NILES FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION

302 E. MAIN STREET TELEPHONE 528 NILES, MICHIGAN ^5}

Il will soon be summer again. School will soon be out. Father’s Day is just around the next weekend. Vacations will leave empty desks at the officc and over­flowing cottages at the beachcs. Summer theaters will hear the rumble of prac­ticed lines, the heavy swish of shifting props.

IVew homes will be rising where last year field grass or mud marked the land­scape. Summer of 1940 looks like a busy season and we hope we’ll help you in your work and your hobbies by the stories and articles we’ve collected for this June 1940 issue of our magazine

There are suggestions for your new home—and ideas for making this year’s vacation something you’ll really remem­ber.

F. L. Vanienburg, Secretary

NILES FEDERAL

SAVINGS AND LOAN

ASSOCIATION

302 E. Main Street, Niles Michigan

TURN YOUR WISHES INTO PLANS

Most people who occupy rented houses for a long period express the wish fiequently, tha t they could own their own homes. T h ey assume w ithout knowing the stoiy of m odern home financing th a t a large ou tlay of money is necessary, but the people who have heard ab o u t the safe an d sensible plan for die budget financing of a home know tha t only a reasonable am oun t of cash is needed to s ta it most lamilies 011 their way lo hom e ow nership.

M odern home financing makes wishes tu rn into definite plans, w hich can be cat lied out simply and easily, w ithout stra in ing the fam ily budget and wiLhout involving the borrow er too deeply in obligations he canno t pay ofl'.

t is simply a m atter o f working with a strong, local savings an d hom e financ­ing institution such as this one, and using its p ractical facilities for m aking home ownership possible for you. T he funds you borrow here are not U m u s L iep*iid in full in a year or two. R a lh c r, (hey arc long-

teim loan lunds, and you begin your repaym ent in sm all am ounts the very hrst m onth alter you have m ade the loan.

1 he am ount you pay back is not m uch larger in most cases th an the am ount you tave been accustomed to pay for rent, an d it is surprisingly easy to pay o a Iaigt. parL of your loan in a few years w ithout a single large outlay for your home. M odern home financing gives vou too the benefit o f ex­perienced advice in every step of your purchase o r build ing. You can be assured tha t you arc getting quality i„ your hom e, an d th a t you arc safe in paying the pui chase pi ice because your lending institu tion is as interested111 Lie home as you a ie and will make every effort lo sec that it is w hat you [lay lor.

1 ake advantage oi the services of an institu tion here in your own com ­m unity conveniently lo ca ted -w h ich uses all th a t is know n to be sound and good m modern home financing, and see how the wish you have had for yca.s regarding your own home can be tu rned into practical ownership.

1I E I E E C O M E S T H E I t R I U EIt’s in the air—fluffy white tulle,

the scent of roses, music, and gifts —a hundred and one lovely things for the bride’s new home. Tradi­tional it is to bring to the newly­wed couplc something with which to start lliciv home life together. And all over the country this year, thousands of gay young men and women will begin their own home- making—building their own future happiness with these gifts from friends.

Traditional, too, it is for us to help these couples to make their married life all Lliat they pledged, Jjy aiding them to own their own home. Whether they begin their “Mr. and Mrs,” career in a tiny Cape Cod house or a Georgian home, it is traditional for newly­weds to come to this institution

for their “ first home” financing.For new homemakers have plenty

of ideas—hopeful dreams—visions of the future—and they need the friendly assistance of our officers who can olfer them their experi­enced knowledge of real estate val­ues and local building prices in addition to safe financing.

Here they can share their en­thusiasm with a friendly, under­standing counselor who arranges a home financing program lo fit their own specific needs. He knows the strict budgeting it takes for young couples the first few months of married life—be knows how best to plan the monthly repayments lo be “ rent-size” and not to overtax the budget and iie knows how' pleasurable is the acquiring of a borne when it is “worry-free.”

yM

♦f ) P. 5 J - f L Q Q R ,J P L A N •

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W iitium 7\ .Braun, /Architect" T i

CO iM P A C T as th e m o d e r n apartm ent, e f f ic ie n t as to- day ’s a u to m o b i le , this very

little hom e is the answer to the cry of m any Am ericans “ I w ant a well

designed small hom e!”I f the ow ner w ants an attic oi

finished second floor there is a plan for m aking stairs. I f the ow ner wants no basem ent — it is one of the most economical houses to build.

Further inform ation about cost and construction can be secured here— and our economical hom e loan plan will be your answer to intelligent safe financing on a m onthly pay­m ent basis. Ask us about it!£'opy/itlhicii J9'kK United States Buildi/ix and Loan League

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The legs of this a t t r a c t i v e coffee table as well as the chairs have been fabricated of "Lucite." The biscuit tray and jam dishare also of the same material.

This i s an a t t r a c t i v e "Lucite" vanity chair. The intricately carved mirror frame is also of the same plastic material.

PL A S T IC furniture has become a beautiful and practical reality w ith the successful application

o f a new product known com m er­cially as “ L ueite .” This crystal-like plastic has now gone beyond the limits of special designs and has be­come practical for m any pieces of domestic furnishings. ‘'L ucite” was recently shown a t G rand R apids used as legs for a new m odern bedroom suite by G ilbert R ohde. T he suite was m ade of an unusual type of dark wood of pronounced long striped grain. T h e draw ers o f the furniture pieces were covered w ith ofi'-white4

and beige leather. A group of occa­sional tables was also in troduced— coffee tables, end tables, and others —with "L ucite” legs and glass tops.

This plastic which looks like quartz crystal bu t which can be carved, turned on a lathe, or worked like m etal, has inspired m any decora­to r’s pieces of furniture. In this class, and now distributed nationally, are boudoir chairs and larger straight chairs with frames m ade entirely of curved clear plastic rods, luggage racks, cosLumers, and a variety of table bases com bined usually w ith glass tops.

