THE SUNDAY OREGOXTAX, PORTLAND, MAY 31, 1914.
Syisi&m Which Has Prove d Su.ee ess Is Described By W.D.Horria.day.
BY W. D. HORN AD AT.
WEr.T.rVGTQy. New Zealand, May
20. In New Zealand, all laborers
are officially known as worker.
This term Is applied to any one who
receives a wage or salary. In both
New Zealand and Australia, the word
"grafter" Is used In complimentary
slang-, meaning one who is an unusually
good worker. To be a "grafter" here
is no disgrace. It is an honorable
standard of labor proficiency, t .
Notwithstanding the ceaseless In
terest and efforts of the Dominion gov
ernment to make the lot of the workers
of the ocean-bound islands comfort
able and pleasurable, the condition
of all the breadwinners here Is not as
Ideal as one would naturally expect.
There is some poverty in Welling
ton, in Aukland, Christchurch and in
Dunedin. These are the principal cities
of the Dominion. To find the squalor
here, however, one has to hunt for it.
It Is not the. bold, flaring destitution
that 1b met with in some of the larger
cities of the United States. It is the
quiet, shame-faced kind that hides
.way in the back streets and alleys.
Poverty here is an inexcusable con
dition on the part of the wage earner
who Inflicts it upon himself and fam
ily, and he shows that he feels the dis
grace by getting as far out of sight of
his more self-respecting fellow men as
possible. Probably one of the best-Informed
men In New Zealand on the so
cial conditions of the people of the
Dominion is Mayor Downie Stewart, of
Dunedin. He told me that excessive
drinking of Intoxicating liquors was
the chief cause of what little poverty
exists here. Human nature Is no dif
ferent in New Zealand from other parts
of the civilized world. There is a cer
tain percentage of shiftless laborers
here, the same as elsewhere.,
Under the socialistic and paternal ad
ministration of the government, many
homes have been provided for the la
boring class during the last few years.
This work is going on with Increasing
Strides and a widening of the original
purpose. It la now a comparatively
easy matter for an industrious, sober
worker to obtain a comfortable resi
dence. The first legislation to enable bona
fide workmen to obtain dwellings at
reasonably low cost was passed In 1905.
The principal object of the original
act was for the state to purchase land,
or set apart crown land, and to erect
dwellings feV workers which could be
leased to them at very low rentals.
It is the ambition of most renters in
New Zealand, as it is elsewhere In the
world, to own a home of their own.
The manifestation of this desire on the
part of many workmen caused Parlia
ment to enact an amendatory provi
sion in 1910. which enabled the work
ers to purchase dwellings outright by a
system of payment of weekly or
monthly installments, extending over
a period of 25 years.
These payments are computed annu-
-
PiiPiflfifffi
4
X-'-'
ally at the rate of 7 per cent, of -which
6 per cent is for Interest and the bal
ance for payment of principal. The
purchaser is directly responsible for all
public utility rates for his household
and maintenance of upkeep of ' the
property. The government requires an
Initial deposit of $50 to be made at the
time-' the - application to purchase , Is
sent in. '
The workers' dwelling act, as it Is
called, defines a "worker" as any per
son, male or female, who is employed
" In work of any kind or In manual
labor, whose earnings at the time of
hie application do not exceed 1875 per
annum and who owns no land.
In connection with the Labor De
partment of the government, which
has jurisdiction over this feature of
homebullding, there ' Is a workers'
dwelling board, which supervises the
erection of the residences. All plana
and specifications are prepared by
Government architects, but reasonable
alterations to " meet the requirements
of applicants are made.
It Is provided by the law that the to
tal "cost of the land, dwellings and out-,
buildings shall not exceed $3000. The
material of the buildings must be eith
er wood, concrete or brick. The use of
these materials depends largely upon
their cheapness and availability.. In
some parts of New Zealand timber is
easily obtained, while In others It Is
more desirable to use concrete or
brick. In preparing the plans for dwell
ings, special attention Is given to the
convenience and comfort of the occu
pants. Besides being attractive in exterior
architecture,' the interior design is of
modern and well-approved type. Spe-
cial care is taken as' to the sanitary lngs In all of the larger cities and In ments payable are appreciably re
arrangements. Good ventilation of the many of the secondary and smaller duced. .'
rooms is given. Bach dwelling is pro
vided with a bathroom and lavatory.
In carrying out this method .of pro
Tiding homes for workers, the govern
ment encourages the purchase of the
respective properties instead of their
rental. To this end, in all cases, an
application for purchase takes prece
dence of an application for lease or
tenancy. At any time that the agree
ment to purchase' is In effect, the pur
chaser may reduce the amount owing
on his dwelling and thus shorten the
period of time required' to complete
the purchase. There are no burden-
towns. Besides the finished work,
land for the same purpose has been
purchased or is being negotiated for
in practically every town, of any size in
the dominion.
