4
Cy WILLIAM A. RADFORD,
(Editor in Chief American Builder and Farm
Mechanics, Chicago.)
HEX 11k* people of the United
States began to take stock of
what the war had cost, one of
ilie greatest losses discovered
was in homes. Not that any
of those we had at the begin
ning of our participation in
the conflict had been de
stroyed by shells, hut for two
years we had not built any.
Normally there are about half
a million homes constructed
each year to replace those
lost by fire, or through decay, and to take care
of the increase in population. Consequently we
found ourselves about a million homes short of
our requirements.
This situation was met, or, rather, the govern
ment attempted to meet it. by inaugurating the
-‘Own Your Own Home Campaign." Everyone
was urged to build homes, because homes were
needed and because it was necessary to supply
work for the many thousands of workers who
were released from the war activities. But, for
reasons that many were at a loss to explain,
there were not and have not been us many homes
built as it was confidently expected tluVo would
be. The real reason for this fact, to my mind, is
that while everyone was urged to build a home
no method of financing tin* home building proj
ects was devised, nor even suggested, by the gov
ernment.
To meet this deficiency in the government’s
campaign, public-spirited citizens in a number of
cities clubbed together and furnished limited
amounts of money to bo loaned to home builders.
The response to this offer was so great that tin*
funds available did not reach half way. I here
were several applicants for loans to every loan
thiit could be made.
Thus after nearly a year of campaigning on the
part of the federal government, flu* state govern
ments, chambers of commerce in thousands of
cities and by organizations made tip of public
spirited citizens little tins been accomplished.
Every man of family wants a home of his own.
Ill* knows that he can build a home for himself
( and his family and pay for it while he is living in
\ tt;. But he also knows that before be can build
* the home and move into it he must have a cer
f tain sum of money, small in comparison with the
i cost of till* home, hilt large enough so that it is
u rather difficult to get it together. It’s that first
payment that lias hulked the desire of thousands
6 upon thousands of families to have homes of tlieir
^ own. It is to make it possible for everyone to get
^together in any easy manner a sum sufficient to
build a home that I have suggested to builders,
bankers and the public generally the formation in
every community of "Own a Home Savings clubs,"
and these clubs are already springing up In many
localities.
The Initiation fee In an Own a Hume
Savings club" is the desire to own a home.
The dues, payable either weekly or month
ly, are what the one who desires a home feels
that he can spare from his income.
The benefits that the member derives from
his club are many. First, he will have a home
of his own. Second, he will save money.
Third, he will have a comfortable place in
which to live; it will cost no more monthly
than he pays in rent, and after a term of
years he will have th*> greatest of assets—a
home of his own, all paid for and readily
convertible Into cash.
The inauguration of a “Own a Home Savings
club” Is simple. All it requires Is initiative on
the part of the bankers of the country. They are
the ones who must start these clubs. And after
they are started 1 predict that being a member of
nn “Own a Home Savings club" will lx* as popu
lar as owning a Liberty bond or two was during
the war.
Before considering the reasons why “Own a
Home Savings clubs" will he popular, let me ex
plain more fully how the plan Is conducted.
A hank that Inaugurates a club should make It
a separate department, just as tlx- Christmas
Savings clubs are. Special pass books calling for
the deposit of a certain sum at stated Intervals
should lx* given the members. Tables showing
exactly how long it will require the depositor to
accumulate the sum he needs to secure a home of
his own should lx* prepared. And knowing what
that sum must he is the vital part of this plan, for
it gives the club- member a definite objective. Take
away this objective and make It Just a plan to
gave systematically and the club will fail. It was
having such nn objective that made the partial
payment plan of buying Liberty bonds a success.
The purchaser of a bond knew Just how much he
was required to save and exactly how long l:
would take to accumulate that amount.
