The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 28, 1919, Page 10

' The North Dakota Home Building Act ' Manager of New State Enterprise Hopes to Bring Labor-Saving Devices : § to Every Farmhouse in th¢ State o ' the most public-spirited business men cheap for the benefit of the home owners. Bismarck Bureau, Nonpartisan Leader. HE first step in the plan for providing homes for the peo- ple of North Da- kota has been taken by the in- dustrial commis- sion. Robert B. Blakemore, one of of Fargo, has been chosen manager of the home building association. His salary will be $5,000 a year and he will be bonded for $50,000. Mr. Blakemore is among the rapidly growing number of business men who believe thoroughly in the practicability and necessity for such a pro- gram as that of the Nonpartisan league. His life- long training has been such as to fit him for the position of master builder to the people of North Dakota. Since the early ’80s he has been a resi- dent of Fargo, the largest city in the state. In 1888 he went into business for .himself, handling real estate and loans. He has had wide experience in the valuation of real estate and erecting build- ings. He has built and designed a number of houses for an estate of which he is the executor. Politically Mr. Blakemore has always been alive to the need of progressive legislation. In the legis- lature of 1913 he introduced a bill for the initiative, ‘referendum and recall, which was emasculated by the old gang politicians. For the last six years he was commissioner of water works in Fargo, and in that position strove to make the commodity He also was active in the campaign which authorized city ownership of the electric light plant in his home city. One of the beliefs of the new manager of this enterprise, by which citizens of Nortf Dakota can own homes of their own in city or country on easy payments, is that early home ownership is the mainstay of good' citizenship and morality. His hobby has been to make the houses which he has constructed convenient for housewives so that there will be little necessity for outside help. He be- | lieves that modern conveniences cut expense in the long run, and that the first cost of installing good | equipment is less than the upkeep. of inadequate | or out-of-date fixtures. “I want to build homes on the farms that will lighten the labor of the country woman and her daughters,” Mr. Blakemore told Gov- ernor Frazier after accepting the appointment from the industrial commission. “Through our plans for farm dwellings we can encburage the demand for more sanitary and efficient equip- ment. ' We can also lower in cost of these facilities.” FARM HOMES TO GET MODERN IMPROVEMENTS Mr. Blakemore called attention to the fact that while every labor-saving device was installed in most city homes, farmhouses have been erected on ancient plans in which nothing is done to make the work of the farmwife less laborious. By stand- ardizing certain details of the architects’ plans the home building association will be enabled to in- stall inexpensively hot water or hot air heat, elec- tricity for ironing, running the churn and cream separator and grinding the feed in the barn. The kerosene lamp will disappear, ending a potent dan- ger of fire and peril to the life of the children, many of whom have been burned in playing about the table in their parents’ absence in the discharge of other duties. : ! No farm with a windmill need ‘be without run- -ning water in the kitchen from an elevated tank. The electric power for the mew North Dakota household will at first be produced from small unit plants, but eventually most of the state will be supplied with cheaper current produced by burn- i . ing lignite at the head of the mines in the west- ern part of the state and distributed over high ten- sion wires, just as power from waterfalls is carried ~in states farther west. . “One of the discouraging things about modern : life is that it makes the ‘start of young married . % . couples so expensive,” said Mr. Blakemore. “Home . owning and home interests are at the foundation “There is no reason why the country folk should not have all the comforts of people in the cities,” says Robert B. Blake- more, newly appointed manager of the home building associa- tion of the state of North Dakota. one common clay.” -Under the new law by which citizens can purchase homes or farms at terms less than rent, Manager Blakemore intends to make labor-saving devices for the farm wife and her daughter so cheap and popular that no one will be without them. of good citizenship. Think of all the good impulses and the virtues of our people—what one of them was not firmly grounded in home surroundings? Under the new home building law young persons are given the assurance of beginning married life under the best influences, vastly different from liv- ing in a boarding house, staying with relatives, or even renting a place which they have no interest in improving or beautifying. The