With the exception of the initial
payment or deposit of $50 required
when a purchase is made, there is
practically no difference in the terms
of acquiring title to the property and
leasing or renting the same. The cost
of . erecting the different dwellings
varies "widely, ranging all the way
from $1440 to $2460.
In cases in point, I know of a $1440
residence that was bought by a wagon
some fees charged in carrying out thex driver, and a $2460 residence that was
whole transaction. .The only charge bought by a clerk.
xne wagon driver s plot of land Baa
a frontage of 118 feet, and that of the
clerk only 35 feet. The wagon driver
had three rooms in his cottage, exclu-
made is a nominal sum which the pur
chaser must pay for the transfer of
the property to himself when the final
purchase money has been paid.
Some Idea, of the magnitude of this 81ve or ,lno nroom scuuery, ana
, . . , . , . . . the clerk s residence was of five rooms.
exclusive of washhouse, bathroom and
scullery. In erecting these dwellings.
work may be had when it is stated
that during the 12 months ending
Mnrrh R1 1 Q1 ftftO Wfl Bnunt hv
the government In acquiring land for u ls fi.KUfed, tnat. tne cost. per livlnK
dwellings and in erecting buildings om- lslve conveniences and
thereon. From the date of, the adop- l?lns .f he lo haU be from about
tlon of the act in 1905 to September
30, 19137 298 dwellings were erected.
In order to give the system as wide
spread and uniform operation as pos
sible, plans and specifications for pre
pared residences were made available
f nr trift a-uMsL-nrA of annllRantR in Auk-
land. Gisborne. Napier, Palmerston ?en8e t with in Wellington
North, -Wanganul, New Plymouth,
Masterton, Wellington. Nelson, Grey
mouth, Christchurch, Timaru, Oamaru,
Dunedin and Invercargill. ,
$400 to $500. A Government charge
of 2H per cent for -administration ex
penses is figured in all cost estimates,
whether the dwelling ls for . lease,
rental or sr.ie.
The" cheapest town In which to build
is Christchurch, while the largest ex-
It
has thus, so far, been found quite as
expensive to build in the smaller
towns as In the four larger cities, al
though as the land ls considerably
f .cheaper in the former, the capltaL
The government has erected dwell- value is slightly less and the install-
The average cost of a Government
built dwellings of four rooms in Auck
land ls $1560,' and five rooms $1725;
four' rooms In Wellington $1725, five
rooms $1900; four rooms in Christ
church $1200, 'five rooms $1655; four
rooms- in Palmerston Notth $1690.
five rooms $1870.. These sums are ex
clusive of the cost of drainage, fenc
ing, lighting and administration.
The system of providing houses for
the working class in the cities and
towns proved so satisfactory that the
government, during the year 1913, ex
tended Its operations and benefits to
farming and other employes In the
country districts. For this purpose
many sections of crown land were set
apart and other tracts purchased in
different parts of the Dominion.
Bach section has been subdivided into
blocks of about five acres each, and
upon them dwelings are being erected
and the Improved properties leased,
rented or sold on the same terms as
are applied to dwellings in municipal
ities. It is expected that the workers
resident thereon will be enabled to
carry on farming in t. small way on
their ownaccount, in addition to per
forming their ordinary duties as em
ployes in helr respective districts. The
enlargement of the original plan and
purpose of the law ls meeting with
general approval of the laborers In the
rural communities.
The scale of annual payments Is so
low that comparatively fer workers
are in arrears. When the payments
fall behind, the matter is placed in the
hands of the public trustee of the
Labor Department, who usually makes
the collection without taking over the
property Involved. Thus, in the case
of a six-room dwelling costing $2880,
Including the land, the payments due
will be $192.50 per annum, or ap
proximately $3.75 per week, and. in
cluding rates for water, light and fire
insurance, about $4.12 per week". With
the exception of the $50 initial deposit,
the purchaser is placed on the same
basis as the lessee and tenant.
The Labor Department has made
arrangements with the Government
Life Insurance Department by which,
under a special scale, any purchase!
of a worker's dwelling may insure his
life for as nearly as practicable the
amount that may be owing on his
dwelling at the time of his death,
should such occur before 'final pay
ment is made.
Thus by the payment of 42 cents
per week, a purchaser of a dwelling
costing $2800, if he is 30 years old,
would Insure the payment of the bal
ance" owing on his dwelling - at any
time that, his death might occur. The
ambunt of insurance effected is actu
ally greater than 'the amount owing
from time to time. It being the. nearest
practical sum; and, In the case of
death, the balance of the Insurance
money, after paying the residue on the
dwelling, ls turned over, to the Insured
man's estate.
- In discussing the subject of work
ers' dwellings. J. Lomas, superintend
ent of the department, said:
"The workers' dwellings scheme pos
sesses many advantages for workers.