By first helping the members of the club to se
lect the type of borne he wants, and knowing the
cost of that home, th“ hank can fix upon the sum
eeou'red »s the first payment. For Instance, if a
member has fixed In his nilml n home that will
eost $5,000, he must have at least $300 for the
first payment. Split $500 up into weekly pay
ments of an amount the club member knows he
can save, and the goal, and the length of time it
will require to reach that goal, will be known.
Then the objective of the member is fixed.
The next move in forming a successful club Is
to place before the people of the community the
advantages of owning a home and to stimulate
the desire to own a home that every normal man
has.
To diverge a bit and to illustrate how astute
merchants capitalize a latent desire, consider fur
a minute the methods of the makers of garments
for women. They depend almost entirely in
marketing their goods on illustrations. There is
not a magazine in which is not displayed pictures
that show the beauties of women’s clothes. Wom
en study these pictures, and ns they study them
the desire to possess attractive clothes grows.
Thus is this desire crystallized into sales.
This is equally true of pictures of line homes.
There is not a woman—and there are few men—
who will not give more than a passing glance to a
home design. They may not know it. but it is that
inherent desire to possess a home that causes
them to take more than a casual interest in this
picture. Mentally they consider the advantages
and disadvantages, the beauty or lack of beauty
of the home they are looking at, judging it. of
course, from their own ideas of what a home
should be.
This dissertation on how the banker and builder
can successfully inaugurate an “Own a Home Sav
ings club” is made to take those who will he ap
proached on tills subject into their confidence, it
is a “poop behind the scenes.” But if it lias the
effect of bringing to the minds of persons who do
not own their homes some of their mental proc
esses, thereby giving them an opportunity to ana
lyze their feelings on the subject of home owning,
the revelation will be worth while.
Owning a home brings more happiness than the
possession of any other one tiling, or several
things. We all have homes, it is true, and take
pride in our possessions. We furnish them to
the best of our ability and In accordance with
our tastes. But this is as far as the man goes
who lives in a house he rents. He has nothing to
say about how the exterior looks; neither did be
have anything to do with the planning of the in
terior. dust now, too, he is unable to make much
of a choice in exterior appearance and interior
arrangement; lie takes what he can get, and is
thankful for four walls and a roof.
How different is the home of the man who lias
planned and built Ids residence. The exterior of
his home approximates his ideas of what is at
tractive; the interior arrangement conforms to
Ills ideas of comfort and convenience. But the
greatest satisfaction of all is his pride of posses
sion.
The pleasure that comes from owning the home
is not its only advantage. Owning a home is a
business asset that brings many opportunities for
financial advancement. To the salaried man, own
ing a home means that lie is a more stable em
ployee than the man who rents and has no ties.
All other things being even, advancement is
offered to tlu* home owner every time in prefer
ence to the renter. And when the time comes
that ihe home owner lias an opportunity that re
quires an investment, he lias the best asset in tlie
world on which to borrow money.
lu this rapidly growing country there are thou
sands of men who have saved their money and
bought homes for no other reason than to have
homes. And in a few years they have been sur
prised by the realization that their properties
have greatly increased in value. I met one such
man only a few days ago. He proudly told me
that lie had built a home a few years ago and
paid -ill but $1,400 of tlu* cost—$3,400. Now, he
said, he had been offered $0,000 for the place. His
determination to have a home of his own had
not only caused him to save $2,000, hut he had
more than doubled hl> money. Not all home
builders do ibis. It Is tnn . but a majority do.
The ideas I have presi -*• >,| here for the cousld
oration of tlioso who <to
not own their homes are
not merely theories—
they have been proven so
many thousands of times
that no one ran dispute
them. The only reason
that the average man
does not own Ids home
is that lie lias never
made the start. He lias
not fixed in his mind a
home as an objective,
and iti consequence lias lived in houses
om nod by others. But he must remember that he
has paid for those houses just the same, and
something besides. House owners are not philan
thropists. They do not rent houses to tenants
from any altruistic motive. They are in the game
to make money. And the renter pays tiie profit
they make.