home is the sheet anchor of the state and nation. I believe before many years, in every part of the United States, the North Dakota idea of making home ownership easy will be put in force.” AR There is nothing visionary about Mr. Blakemore. He is ‘a practical business man and realizes that the full power of the home building association can not be felt immediately. Eventually, he states, it will be possible to establish central warehouses for storing material in advance of needs. Thus, if he finds by experience that in one district 10 homes | THE MILL. MANAGER | As fast as the work can be accomplished, managers and staffs of varjous state institutions, provided by the last legislature and approved by the people of North Dakota on June 26, are being appointed and work begun to get them into operation. On this page is told of the organization of the home building association. The picture above .is that of J. A. McGovern, manager of the state mill and elevitor association and former deputy grain com- missioner of North Dakota. : seeking a location for: the first state mill and ele- vator. The bank, under, the: direction of Mr. Wa- o ters and Mr. Cathro, already is in full swi S PAGE TEN “They are all made out of -it in time in Montana. Mr. McGovern is now of certain kinds are erected each year, material on hand. He expects in this way to save from 20 to 25 per cent over the cost of individual home build- ing. tain contractors and workmen to def- inite districts and assure them con- tinuous employment through the build- ing season. ; y ) The law unfolds latitude enough to permit a great many combinations ad- vantageous to the ordinary citizen. ‘While no house will be built to look like its neigh- bor, certain fixtures and the casings for doors and windows will be standardized so as to cut costs. - The Bank of North Dakota will co-operate with the home building association in every way. Complete arrangements for the starting of the new state enterprise have not yet been made. It is probable ~ that the first house under the new act will not be completed before spring. Mr. Blakemore hopes to see the foundations of many homes put in before - winter. This will allow them to settle and be in perfect "condition for the superstructure in the spring. CHILDREN OF WORKERS WILL REAP BENEFITS While under the act any citizen of North Dakota who has deposited a sum equal to 20 per cept of the value of the house and lot he wishes to own will be assured of the state erecting it, one of the greatest benefits will be to the children of farmers and city workers. Thus, if a boy 10 years old would save $1 a month for five years, and at 15 years of age begin saving $5 a month for the next five years, and at the age of 20 would deposit $20 a month with the home building association, he would have enough for the first deposit of 20 per - cent on a $5,000 home at 22. Then he would live in the house or on the farm thus purchased, and pay at the rate of $29.13 a month for 20 years, or $45.20 a month for 10 years, after which he would have a clear title to the place, having paid less than rent would have been. The Montané Laws » he will be able to have the building 'Iie also will be able to assign cer-__ Some of the Legislation “Slipped Over” on Statg Farmers ;Editbr Nonpartisan Leader: “Big Biz” has been trying to slip it-over on us in Montana. Seeing the League a success in‘North Dakota, our politicians thought they would prevent So what did they do but slip a law over on us last winter calling a special election in the busiest part of the season to abrogate the primary law, our only means of maintaining a state democracy, and go back to the old conyention system. They also passed a law requiring us to register 15 days earlier than formerly, thinking in that way to catch some farmers. Through the Nonpartisan league the farmers got word of what was going on. Many farmers were made notaries and they started to circulate petitions and register the unregistered farmers in order to prevent such a law being passed. : Mussellshell, Mont. The politicians are busy howling their heads off about the League being a failure and declaring that the “farmers can’t stick.” sure we can’t stick, why don’t they leave us alone? Surely they are afraid we will go broke and wreck all our future happiness! They are not looking out for our interests, but their own.~ They're too ' sure “We'll Stick.” g If they are so blamed Another law slipped over on us in Montana last year is one that prevents us from selling - qur cattle for beef locally without going through a lot of red tape. This law gives the packers more trade. I don’t see why the few beeves the farmers can butcher and sell would hurt the packers, who claim : that they make only a fraction of a cent on each ~ pound of beef. I am looking for the day when, through the League, we shall livé under a truly 7 democratic government, of the people, by the peo- ple and for the people. e . Yours for success, PEARLE 1. LAWS.