For example, except for the deposit of
$50, no capital ls required; the land is
cheap, the government being able to
secure convenient blocks at a lower
price than is ordinarily paid for single
sections; the cost of erection is re
duced to a minimum; there are practi
cally no legal charges, and every fa
cility is given to purchasers to pay
any extra sums off the principal ow
ing whenever they may be able to
do so."
The department keeps a careful rec
ord of the occupation of each pur
chaser. On this list are railway em
ployes, clerks, bootmakers, carpenters,
tailors, saddlers, butchers, printers,
day laborers', wharf laborers, quarry-
men, . night watchmen, electricians,
wagon drivers, motormen, gardeners,
plumbers and many others.
The underlying purpose of the sys
tem is to encourage the working class
in home building and thus make them
better citizens. -
But for the fact that New Zealand
Is already a land of home ownership,
the demand for the purchase of the
government's worker dwellings would
probably be far greater than the sup
ply and available financial resources
for the purpose. As it ls, there have
been erected and sold about 250 such
dwellings since the amended law went
into effect in 1910 The government's
workers' dwelling policy has naturally
had a bad effect on the investment of
private capital in rent houses, and less .
and less is being done in this line.
The private rentals are slightly above
those charged by the government.
Copyright, 1914, by Walter C. Hornaday.
J uvenile Interrogation.
(Washington Star.)
"Some formidable questions are aris
ing," said the apprehensive citizen.
"Yes," replied Mr. Bliggtns; "and th
worst is not yet over. My boy is ask
ing a whole lot that nobody else has
thought of."
CD wHlDE TOK m with Mwm
GX'A flNGCD
BY ROBERT H. MOTJLTON.
WHAT undoubtedly ls the most
unique sign language employed
anywhere in the world 'Is to be
found In Chicago. It Is different from
other sign languages in that ' It ls
called Into use only between the hours
of 9:30 A. M. and 1 P. M- each week
day, and because of the fact that before
and after these periods Its users depend
upon ordinary methods of speech for
communication.
But perhaps the most remarkable
feature of this, sign language lies in
the fact that Its characters, while only
nine in number, are each of such far
Teaching Importance that thousands of
dollars are involved practically every
time one of them ls made.
This extraordinary system of com
munication ls the means by which
brokers on the Chicago Board of Trade
conduct their business of buying and
selling on the open market. It is pe
culiar to this Institution," being unlike
that used on the floor of-any other Ex
change In the world.
TO- the casual visitor watching the
crowds congregated about the different
pita during the times of a flurry In
prices the signs used by the traders
have no Intelligible meaning, but to
the experienced trader a simple move
ment of the hand attracts attention,
and, at the same time conveys all the
information necessary to consummate
a deal. -
This sign language has developed
with the growth of the board, and Its
use has long since become a necessity.
The turmoil and hurly burly resulting
from a thousand traders seeking to at
tract attention in the excitiment of
the hour, added to the click of hun
dreds of high-keyed telegraph instru
ments and the noise of a small army
of messenger and errand boys acurry
Ing about, makes articulate speech
practically Impossible.
Then, too, the eye ls quicker than
the ear, and the signals given with the
hand or by a gesture of the head mean
as much as a telegram to the party ad
dressed and frequently permits the
.closing of a trade when. If time had
been taken In an attempt to reach the
side of the party making an offer, some
change might have taken place In the
market and the opportune moment
would have been lost.
. .
The sign manual of the pit trader is
simplicity itself, and with a very .lit
tle practice anyone can become adept
at it, although, of course, this does not
mean that It will perfect him as a
master In the strategy and generalship
demanded of a good broker. For in
stance, wheat, having sold at 90 cents,
.a trader catches the aye of soma one
opposite In the pit who has 50,000 bush-.
els to sell, and partly by telepathy and
partly by a motion of the clenched
fist, signals that he will take "50"
wheat at 90.
The seller, in reply, holds up his
right hand with the index finger ex
tended horizontally, indicating that he
wants of a cent more than the price
quoted, or 90 cents. The buyer mo
tions acceptance and signals back "Vs."
The seller and buyer then note on their
cards, "Sold 50 at . Jones," and "Bot
60 at H Smith, respectively, the num
ber of bushels bought and sold always
meaning so many thousands. After
leaving the pit the two traders meet
and check the operations.
- All prices are indicated by the hand
and fingers when held In a horizontal
position. The clenched fist means the
price in even cents. Each outstretched
finger, the fingers being spread apart,
represents an added eighth of a cent
up to five-eighths; the extended hand
with all of the fingers pressed, to
gether means three-quarters, and the
thumb only signals seven-eighths.