O th er pieces are chairs w ith carved backs in a three-plum e design, stools elaborately carved, res tau ran t chairs with a single heavy plastic rod across the top of the chair back, and whole tables.

F u r n i tu r e m isc e lla n ie s su ch as smoking stands w ith m etal bases, tiered wall shelves for bathroom use, towel stands, m agazine r a c k s , con­soles, bcnches, and bedside tables have been successfully produced. In a t least two instances rooms with all “L ucite” furniture have b e e n exe­cuted.

Equally g rea t progress has been

m ade in decorative accessories of “ Lucite.” C urtain swags and rods, p icture and m irro r frames, breakfast bed trays, table lamps, waste paper baskets, shoe horns, m irror and brush backs, and m any vases are appearing on the shelves o f stores all over the country to in trigue the feminine buy­ers. For desk use there are com bina­tion ink wells and clock pieces, a gavel or a prism atic piece for paper weights, and book ends. T able ac­cessories include flower bowls, salad and relish dishes, candlestick holders, salad Forks and spoons, and a variety of tray designs. A large basket-shaped

tray suggests a lternate use as a m aga­zine holder.

In terior architectural use o f “ Lu­cite” for the home as well as for public and commercial buildings, is suggested by several interesting in ­stallations m ade lately in hotels, de­partm en t stores, and even in railroad cars. T h e property possessed by this plastic ofcarrying light around curves, and of diffusing light in desired direc­tions, lias inspired a new angle of thought in m any phases of interior architecture.

E d g e - lig h te d b a lu s tra d e s , a n d etched screens of “ Lucite” on which

the etched lines ap p ear illum inated, have been fabricated. Frosted panels, m ade o f the plastic, sandblasted, are used for room division in Pullm an cars. H ere, too, have been the first installations of light-carry ing “ Lu­cite” columns. Ceiling chandeliers, and all-plastic door frames, the lat­ter w ith heavily carved pedim ents to em phasize their baroque setting, have appeared in departm en t stores, while a hotel cocktail b a r presents the first all-“L ucite” ceiling, consisting of some twenty-five hundred hand- tooled units, in a lighting effect m ade possible by the p lastic’s properties.

5

(Jerald Y o u n g

AMERICA'S FAVORITE HOBBY

H E P E O P L E of the U n ited States have always d ru n k deeply of the satisfactions derived from

en terta in ing themselves. T h e “ L ittle T h e a tre ” like am ateu r sports and hobbies is a d irect descendant of the desire to be a p a r t o f some group activity, and the desire to m ake use o f na tu ra l talents. Am azingly, in the last ten years, the little theatre move­m en t hasenjoyed a m ushroom grow th, and those w ho have w atched it care­fully th ink th a t ils rap id grow th will in no way ham per its pcrm anencc.

In hundreds of com m unities, young an d old have p u t their talents to w ork organizing an d m ain tain ing theatrica l un its w hich have enjoyed the pa tronage o f their townspeople6

and the support o f surrounding com­munities. Some o f the little theatre groups are operated entirely without capital, o ther than the proceeds from p e rfo rm a n c e s , a n d th e y d e p e n d largely upon the generosity of mem ­bers’ time and gifts. O thers are either partially or wholly endowed. Still others are completely self sustaining.

In the smaller communities, the little theatre plays a civic role which is both welcome and worthwhile. I t serves as a bond o f interest. I t affords active workers a chance for group activity in a worthy cause. I t gives the entire area an opportunity lo fu rther a com m unity project through giving and getting a t the same time. Therefore, completely disregarding

the theatre as a tra in ing ground for the professional theatre , it is a p leasant and valuable asset to com ­m unity life.

M any, m any groups could be se­lected th roughout the country as examples o f just w hat can be done when the Little T hea tre becomes a serious project, bu t we have chosen th e “ B elfrey P la y e r s ” a n d th e ir theatre a t W illiams Bay, Wisconsin. T h e 1939 se a so n b r o u g h t th e m through their sixth successful season. T he “ Belfrey Players” own their own theatre , w hich was form erly a church. They have preserved the original quaintness o f the build ing by re­taining the pews, electrifying the kerosene lam ps and cleaning the old

w allpaper. T h e p u lp it has been turned in to a box office in the entry­way, and the church bell calls the neighbors and friends into the pro­ductions. T h e group has m ade an addition on the back of the theatre which is used as the stage and dress­ing rooms.

F inancing the theatre was a r­ranged by the incorporation o f the players an d the issuance of stock. This stock sells a t S io.oo per share, is nonassessable and represents real estate. Because the theatre is located in a town tha t is a sum m er resort as well as a perm anent com m unity, two types o f m em berships are offered, “ perm anen t” and “sum m er.” T he perm anen t m em bership is m ade up

of less than 30 people from the com ­m unities in the area around the theatre.

T he “Belfrey Players” are active the year round. In w inter they give bi-m onthly perform ances, participate in the Wisconsin D ram atic Festival, and enjoy radio, play writing, and the study o f the theatre arts. This group won state wide acclaim for its production of “ Smoke Screens” in “ 939-

Like most serious little theatre groups, the Belfrey players attack their problem s from a professional viewpoint. T hey overcome the prob­lem of small house capacities by re­peating performances. T hey m ain­tain two directors and carry out a pro­

fessional type o f program of which the 1939 schedule is an excellent exam ple:

Ju n e 21-25 “ Personal Appearance” Ju ly 5 -9 “ Kind Lady"Ju ly 19-23 “ Small Miracle”Aug. 2-6 “ Call It a D a y 'Aug. 16-20 “ The Enchanted April” Aug. 30-Sept. 3 “ Tou Can’ t Take It

With rou”In every com m unity there is an

opportun ity to duplicate the success o f the “Belfrey P layers,” an d the weight o f the program undertaken depends entirely upon the group’s am bition, ta len t, capacities, and in­genuity. W ith serious intentions the result can be w orthw hile and g ra t­ifying, a n d a unifying influence on any group th a t undertakes it.

