26 Miracles Ahead! 



tenants' demands. Demountability of the structure would per- 

 mit either renting or buying the land for assembly of the 

 unit. The perennial 5 per cent allowance for vacancies would 

 be decreased because available space could be transformed to 

 meet the market. Replacement of obsolete equipment would 

 be facilitated since it would be independent of the structure. 

 The demountability and rented-land features could combat 

 the tendency toward obsolescence due to crowding, deterio- 

 ration of surroundings, or moving of production centers. 

 With costs written off over a definite but different period of 

 time for the structural frame, the equipment, the walls and 

 partition sections, etc., depreciation rates could be determined 

 more accurately, replacements facilitated, and the obsoles- 

 cence of the entire building could be reduced due to the 

 obsolescence of only a few of its parts." 



Problems Ahead 



Warborn advances in building materials and construction 

 methods will make possible a prefabricated home priced 

 within reach of the average family. But, first, the war must be 

 won so that our resources again will be available for home 

 building. Second, the pressure of public demand for prefab- 

 ricated homes must be strong enough to sweep away the old, 

 out-of-date technique of building homes. These new homes 

 cannot be built only one at a time. Standardization of parts 

 and quantity production are needed to produce low-cost but 

 well-built homes for millions of average families. If the build- 

 ing industry can be sure of a public demand for these houses, 

 you can be sure that they will be produced. Mass production 

 plus mass demand developed our great automobile industry 

 and several others. It can also revolutionize the building 

 industry. 



A word of warning is voiced, however, by Arthur C. 



