American IVorkingmen's Ilouses.—T-he English factory-operative's home is typical of the English workingman's order of being; so, too, with the homes of the French, the German, and the Belgian operatives respect ively. In America the operatives of one nationality are not kept long enough to develop a type; and yet, when the operative of this country steps out of the boarding- or the tenement-house, he steps into an individ ual home whose equal cannot be found in the factory towns of the Old World. The cottage of the American working,man Is, fig. 5) usually has a few thousand feet of land about it, and it is so located and constructed as to exhibit a pleasing style of architecture, with an excellent interior arrancrement and finish.
In American cities, small and inexpensive residences (fig. I) have received much attention, and the immense cheapening of convenient adjuncts is nowhere seen to greater advantage. In very cheap dwellings.a hall, or entry, runs through the house, while a neat parlor is arranged in the front, even when economy of space requires the use of the same apart ment for dining-room and kitchen. The small brit effective range and sink allow great neatness of finish to the kitchen, and hot water and cold water are supplied to a bath-room in the second story. A cellar furnace for heat ing the house with warm air, the introduction of gas, the use of dumb waiters and speaking-tubes, and the excellent and cheap wall-papers render these residences not only neat, but also very convenient.
American Bllila'ing the United States, the operations of building- and loan associations, which have attained great magnitude, have cxerted an important influence in facilitating the acquisition of homes by thrifty and industrious persons. It was estimated in 1888 that there were then in this country at least 5000 such bodies, with a membership of 600,000 and an aggregate capital of $75o,000,000. Their offices were located in numerous States, in some of which their establishment is of compara tively recent date; but there are a few commonwealths in which unwise or unfavorable legislation, antagonistic judicial decisions, or disastrous results in particular instances have had a tendency to check their growth.
First` Organi7ation, Ofieration, and first American organization of the kind was started in Philadelphia in 1846; since that time many others have been organized in that city. In i888 their number
was estimated at more than 600, with an aggregate capital of Sioo,000,000, and it was alleged that during a series of years 6o,000 persons had been aided in procuring homes. Of the operations of fifty-one associations in Massachusetts, it was recently reported that there was a membership of 20,735, of whom 3797 were borrowers, and that more than 3000 members had been aided by loans in building or in purchasing- houses. A similar relation between the number of borrowing and lending members presum ably exists in other States, but there have been notable variations in the percentages of members who have endeavored to acquire homes, and in the degree of success or of failure which has attended the operations of dif ferent associations.
There are dangers to be encountered as well as benefits to be derived; but of the general system, when properly applied, it has been forcibly said that it is the grandest, simplest, and most successful plan of co-operation ever made practicable in the two hemispheres.
of is optional with members whether they use their share of the money, saved or accumulated, in purchasing dwellings or for other purposes; and in the numerous cases in which funds borrowed from building- associations are used to acquire homes, complete freedom of action is visually allowed in the selection of the buildings purchased, pro vided sufficient security, in combination with other thing,s, is furnished for the loans granted. A large proportion of the members of many of the asso ciations join them with little or no intention of borrowing money or of purchasing buildings. The chief object of this class is to participate in a financial scheme which presumably offers special advantages for the rapid accumnlation of small savings by promptly lending them at a high rate of interest to borrowing members, each of whom, in turn, enjoys a share of the profits derived from all other borrowing, members, and is also benefited by thc privilege of rapidly and steadily diminishing his indebtedness bv making numerous small payments. There is considerable variation in the details of the modes of procedure adopted in different cities and States,fia's well as in the systems pursued by the societies of a given city; and the legislation affecting this subject, as well as the prevailing practice, is occa sionally changed.