WHAT’S AHEAD FOR

Home Building?

Ev e r y w h e r e you’re tow , “ ifyou’re going to build , s tart now, for delay will cost you m oney.”

As a potential hom e bu ilder these cries— “Now is the tim e to b u ild” and “ in terest rates m ay go u p ”— sim ply add to your confusion and m ay cause you to retrench any ideas you m ight have had about building a hom e now.

Before you drop your hom e ow ner­ship dream s, a brief analysis o f ex­actly how favorable the building m ar­ket is right now, m ight clear some of your general confusion, and provide a stra igh t way ahead for your home plans.

T h a t delay in building will be costly, is no idle propaganda sent out by real estate agents and contractors. I t is, ra ther, a sound economic con­clusion reached after careful study o f build ing and financing costs from records supplied by operating m em ­bers o f the building trades.8

First, the prospective home builder, to be convinced th a t the building m arket is in his favor, should under­stand the general trend o f the real estate m arket. This m arket, unlike the general business m arket, does not go in sudden spurts o f prosperity. T h e real estate m arket has entered upon a stage tha t m ay be designated as “ creeping recovery.” T he activity a n d v a lu e s im p ro v e s lo w ly an d steadily and with better general busi­ness conditions, the speed of the “ creeping recovery” is only slightly accelerated. Since the characteristics o f the real estate m arket are such, it is plausible that property prices will inevitably rise. T he trend is defi­nitely up.

G ranted, then, th a t your home building site will be m ore costly six m onths from now and you’ve de­cided to buy now a t a lower figure, w hat o f the cost o f the actual build­ing m aterials that go into your home?

ElSiiiigGnlioway

According to the m ost recent sur­vey m ade by A rchitectural Forum , the house bu ilt in 1926 (frequently spoken o f as the “ norm al year” ) for $6,600 can now be duplicated down to the last inch for $6,000. T here are several reasons for this reduction in cost.

First, while labor wages, a large item in the total cost of a new home, have not come dow n, the added efficiency available a t the present time by selection o f the most skilled labor creates an actual saving in labor costs, as com pared w ith the norm al year, 1926. Second, while building m aterials prices are again on the rise, these prices are destined to go higher. M aterials, however, for a typical house can still be bought at a savings because (1) there is now better use of m aterials th a t elim inate waste. T he U nited States D epartm ent ofC om m ercein the Division of Build­ing and Housing, has been conduct­

r

I

ing an extensive research on both the m anufacture and use of materials. Series of tests o f brick and other types o f masonry, tests of cement and con­crete, on the weathering of building stone and other investigations have been m ade tha t result not only in better built, bu t more economically built homes, (2) Substitutes for costly m aterials can be used reliably and guaranteed by construction special­ists to reduce the cost of materials.(3) U niform ity o f building codes en­ables m ore economical m anagem ent and better organization in the build­ing profession which reduces to a considerable extent the expense of building in 1940.

Despite the fact tha t your house bu ilt in 1940 m ay cost less than the house built in 1926, your house will be b etter built—because of the new m a­terials and processes—better heated because of new hom e equipm ent

—better looking because o f the m any new plan services th a t afford a vast selection of homes in different price brackets and better financed be­cause o f the m odern long-term home loans that are m ade possible—through this institution.

Yes, today’s hom e financing is in the buyer’s favor. O u r plan offers you a complete, safe, and econom ­ical home financing service. I t is a tried and tested long-term m onthly repaym ent plan. Ask us about the financing of your home. O ne of our officers who is a specialist in his f ie ld — a c q u a in te d w ith th e re a l estate values in this com m unity helps you determ ine w hat you can ade­quately afford to invest in a home, how you can incorporate your ideas into a house to m eet your needs and how you can secure a worry-free hom e financing plan.

There are advantages to this long­

term , low-cost hom e financing plan th a t assures the 1940 builder o f a sensible way to own his own home. After a small down paym ent m onthly paym ents are often no larger than the ren t now being paid for a home of equal size. T here is no need for worry about loan renewals every few years. U nder this p lan your hom e is financed only once. W hen the last pay­m ent is m ade and you have com­plete ownership and in addition to this peace o f m ind, you have the satisfaction o f living in your own hom e while you are paying for it.

T h e re ’s wisdom in build ing now. A hom e is of long life—a th ing to be carefully p lanned and carefully built w hen you can realize the m ost for your building dollars. T h is institu­tion has had long experience in help­ing families realize their hom eowner- ship dreams. Come in soon and let us help you build your hom e in 1940.

9

SEV ER A L Junes ago three girls who were close friends — who worked in the same office—

whose vacations all cam e a t the same time—set out on a two weeks’ “glori­ous vacation” together.

O ne was Betty.O ne was Jane.A nd one was R uth .Betty was the most happy-go-

lucky. She never w orried abou t va­cation m oney until the week before she left. T hen she wrote her m other a letter—a very special one—and her father a very very special one—and generally each one con tribu ted 10 extra dollars “ to spend foolishly.” W ith the $20 she w ould pay her two weeks’ room rent and, as she chuck­led, “ go vacationing on h er regu lar salary .”

I t was a typical Betty budget; th a t’s why, when the three girls p lanned their trip over lunches, Betty heartily agreed to go.

