebody else could think
Of something 10 do.