"Homes and The Modernizing Movement in America"

By FRANK E. COX Built-In Fixture Company, Berkeley, Celif. Excerpts ftom an address delivered befote the Bay Counties Conference of Master Plumberc at San Francisco.

E. Cor

In this year of 1929 when more than ever before the world is looking to us to lead the way for fuller achievement-in this year when we have been endowed with the responsibility to set the standards of living for the known universe, vvhen opportunity stands at ouf very threshold beckoning us to act-what better time could we choose to display our ability to glorify the American home ?

Present possibilities for Better Homes have deluged us with opportunities to create and possess one for ourselves. Modern inventions to make them beautiful and convenient have developed apace with our phenomenal industrial evolution. We owe a distinct obligation to ourselves, our families, our communities, and our nation to grasp these oppor- tunities and improve to the fullest extent our homes and properties.

Here on the shores of the Great Pacific has been presented a natural opportunity to exemplify these ideals. To us especially in this favored district adjacent to the Golden Gate is given the chance to set the standards in home development. With our year-round climate; with our inherent prosperity; with our past and future industrial achievements assuring us of a permanent existence; and with the vast and hungry markets of the Eastern Hemisphere eager- ly looking for our products, we can settle ourselves down to upbuilding our community into one unsurpassed.

For many- years American standards of housing have risen until today we set the pace for every nation in the world in the quality and convenience of home construction. But American standards of house beauty have not alwavs been so high, and have only risen-to tlie high levels that now prevail within the last few years. The attention of architects, designers, and builders of homes has been focused for years past almost entirely on building new homes. The development of quality, convenience, beauty, and design has been quite obvious in these new structures.

But what are we going to do with the old homes after they become out of date, run down, and unmodern ? I reiterate, what are we to do with them ? Are we simply to move on from these places and build new homes? Are we going to see these old places carelessly thrust behind us and continue their downward path until rot or shame necessitate their complete removal ?

When a country is young and the land is cheap it is perhaps a satisfactory policy for a man to move to another county and start a new farm when the soil of his old farm weafs ont. You can see, however, where such a procedure is impossible for very many years. Yet, it is just such a courge that our great cities have been following for the years since the World War.

During these years housing standards have risen with extraordinary rapidity. People wanting houses with the newer ideas move farther out and build or buy new houses. The old houses are left vacant. or rented or sold to a lower class of tenant. Home owners left stranded bv inabilitv to finance a new home are faced with the proposiiion of living in a neighborhood that is doomed to grorv shabbier and shabbier. Ifouses degenerate into mere shacks. Any town, no matter how prosperous, has many such examples. These places decrease the value of the property in the entire community because they themselves are undesirable, and they make the surrounding property equally so.

Do you want your home to become one of this kind? Do you want your present community to degenerate into that class that will be referred to as "shack town" ? Do you want your investment to be dissipated by the engulfing decay that comes rapidly when once it starts ? Do you know that there are over fifty thousand such places in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda alone that can be reclaimed?

If you value your home; if you hold dear any sentiments of its environments; if you want to protect your personal investment and your community's welfare, you must spruce up, clean up, modernize, and. repair your place NOW. Delay adds to your hazards.

The process of modernizing a house is in itself simple, but the results obtained are very griat, not only for the individual owner, but for all members of the community. This modernizing work must be carried out intelligently and in good taste. It is not enough for us to just change from the old to the new. One must make a real improvement, both structurally and artistically. The feature of modernizing is extremely important.

The rejuvenation of dying houses is one of the most truly economical things that can be done from the community standpoint. Thus a vast amount of invested cap.ital finds itself occupied. Thus scores of workmen in the locality are kept occupied and employed, making more circulation of money for the whole community. The grocer, the baker, the clothier, the butcher-everyone benefits because of the additional prosperity.

If the owners of these old houses would undertake to bring them up to date they would create wealth for themselves far in excess of the amount of borrowed monev required; and would benefit their friends and neighbors, and the community at large immeasurably.

Thus viewed, modernizing becomes a profitable investment not only in cold hard values, but in satisfaction and prosperity for all concerned.

The money value of your home is based directly on its conveniences and its beauty appeal to the prospective buyer or renter. If you were looking for a house to buy or to rent, would you be interested in buying or renting at the market price-or at any price-the house that is unmodern and old-fashioned?

Think of that old, unmodern kitchen with perhaps an inconvenient, unsanitary, old fashioned pantry. Do you know that this pantry can be converted into one of the most cozy little breakfast rooms that you can imagine? And that the kitchen itself can be transformed into a room of charming, colorful beauty and practical modern conveniences?

Perhaps the bathroom has one of the old fashioned tubs with legs all exposed. Perhaps the other fixtures in the bathroom are out of date, too. Do you realize how easy it is to get all of this changed to a shiny, modern room that compares with those in the new homes that appeal to you so much ?

In closing I want to leave this thought with you, that all necessities of modern times are demanding better homes. If self-satisfaction, civic pride, or respect for the community's interest does not prompt you to capitalize upon the potential possibilities that exist, then substantial selfish interest should, for there is money to be made in this modernizing business. In modernization only is the solution for safeguarding property investment.

H. A. SMITH RETURNS FROM VACATION

Herman A. Smith, Los Angeles representative for the Eagle Lumber Company, has returned from a week's vacation at San Francisco.

Russell Slade Makes Speedy Trip To Portland

Russell Slade, of the S. E. Slade Lumber Co., San Francisco, returned August 2l f.rom a trip to the Northwest. Mr. Slade made the trip between San Francisco and Portland by air both ways, thus saving a full business day.