T h e m ail tha t next m orning car­ried the usual special letters to her m other and father and , as expected, several days la ter cam e a note in h er m o th er’s handw riting . “ Y ou’ll have a g rand time, I know, on your vaca­tion, So sorry I can ’t send a little pin m oney, bu t there have been so m any ex tra expenses this m onth—■”

W ell, of all times for h er m other to have “ extra expenses,” S he’d w rite and say she just had to have the m oney! But th a t w ouldn’t do— not to her m o ther and father, w ho’d al- 10

ways said you h ad no right to extra pleasures unless you had the money for them . No need to worry now. Som ething would tu rn up, i t always did.

H ow ever, when the day came to leave, Betty was w ith Ja n e and R uth —her two weeks’ salary tucked into h e r purse, and the room -rent bill still in h er m ail box.

Betty w ouldn’t have adm itted it to e ither of the o ther girls, bu t nothing seemed m uch fun on the trip—she

kept thinking o f how she could make up on the rent—w here she could cut down. A nd instead o f ordering ju s t w hat she w anted for d inner, she’d glance a t the prices on the m enu and pick the cheapest one. She let R u th and Jan e go horseback riding alone— the one sport she adored—th a t S'J could be saved for the rent. And by the end of the two weeks Betty was anxious to get back to work where she wasn’t w asting tim e and money in “ resting.”

* * *

Ja n e was the most enthusiastic of the three. I t was her idea to drive west in her little coupe. I t was Ja n e who m ade a!I (he reservations— planned each stop—and talked con­stantly about the gorgeous scenery. She had convinced Betty and R uth in five m inutes w ith her bubbly vaca­tion ideas. A nd the cost? The way Jan e figured, w ith a box of crackers and a ten I, the world was theirs for two weeks.

J a n e knew (from the movies) how im portan t clothes were in making the right impressions, so a few days be­fore they left, she shopped for some sporty things—and before she rea­lized it, slic’d broken into her vacation m oney and there was hardly enough left to bay gas for a day.

So Ja n e borrowed the money she needed, and the first m orning of their trip daw ned as clear and bright as though it had been planned by the gods.

I he bright girl in coral slacks on the beach—the pretty one in a stun­ning p rin t at dinner— the sparkling one on the brown horse—(hat was J a n e —dashing through two weeks of bliss.

O n her dressing table at home was a note for the money she had bor­rowed. W hy the interest alone was enough to pay for a new dress!

Well, it was fun while it lasted, but paying for a summer vacation in N ovem ber w asn 't exactly fane’s idea of living.

I t was on l'eb ruary 15th that Jane

h ad a secret little cerem ony in her room , and tore up in disgust the note a t last m arked “ Paid in full.”

Jr -k

R uth loved vacations! T w o weeks each year of doing everything you’d w anted to do all w inter. A nd w hat could be more fun than driving west w ith Betty and Jane? She began packing her bag days before they left —taking things out, rearranging, and putting them back in.

Several days before leaving, R u th took a little longer lunch hour and w ent to the savings and loan associa­tion. T he m anager was glad to see R u th and as pleased w ith her vaca­tion plans as she was,

“ O f course you know why I ’m h'cre,” she grinned.

“Sure,” he said. "O n your way

out you can get the money you need. You know R uth, it’s a real pleasure to see a young girl like yon save a p a rt o f her salary so regularly. T hen when vacation time comes it’s noth­ing at all to take a p art of that invest­m ent for two weeks of fun. I wish there was some way we could put you in our window and tell everyone passing by that you’re the girl who knows how to enjoy living.”

“ T h a t ’s nice o f y o u ,” R u th beam ed, “ but if it w asn’t for your association I probably wouldn’t save at all. I think we both do pretty well. You know it isn’t every place th a t’s so friendly arid expert in their advice. I like my savings program . I t ’s just enough to make me aware of w hat I

spend and no t enough to m ake m e skimp to keep it up. A nd i t’s really pleasant to go on a vacation th a t’s all paid for in advance.”

The office staff bid R u th goodbye th a t next night and T ed sent her off w ith a tiny new cosmetic bag—just right for traveling. T hey all knew R u th would come back saying i t was the best vacation ever—not another vacation could beat it. Every' year she always said the sam e thing— and every vacation seemed tha t way to R uth .

* * *

W hen the office m anager asked the three girls two weeks la te r about their trip, Betty said “ aw-fully glad to be back, earn ing m oney.” J a n e com ­m ented—“W hile it lasted, fine-—now to pay for it.” R u th said simply “Swell!”

W hat is your vacation philosophy? Tw o weeks o f w orry about unpaid bills—borrowing two weeks’ pleasure to be repaid a t a dear price, or two carefree weeks full o f fun an d pleas­ure, all paid for?

I f you w ant carefree vacations in years to come, let us show you how easy it is to look forward to by saving a few dollars cach m onth, establish­ing a “nest egg” from w hich you can draw each sum m er’s vacation ex­pense. W e’d like to show you, too, how we help you reach your savings goal sooner w ith the regular add i­tions of worthwhile earnings tha t your savings dollars receive here. O f course, there is no obligation, W onJt you come in soon?

11

Still standing after 167 years is this rammed-earth house in Washington, D. C., its many rooms now used as a tourist home. Its walls, hard a$ stone, were probably mads in plank-constructed forms similar to those which are in use today.

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IN T H E city o f W ashington, D. C., there is a three-story house built of d irt in 1773— 167 years ago! It

is not adobe, w hich is clay bricks m ixed w ith straw such as are com ­m on in M exico and the A m erican Southwest, I t is not plow ed-up sod, used by pioneers on W estern prairies for their homes. R a th e r it was m ade o f slightly moist earth tam ped solid in a foiTn o f construction know n to the French an pise de terre.