“Own a Home Savings dubs" point the way
for tiie wage earners and salaried men to have
homes of tiieir own. They provide an easy method
for everyone to save for a home. Bankers will
provide the machinery by inaugurating clubs. And
within the next few years thousands upon thou
sands of persons will have realized tiie greatest
of all ambitions—owning the homes In which they
live.
TENANTS OUTNUMBER OWNERS.
The Tinted States lias (ought all her wars to
“preserve the home,” and yet probably tit) per vent
of her people are tenants. This was the text se
lected the other day by United Stall's Senator
William M. (’aider of New York in an address be
fore tilt* New York Heal 11 late association's con
vention urging the necessity of a national cam
paign for the creation of homes. He said:
“The object of each of our wars has been, in the
last analysis, to preserve the home. Yet we find
that to the majority of people in this country
‘home’ means little more than a dwelling for
which they are paying rent. What is worse in the
situation is that the percentage of these rent pay
ers is growing.
“In 1800 we were advised that 52 per rent of the
people in America lived under the rental system,
m 1910 that the percentage had Increased to 55,
and probably the census of 1020 will show that
fully do per cent of the people will be classed as
tenants.”
Taxation on the Home.
The necessity for giving proper attention to real
estate taxation was brought to notice in a paper
by Harrison 15. Kdey, president of the Chicago
Title and Trust company, which was read at the
recent convention of the Heal Estate Association
of the State of Illinois in Champaign. In his paper
Mr. Kilty said:
"It is undeniable that real estate and. therefore,
the home keeper, pays an increasingly unfair
amount for the support of the government and
the convenience of the people, A lazy indifference
and a stupid lack of intelligence in the levy and
collection of taxes must lie corrected, so that real
estate bears only an equal proportion of the ex
penses of government and of civilization with
other classes of property.
“Heretofore real ('state has furnished over 80
per cent of the revenue needed by the state, the
several counties and the unnumbered municipal
and quasiiminicipal corporations.
“Personal property, which equals or very likely
exceeds the value of real estate, has escaped pay
ing any fair proportion of governmental expenses.
"I suggest that the new state constitution shall
have only two restrictions on the power of the
general assembly to levy and collect taxes -viz.:
That all taxes shall I . equal and uniform.
••The provisions for taxation and special assess
ment in the new constitution should la* so flexible
that property and earning capacity can he reached
and an income tax used as a substitute for spe
cific taxes upon classes of property difficult to
reach or the value of which It is Impossible to de
termine except by an nssesslve body much too
heavy and too dangerous in character to be tol
erated.”
CHRISTMAS DAY.
"It's Just what I wanted, dear! ' I always smoke
this kind."
“Yes, I bought John a perfectly lovely jar
diniete for the hallway. It's useful!’’
"Mu. can 1 go out and play with Willie Smith?
He’s got a new sled!’’
“Oh. urn! I traded my sled to Johnny Jones
for a pair o' skates an' r. air rifle!"
Variations o? the Straight Line Suit j
With tile beginning of the season '
suits and dresses were presented In
n variety of silhouettes, and now that
the midseason Is here, tile public has
declared its preference. Wide-hip, crin
oline and peg-top outlines captured
and held their devotees, but a high
percentage of well-dressed people
pinned their faith to lines almost un
broken in suits, in dresses, and more
particularly In evening gowns. No
new aspirant has disturbed the stabil
ity of the straight-line suit, and now
that manufacturers have tested out
the public, that is the one thing they
are entirely sure of. Therefore such
new suits ns they are turning out for
present sale are variations of the
straight-Hne models.
“Straight line" is not to be taken
too literally. It means a silhouette
having little definition at the waist
line. Such as there is results from
belts and girdles and not from fitting.
The two suits shown in the picture il
lustrate this point very clearly, and
also bring out the introduction of new
features that vary the style-and make
ir^wf
tht> suits interesting. There are nt*
least two advantages In models of this
kind—the style may he worn for a
Ions time, it will pass out slowly and
admits of u great variety of decora
tions.