The hand displayed vertically refers
to quantities, each extended finger
meaning 6000 bushels up to 25,000 for
the entire hand. Whether the grain "Is
being offered or bid for ls shown by
a slight motion of the hand to or from
the trader making the signal. The of
ficial reporter stationed in each pit sees
all this signaling, and partly by ob
servation and partly.) on . information.
given him by the traders, notes the lat
est price and gives it to a telegraph
operator at his side to be "putxon the
ticker." Thus the price of grain is
made every moment of the session and
transmitted to all the ' markets of the
world.
While the visitor who sits In the gal
lory overlooking the floor, and who un
derstands nothing of what is going on
below, ls likely to be impressed with
the thought that he is looking at the
vitals of a lunatic asylum, there ls
Teally no other .business so well or
ganized that one man will accept a
nod and a shake of the finger for thou
sands of dollars without argument.
This means that it is a business em
bedded in honor. No contract, either
written or oral, ls more Binding than
the contracts to which a member of
the association ls a" party. No formal
ity, no absence of legal technicalities,
will avail under the rules of the as
sociation, to CtDsolve si man from un
deviatlng compliance with every term
and every feature of his business obli
gation. -Every pretext for the avoidance
of such obligation Is brushed aside by a
jury, not of a court, but of business
men, his peers, and ls not permitted to
obscure the spirit' and intent of his
promises, or to release him from his
responsibilities 'as a man and as a
merchant. When it ls considered that
in a single year more than 600,000,000
bushels of grain hava been dealt in on
tne board, the success of the system
employed Is apparent.
The system of buying and selling for
future delivery, as applied to grain1 es
pecially, and as practiced upon and
safegnarded by the rules of the grain
exchanges located in our great pri
mary markets, ls , much discussed and
regarding It there ls more or less mis
understanding. It was devised solely
in the Interest of the farmer and In
terior grain buyer. It provides for the
economical marketing of the chief
grain crops of the 'West, and creates
and maintains a broad, active and con
stant market for the sale of grain and
provisions. Independent of an Imme
diate, actual, existing consumptive de
mand. What is more important to the agri
culturist, it provides him with ready
money, which In turn finds its way
through the country stores to whole
sale merchants In great centers of
trade, and more than any other meas
ure keeps the complicated machinery
of business in harmonious activity. It
also has the effect of bringing to the
knowledge of the grain dealer and the
farmer all facts which are necessary
for them to know In order to arrive
at the Intrinsic value of their grain, as
measured by the supply and the de
mand the world over and the year
through.
Under its operation, all information.
concerning the movement Of grain and
of the markets of the world is placed
at the service of the public
In the arena of speculation every
buyer and every seller is a free lance.
If the "bull" thinks the "bear" has
pulled down the price of, next May's
wheat lower than the crop prospects
warrant, the "bull" puts his neck and
horns under the quotations and hurls
them upward. They stand there, to
changethe figure, like two gamecocks.
There can never1 be an alliance be
tween two opposing Interests. But be
tween these two self-interests equilib
rium ls established.
Unfortunately, the public knows to
its sorrow the methods of the bucket
shop better than it does the legitimate
boards of trade. Bucket-shops In out
ward appearance are exactly the same
as the offices of a private wire com
pany. They .are Intentional counter
feiters. Bucket-shops do not trade in
grain at all.
They simply bet with their customers
on the fluctuations, and frequently
hold back or .make fluctuations to suit
themselves. If asked where they will
place your order they cannot tell you,
because they have no connection what
ever with a real grain exchange.
The real broker, however, who ls a
member of a regular authorized grain
exchange, wants his customers to make
money, and if it 1 in bis power they.
make money. If they don't, he know
that he will lose their trade, because
their commission is all that he makes.
Tne bucket-shop, on the contrary, al
ways plays its customers to lose, and
they must lose or quit trading at that
shop. It simply takes one side of the
bet and Its customers the other. If the
customer wins, the bucket-shop must
lose. If the bucket-shop makes money
it must follow that the customers loss
money.
Smith's Mean Remark. v
(Philadelphia Telegraph.)
Here" is one that Congressman' Will
iam B. Francis, of Ohio, told the other
evening when one of the party mourn
fully referred to the weary life he ones
led In a boarding-house:
A young man named Smith boarded
with an emaciated aunty of ample
years, who seemed to take 4he view
that most any old thing ras good
enough to hash up for fodder. One
day chicken salad was served, but It
was merely another demonstration that
there ls nothing in a name.
"By the way, Mr. Smith," severely
remarked the landlady, as the meal
progressed, "how do you like the chick
en salad?"
"That reminds me," Irrelevantly an
swered Smith, "I bought a book today
and told them to send It around here.
Did it come?"
"Yes," replied the landlady, with a
puzzled expression, "but why should
the chicken salad remind you of it?"
"Coincidence. Mrs. Blymm," was ths
mean rejoinder of Smith. "Ths cools
is half calf, ya know,"
o