A nd it is nothing new !T h e historian Pliny (A.D. 23-79)

no ted th a t 250-ycar-dd watchtowers bu ilt by H an n ib a l were still in use and tha t: “ T h e walls are molded by enclosing earth w ithin a fram e of boards. T hey will last for centuries, a re p roo f against rain , wind and fire.”

T h e W ashington house bids fair to live up to P liny’s promise. Not long ago house wreckers were con­sulted. T hey discovered tha t the wall had turned to stony hardness. W reck­ing would cost so m uch iha t the ow n­e r decided to let the building stand and enlarge it by add ing a frame wing.

So excellent is (he dirt-vvaJJ insu­12

From Selm a R o bin so n 's article in the "Rolar,

lation tha t its heat loss is m uch less than tha t o f solid brick o r o f frame or veneer construction, affording a substantial saving in fuel costs and, perchance, air conditioning. In one case, ram m ed-earth walls showed no trace oi frost when the therm om eter dropped to 30 degrees below zero, a tem perature which coatcd the inside walls o f o ther unheated buildings w ith frost.

These sturdy walls of earth are also fireproof and soundproof. They dis­courage am bitious termites, vermin, and rodents. T hey stand against high winds. T hey are suitable for large buildings, A ram m ed-earth church in France, 80 feet long by 40 feet wide, was 50 feet high. After 80 years o f use i t was gu tted by fire, bu t a year later the walls were so solid they were used ra ther than razed when ihe church was restored.

T he public, when it occasionally hears o f ram m ed earth is incredu­lous. H undreds flocked to w atch the construction o f an earthen dwelling at Cabin Jo h n , M aryland. I t looked all right and it fell all right, but the doubters were convinced that (here was a trick in it somewhere. ‘'I f it is

really a d irt house you are b,,;i^- said one cynic, “ I ’ll b t J UlId in g ,” year and see it col]apsc ;**C ne* t heap .” T h a t was 17 years J 0 t ™ud the house is said to be stron ' d a y ever. ^ er than

Nonetheless, there is reason r general suspicion and h e s i t a n c ^ T ^ first reason is th a t to build of ' . terre, the soil m ust be right Tj ^ de d irt tha t makes clods which SUal,ly crushing in the hand works c,u t les‘st So does soil which, in a road or path, forms firm ruts or r . u hard when wet. For a triflin ~nitli,ls laboratories will make analysis ° * \ soil samples and advise w hether or clay should be added and in proportions. T he agricultural e ' 1Jlt im ent station of South B ako(a oPer' College, at Brookings, f0l- e ; Ue- will do it for $2. ' rilP lej

T he actual building of thP ................................ . ? f VV l S

___ ~o uie ■a simple mechanical job. The di ® *simply shoveled in hve-inch 1 *s within wooden forms such tls . used for concrete, then lampec more dirt added and so on. The forms usually are ten feet long, 36 inches high, and made of planed i J^-inch planks. J lie sides are held 18 inches

ap art by iron rods or bolts. W ith­draw ing the bolts from the walls at limes presents difficulty. Greasing them or placing a thin layer of fine, d ry sand around each bolt as the earth is ram m ed into the form over­comes the trouble.

Recently, Jam es A. Davis and G. W arren Spaulding of the Haskell Institu te, have developed a simple m achine w hich gulps in earth after it has been mixed w ith binder, puts it under pressure o f 1200 pounds per square inch, and delivers 8x10x12- inch blocks weighing 65 pounds and almost as hard as concretc. W ith this m achine, a small crew is said to have built walls for four-room houses for approxim ately 850.

Obviously, the chief cost of ram ­m ing the walls by hand is one of labor. Figures vary, bu t the usual saving over brick walls is 25% ; over concrete walls as m uch as 50% . T hree m en can, in a day, put up 54 square feel o f 18-inch wall of the first story, or 48 of 14-inch wall of the sccond story of a home.

R am m cd-carlh building, like all trades, has its tricks. T licr? is, for exam ple, a labor-saving technique of doing corners; and wood blocks, cre- osoted to discourage termites, should be set in the wall w herever window or door frames arc to be nailed to the structure. But all such points are m eticulously explained in a five cent pam phlet, “ R am m ed E arth Walls for B u ild in g s” , F a rm e r ’s B ulletin #1500, from the U nited States De­partm en t of Agriculture.

In Sw eden, ram m ed earth is used no t only for farm buildings, bu t also for cottages, bungalows and even m a n s io n s . T h e m e th o d has been found especially helpful in Swedish colonization, and the G overnm ent now subsidizes pise construction on subsistence homesteads.

Now th a t a way has been found to analyze soil properly, there is no reason w hy ram m ed -ca rlh houses should not enjoy some o f the popu­larity in the New W orld tha t they have had so long elsewhere. T hey are not a fad or a novelty. T he m od­ern pise houses are fashionable and m odern, offering a distinct challenge to architects and contractors not only in the U n ited States bu t also in other countries to revive interest in this, one of the oldest forms o f construc­tion know n to m ankind.

A modern home near Washington, D. C. to the e y e , y e s . But its first story walls are made of rammed earth. Below are the rammers made b y a present day blacksmith which were used in tamping the walls o f this modern pise home.

13

14

Y C H IL D R E N ju s t w on’t try to do the things I tell them,

say the sam e things every m eal and every day, over and over and they still ac t like little heathens. T h ey d o n ’t seem to know w hat is r ig h t!” wail young m others of per­fectly norm al healthy children who seem ingly insist on bad m anners in spite o f M other’s persistent struggle.

T h e answ er is p re tty simple and one th a t m ay m ake M other hide her p re tty face in sham e, if she geLs the idea. C hildren do as they see others do, the psychologists say, regardless of how m any times they are told to do otherwise. T h ey have some de­m on-like determ ination to do Lhings exactly like the adults abou t them and they are b e tte r mimics in m an­ners than Lhey are in words.

