[no source, January 17, 1941]
Defense Housing
Ordered Rushed
1982 Dwelling Units
in 8 Communities to Be Built at Once
By Associated Press.
WASHINGTON,
January 17.—Immediate construction of 1982 dwelling units in eight communities
to avoid a serious shortage of housing for defense worker was ordered today by
President Roosevelt.
Recommended
by C. F. Palmer, Defense Housing Co-ordinator, the program would provide 100
units at Hinesville, Ga., immediately, 100 at Rantoul. Ill., immediately; 200
at Brooklyn, N. Y., immediately; 500 at Erie, Pa., by April 1; 200 at Orange,
Tex., 100 by April 1, the remainder by June 1; 17 at San Antonio, Tex.,
immediately; 665 at Norfolk, Va., immediately, and 200 at Radford, Va., by June
1.
They would
be built with government funds by the Federal Works Agency, and would be in
addition to 1435 units already assigned to that agency for construction in the
same communities. Including housing projects to be built by other government
agencies or by private industry and including today’s list, Palmer’s
recommendations for new units in these communities totaled 9029.
==========
[no source, January 5, 1941]
U. S. to Build
Defense Housing
Roosevelt Clears Way
After Eleven Areas Report Shortage
By Associated Press.
WASHINGTON,
January 5.—President Roosevelt, with a ruling that housing shortages exist in
11 areas where important national defense work is in progress, cleared the way
today for government construction of 6446 new family dwellings.
The Defense
Commission reported that, acting on the recommendation of C. F. Palmer, Defense
Housing Co-ordinator, the President had decided housing needs would not be met
by private capital.
The
president authorized federal agencies involved to proceed at once with the
construction, using funds Congress provided for the purpose.
Some 27,700
dwellings already are being built in 29 states, mostly by the navy, aside from
those undertaken by private agencies to meet the needs of defense workers at
shipyards, munitions plants and military posts.
HALF IN UNITED STATES
About half
the new list of 6466 units approved by Mr. Roosevelt are in the Continental
United States, and the remainder in the Panama Canal Zone, Puerto Rico and
Hawaii.
Palmer said
that 27,700 federally financed dwelling unites were under way at the year’s
end, of which the navy was building 15,800.
With new
housing projects being completed daily, by both public and private agencies, he
said the first 50,000 units would be ready for occupancy in the early part of
the new year. By March, he estimated that at least 100,000 houses would be
under construction or completed under a $700,000,000 program.
The United
States Housing Authority announced today that temporary loan notes totaling
$103.807,000 would be offered for sale during January by 36 local authorities.
TO PRIVATE BIDDERS
The notes
will be sold to private bidders offering the lowest interest rates and the
funds obtained will be used to repay the USHA for money advanced on loan
contracts. They will mature in from two to 12 months.
The Boston
Housing Authority will make the largest offering, $21,500,000. Other large
issues include those of Newark, N. J., $9,800,00; Birmingham, Ala., $8,800,000;
San Antonio, Tex., $7,750,000, and Bridgeport, Conn., $5,560.000.
Bid opening
dates and amounts for other various communities include:
January
13—Alexander County, Ill., $1,610,000; Danville, Ill., $875,000; Henry County,
Ill., $350,000.
January
27—North Little Rock, Ark., $450,000.
==========
[no source, no date]
HOLDEN GIVES IDEA OF
A BOOM TOWN
Acquainted with
Salem, Ill., And With Charlestown, Indiana, Which Grew Fast
George B.
Holden, who had assumed charge of The Texas Cafe, formerly known as Cappel’s
Bungalow Hotel, is fairly well acquainted with boom towns having gone through
the excitement at the time oil was struck around Salem, Ill. Salem, a town of
1,500 people, at one time grew in population to 12,000.
Every
available inch of space was rented. Hardly a dooryard in town but what had one
or more trailers. Rooming space was at a premium. Every extra bedroom in the
place had a renter. Many garages had been reconstructed to serve as human
habitations. Old chicken houses or out-of-door storage sheds were rebuilt with
chimneys and other equipment so that they could be rented to families, etc.
But when
oil ceased to flow about Salem, the big slump came. Population gradually
vanished and left a ghost town. Mr. Holden, who conducted a restaurant there,
stuck along, however, and did fairly well, getting the business of other
restaurants that closed up.
Before
locating in St. Charles he gave the “once over” to Charlestown, Indiana, about
a mile from which the government is locating a big smokeless powder plant. He
decided not to stay. Space for business on the Main Street was too limited.
When dinner time comes, however, all the restaurants in town can’t serve the
crowds. People must stand and wait for others to eat before reaching their
turn. He says the plant is now employing thousands of people most of whom
arrive on daily accommodation trains from Jeffersonville, some ten or twelve
miles away. The town of Charlestown, he says, originally had only 900 people
but is now swelling visibly from day to day. Building space is at a big premium
and rents of every kind are soaring out of sight. Old antedated brick [one or
more lines missing]
town that were perhaps [?] for $20 or $25 a month [?]
bringing $100 or $150 [?] Everything else is in [?] ance.
Mr. Holden
is origina [?] Texas. He is an en [?] and progressive young [?] knows the art
of cookin [?] serving good food. [?] menu for Sunday in [?] paper.
Next week
his wife an [?] son will arrive in St. [?] His son [?] [one or more lines
missing]