In the suit nt the left of the picture
under arm tucks and buttons appear
In an original and attractive arrange
ment with lines running horizontally
on the body of the coat and lengthwise
below the belt. The coat opens over
a vest and the doth belt fastens
through a buckle at the front. There
is a small choker collar of fur.
In the figure at the right many but
tons in two sizes and an original rut
of the hack of the body assume the
responsibility of distinguishing this
suit from its predecessors. A very'
long and narrow sash of the material
slips twice about the waist aad loops
over at the left side. A wide turnover
collar fastens up snugly about the
throat. The skirts are both plain, one
of them n trifle longer than the other.
The length of >kirt> is very much
matter of Individual taste at present
froru six to nine Indies off the floor.
Christmas Decorations.
Everywhere women find children
are more or less engrossed with prep
arations for < 'hristmsi.s day, the most
joyous of the year for them. No one
can do too much toward celebrating
the greatest of festivals in the right
spirit, for it should be a day of re
joicing. The interchanging of gifts is
all to this end. but tlds phase ot
Christmas celebrating seems overdone,
and to occupy too much time and costs
loo much money in late years; it
■rowds out other and equally impor
tant things. Everyone should share in
the good cheer ut Christmas time and
extensive giving of high-priced gifts
would much better be curtailed than
tlie Christmas dinner with the reunion
of members of families and their
friends, the remembrance of the un
fortunate or |mKir. and contributions
to institutions that need them.
Some things cannot lie omitted at |
Christinas time, if it is to retain its
significance. The Christinas greens
• that decorate ottr homes and churches, i
Christmas candles and goodies and, of !
.11 the things the Christinas tree, must
H- provided for. The higli cost of liv
ng has not made these impossible in
my community, and in many places
■a here evergreen trees are plentiful,
it is time and effort, more than money,
that is needed. The youngsters will
do a lot toward furnishing Christmas
greens, wreaths, brunches and little
'.fees that make a background for all
'lie day's festivities and set off the
aright red of holly or candle berries,
bitter-sweet end polnsettia.
Nearly all Uie polnsettia used at
Christmas time is artificial. It is made
>y houses that manufacture decorative
plants and flowers, of bright red velvet,
iml lasts tor years, thut Is. us long
s 't is put away carefully from
ristMua to Christmas. By far great
i ts of poinsettiu arc tumle of
r<‘i| crepe paper with small yellow cen
ters also of paper, and tliese. too, will
last a lone time, if oared for. The ex
pense tor all the poinsottlu needed by
the average church or home Is so very
little that no one is too poor to ltavo
this lovely addition to Christmas
greens. Red must not he used too liiv
lshly among them,
Poinsettln is made hy cutting petals
in various sizes from crepe paper, wir
ing them along the center with very
fine wire, and winding the petals to a
stem of heavier wire. The whole out
fit for making them costs next to
nothing. Bright red berries cun he
simulated with tine wire ami sealing
wax. If holly can't he obtained, hy
shaping the wax on the end of sfyirt
lengths of fine wire. Some lovely
Christinas baskets for household and
table decoration are made by tilling
wicker, or other baskets, with press
el maiden-hair ferns and paper poln*
settia blossoms.
Candle, lamp and electric light
shades of red and green paper are
made in much the same way ns poln
settia. Petals of red paper, all In one
size, are stayed with line wire, which
can he curved to suit the light, and
among these a few smaller green pet
tils to represent the calyx of the flow
er, art* to he placed. They are glued
to a circular disk at the center, with
a hole cut In It to tit over the electric
iight or candle snat'.e supporter or
lamp globe. When the petals have
been glued to place the shade appears
flat like a plate, hut tin* petals can he
curved hy means of the wire In them,
in any way desired and the shades
made small or large by varying the
size of the petals.
1