I f you really w ant your children to know w hat is correct in table m an­ners, how to excuse him self from a room full o f people and how to greet guests and answ er conversational questions, he’ll have to be around to hear and see you in social com act so

h e ’ll have a stan d ard of m easure­m ent. W hen he first makes his ap ­pearance a t the fam ily table a few sharp rebukes m ay be necessary bu t h e ’ll soon be quite a little gentlem an if he w atches D addy and if D addy is a gentlem an.

I f Sister hears M other greet the guests cordially and easily, she’ll be using the sam e words, sm iling in an alm ost laughable im itation of her m other. I f G randm other leaves her spoon in the coffee cup when she drinks h er coffee, d o n ’t be surprised if the little darlings pick up the habit an d don’t expect them to see any sensible reason w hy they shouldn’t do it if G ranny does.

T h e answer to the w orried M other is th a t she m ust make a special effort from this day on to m ake h er hom e the cordial, peaceful placc she wants it to be, if she expects to have well m annered children. T h e way that life goes on abou t them influences the children, and if it is ruffled w ith loud talking and careless m anner, nothing you can say will m ake the children ac t m annerly and well be­haved.

But if they are healthy, and if their little lives are one pleasant day after another, and if F a th er and M other seem to be people whom it is w orth­while to please and w hom it seems to be well to copy, you’ll have no trouble w ith m anners. Wre m ean no major trouble. T h e child m ay be an inventor a t heart and a darin g soul and try out a new custom o f eating w ith his knife although he’s never seen anyone eat with a knife. If ignored lie’ll give up trying and settle back to the known com fort of a spoon or fork.

D on’t insist on little customs like having the children come in to say good night to guests before they go to bed if they find it h a rd to do. Usually if it is a nightly custom they’ll come in w ithout any thought abou t the m atte r bu t if it is suggested in front o f the com pany the children m ay refuse to com ply and they are not far from w rong.

You’ll find th a t the adults in your household are far m ore difficult to train to handle your infants the way you w an t them hand led than are the children. You m ay have to do a little fighting w ith father and any in­laws who live w ith you bu t fight it out if you w ant w ell-m annered and nice children.

IN O U R observations on life there a re two kinds o f “worriers”—the schem ers and the “ what-will-I-do

now ” type. A nd they are as different as day an d night—and strangely enough, alm ost predestined to be lucky and unlucky in order nam ed.

T h e schem ers are the people who p lan ah ead —carefully and as intel­ligently as th e y can and try to foresee any difficulty or need tha t is ap t to p resen t itself. T h e y don’t frown and m u tte r ab o u t life’s bitterness b u t they recognize the fact that every day isn’t rosy and any day m ight bring u p some unusual set o f circumstances th a t w ould call upon them for quick decision, ready m oney or a sudden reversal of the ir way of living. Now they can ’t determ ine e v e r y th in g too definitely b u t these people who are p rep ared for any th ing can usually h an d le anything. S traight thinking ab o u t things they know are ap t to com e up has given them the ability to hand le day to day e v e n ts with finesse.

I f J u n io r wrecks the family car, th ey ’re the kind of people who have the righ t kind o f insurance. If a new b aby comes along a t a time when (lie fam ily have o ther events planned, they w ork ou t the f in a n c ia l end, change the plans an d welcome the baby as if h e ’d been the invited guest.

I f D ad has to go Lo Lhe other side of the continen t for his health , long tim e p rep ara tio n will have hardened

them all to making the best of the situation and giving fate a second chance. These are the people who honestly look ahead and try to m ake their lives easy and happy by being prepared for w hat m ay arise.

But the other type of w orrier— the “what-will-I-do-now” type is the kind who goes along happily assum­ing tha t he won’t be bothered w ith any emergencies, letting the future take care of itself. T hey pooh-pooh the people who arc always figuring out the best way to do things be­cause they believe tha t when the lime conics, they’ll think o f some­thing, But when a crisis does ap ­proach them, they cry for help— they’re lost in fear and doub t and they are incapable o f pu tting sanity and common sense into decisions. 'I lie reason they can’t is tha t they have never given a thought to such a possibility, and now their fears are based on ignorance. They never have any money. They borrow or try to borrow and find how hard the way is for the m an who has no backing. They make heavy dem ands for money, time and thought from their friends, and they come to expect o ther people to tell them w hat to do.

O f course, all o f us know both kinds of people. We would like to think ol ourselves as the, “ schemers”— the kind of person who can handle al- mosL anything. And il we once pu t a little effort toward that idea, it’s sur­

prisingly easy to change over, even if we’ve been the “ w hat-will-I-do- now ” kind.

A n intelligent review o f the past is your best basis, and will give you an idea o f the things you m ay expect in the future. To th a t add the things you hope to do— trips you w an t to take—pleasures you w ant to give your family—an d dream s you have for a new hom e o f your own. W hen you’ve though t over very carefully w hat the fu tu re m ay hold for you, you’ll discover th a t the foundation of all really in telligent p lann ing is a program o f saving. Y ou d o n ’t have to save a large am ount. I t ’s regu larity — th a t’s the m ain factor—a p lanned financial p rogram to provide dollars for any em ergency, and to s ta rt the saver on a peace o f m ind p rog ram th a t will build his confidence for his future.

T h e people w e know w ho a re In­telligent schem ers are people who can look ahead to everything an d feel fairly secure, because they are savers.

M oney is a strange and sure balm in times of trouble. I t represents a kind of safety th a t only the people w ho have p lanned ahead can know— an d enjoy. You can enjoy it and you can get a head s ta rt on a h ap p y fu­tu re if you w orry intelligently enough to save regularly and if you invest carefully. T o all the careful schemers we know, we extend an invitation for you lo talk over w ith our officers a p lan for your savings—w here you’ll be sure o f safely for your funds and enjoy regular profits—the savings factors the “ schcm ers” dem and.

15

IN T H E new hom e you are b u ild ­ing this spring and sum m er, are you spending the few ex tra dollars

requ ired for insulation o r are you foolishly cu tting your bu ild ing costs dow n to budget p roportions and lop­ping o ff the price o f the insulating protection?

T h e builders of small hom es too frequently regard insulation as the m ost logical item for econom ical cor­ner cu tting bu t they forget th a t good insulation is a perm anen t econom y, and should be installed in an y hom e w hich is to give continuous com fort, provide good health and long tim e happiness for the occupants.

Like a “ believe i t or n o t,” insula­tion principles w ere first applied in residential build ing to keep out h ea t ra th e r than to keep ou t cold an d con­sequently the first rea l developm ents cam e in the w arm er areas. B ut w hen insulation was talked ab o u t, the m an ­ufacturers seem ed to use the facts and figures on econom y in hea t fuel to m ake only a m inor issue of the greatest of all insu la tion’s advantages — hum an com fort. In the m inds of hom e builders th rough the years, the idea was considered an d then dropped because they could see a price saving in the construction o f the uninsulated house, and they h ad ye t to experience the com fortable living an insulated house could afford the y ea r round .

T oday all o f us are m uch better inform ed w hen we ap p ro ach the problem s o f w h a t we shall o r shall not p u t into o u r hom es, because the hom e financing institu tion , the con­tractor, the a rch itec t an d even the next door neighbor w ho leans over the fence an d w atches the house take shape will tell you th a t your hom e, well insulated , will give you g rea te r year round com fort, m ore econom i­cal household m anagem ent, fewer doctor bills, an d g rea te r resale value.

Insu lation today m eans “ any m a­terial w hich in nom inal thickness greatly re ta rds the flow o f h ea t from a region of re la ting high tem pera­ture to a region of lower tem p era ­tures.11 O n the m arket a re four m a­jo r kinds of insu lating m aterials:

(1) Boards o f cellulose fibres(2) B lankets o f eel grass, wood

fibre, vegetable fibre or ha ir betw een paper

(3) M ineral wools(4) Reflective m etal insulations.

T echn ically , you do not need tohave a lot o f inform ation if you can 16

depend upon a good con tracto r for w e a t h e r , and a more efficient, health-build ing your hom e, bu t you should ier home will be the result. All of theknow th a t in add ition to these dir- kinds listed above produce the samefcren t kinds, such build ing m aterials desired effect of checking heat move-as storm sash, an d double windows m ent in hot or cold w eather andused in the no rth ern and colder sec- no one kind is superior to the otherst io n s , w e a th e r s t r ip p in g a ro u n d under all circumstances. Y our con-w indows an d doors, and even aw n- tractor will take care tha t the instal-ings are all p a r t o f a com plete insula- lation of your insulation m ateria l istion job . m ade so tha t there will be no collcc-

K eep ing your house cool when tion of moisture w ithin your walls, th e tem p era tu re soars outside, and All forms of insulating m aterials keeping it cozily com fortable when may contribute to the form ation of the tem p era tu re dips outdoors are dampness in the areas, bu t dam p- th e problem s th a t concern you. H eat ness may be prevented if one of th a t pours dow n from the sun pene- two accepted methods of applica- tra tes an unpro tected house, and tion are used. T he use of a vapor raises the indoor tem perature, even barrier between the interior, w here th o u g h th e w in d o w s a d m it co o l the moisture originates, and the in­breezes, and the electric fan circu- sulation is one way; and the o ther is la tes the a ir. W arm air produced by to perm it a breathing space or free y o u r heating p lan t mixes w ith the circulation of inside a ir to the colder incom ing cold a ir w hich seeps or outside air. T h a t again is a technical blows into an unprotected house, problem , and not yours, actually , a n d the result is an uncom fortably but one which you can en trust to low tem p era tu re or high fuel bills. your builder.

I f your house is protected by an He will check, too, on the m ajorinsu lating m ateria l selected by your requirem ents of any good insulationco n trac to r or arch itect, for greatest m aterial, rioted briefly here: efficiency, com fortable tem peratures i. S tability (both physical and can be m ain ta in ed inside in any chemical)

2. Perm anence (not subject to ro t, decay)

3. N on-com bustibility4. Econom ical application5. M oisture repellent6. R easonable in cost7. A daptab ility

T alk over your insulating p rob ­lems before you bu ild and be sure th a t your family will be living in a house th a t contribu tes to b e tter dis­position and b etter health , due to greater com fort, an d w hich will give you lasting satisfaction.

R egard a com plete insulation jo b w hen you build as a long tim e econ­om y—one th a t will p ay you com fort dividends every year you live in the house, and even if your m onthly p aym ent has to be a few dollars m ore, add insulation to your b u ild ­ing budget.

This institu tion will assist you in p lann ing the best insulation for your hom e, an d you’ll be ahead . C om fort and econom y for your fam ily hom e are the two factors you will w an t to provide for, an d w e can help you p lan in telligently for a b e tte r hom e.

17

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FA T H E R S are quite im portan t people in most households. T hey are the breadw inners, the final

authority , the staunch support, and the kindly voice in fam ily affairs. And yet, because they go abou t then- daily business quietly and w ithout m uch noise about all they do, families are ap t to forget th a t honor and re­spect are sometimes lacking.

A day o f tribu te to the fathers of the country was first established, so the records tell us, ju st th irty years ago, and the inspiration was a father who had reared, alone, his children after the d eath o f his wife. M other had a day, and she was toasted and honored for all her services to her family but as Ja n e Addam s said “ F ather was left out in the cold.”

T h e idea grew', and Sunday, Ju n e 16, as a nation, we will call to m ind all tha t the fathers have done and are doing for the protection, safety and education o f their children. F a­ther will have special atten tion a t the family d inner, and all day, efforts will lie m ade to m ake him happy and aw are of the fam ily’s respect and affection.

But isn’t th a t a ra ther small way to tell fa ther he’s doing a really big job well?18

All of us w ould like to be able to take the tim e a n d the trouble to m ake D ad aw are every day in the year th a t he is doing a big jo b well, bu t we’re only hum an and we accept a n d go on w i th o u t m a k in g o u r thoughts or even o u r approval known. All o f us are alike and all of us mean to do m ore than w e do, b u t days slip by and m onths roll along, and sud­denly we are s n a p p e d into realiza­tion by such a day as F a th e r’s Day, and we all feel guilty and asham ed.

Sometimes w'e th ink tha t if all the families whose nam es ap p ear on our sa v in g s a n d in v e s tm e n t re c o rd s could look upon the m an o f the house when he makes a new addition to the family savings, or comes in to have his investm ent earnings added to his savings book, they’d have a better idea of w hat the financial security he is building for his fam ily means to him.

T h e men w ho have children in their homes tell us hundreds of times during the year w hat the m oney is being accum ulated for, and w hat it is going to do for ihese ch ild ren . They tell their stories not with pride in their own achievem ents b u t w ith pleasure in the fact that their boys and girls are going to have w hat

they w ant and need, and th a t their lives are going to be better and richer than their paren ts’ lives.

W e’ve had the privilege o f seeing a father come in and ask for his savings to use as a down paym ent of his own hom e for his family, and sometimes the excitem ent o f the oc­casion is enough to bring tears to the eyes o f all of us. H ere is m oney care­fully saved, and diligently invested.

W e’ve had the privilege of seeing f a th e r s c o m e in a n d th a n k th e heavens th a t they have m oney to use w hen sickness or em ergency needs dem and money. We couldn’t be in this savings and home financing busi­ness w ithout knowing how deep and how strong is the desire of every father to m ake a good life for his family. W e’d like to shout from ihe housetops these stories about the fathers we know who every day in the year are saving and striving to build reserves for their families, to g ive th em the best in life , a n d to m ake iheir earnings go the farthest in family spending.

But we’ll probably go on being like all hum anity, hearing and seeing and know ing the works of the fathers, b u t needing a special day to rem ind us of the respect we owe them.

HE BACKYARD'S BIG ENOUGH FOR A BALL G AM E!"

And big enough in which

to grow and play— for a

rough and tum ble boy

who treasures a catcher’s

mit above all else.

D a d ’s happy about it,

too. He has a sense of se­

curity about the family

h e ’ s never had before.

And he’s done it with a

little more than he for­

merly had paid for rent.

H e ’s buying his home the

sensible way . . ,

. . . the same way y o u

can p a y for y o u r home.

Here you can use the con­

venient budget payment

plan. For monthly repay­

ments on one of our long-

term , l o w -c o s t h o m e

loans are adjusted to fit

your family income. Sen­

sible, convenient, and

with the friendly service

you’ll like.

Y O UR F I R S T S T E PI h e fir.st stop to ta k r , w h en you d cc id e to b u ild or buy a hom o is Lo co n su lt th is frien d ly sav ings a n d hom e financing in s titu tio n .

M erc y o u c a n g e t ad v ice a b o u t the q u a lity o f th e hom e you p la n , local o rd in a n c e s , su pe rv is ion of legal d e ta ils a n d ideas for m o d e rn iz a tio n . . , ev en assistance in se lec ting su itab le house

p lans, an d . . . the safe lo n g -te rm , low -cost h o m e lo an p lan for which this in s titu tio n is k n o w n . Y o u a rc p ro te c te d in cverv s tep o f yo u r ho m e financing .

C e rta in ly th is e x tra assistance will be helpfu l to yo u , as it is to m a n y o th e r fam ilies w e se rv e — fam ilies w ho like y o u rs a re in ex p erien ced in h a n d lin g d e ta ils o f a c q u ir in g th e ir ow n hom es.

NILES FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION

302 E. MAIN STREET TELEPHONE 528 NILES, MICHIGAN

Return Postage Guaranteed N IL E S FED ER A L SAV INGS AND

LOAN ASSOCIATION 302 E Main Street Niles, Michigan

this

Sec. 562, P. L. & R. U. S. POSTAGE

P A I DNiles, Michigan Permit No. 153

VOUR H0H1E SBFEIV DI1D H1EKPEI15IUELV FH1HnCEDT h e re ’s a safe, econom ical ho m e lo an a w a itin g you . . . fo r f in an c in g th e b u y in g o r b u ild in g o f y o u r hom e. Y ou 'll find i t so co n v en ien t, so eco n o m ica l, so safe, too!

A d ju ste d to y o u r needs, w e like to say . Y ou le a rn w h y , w h en you have th e in itia l p ay ­m e n t a n d m o n th ly loan re d u c tio n s ta ilo r-fitte d to y o u r very ow n b u d g e t. I n a d d itio n , th e to ta l cost o f financing yo u r hom e over th e severa l years necessary fo r p a y m e n t, is b u d g e te d a lo n g w ith the funds you bo rrow . So, you see, th e re ’s n o lu m p su m to p a y o u t a t a n y one tim e. A n d th a t ’s m ig h ty im p o rta n t, for yo u r fam ily ’s p ro tec tio n . A friend ly c h a t w ill co n v in ce you w hy so m a n y p eop le prrjer o u r assistance in ho m e ow nersh ip .

,T

NILES FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION

302 E. MAIN STREET TELEPHONE 528 NILES, MICHIGAN