One of the most obviously concrete proposals for postwar planning was the "homecoming home" project editorial, which with that phrase as a headline urged veterans to lay away some wartime earnings for a peacetime home. The editorial, published June 9, 1943, follows:
One of the best proposals for post-war planning in private industry comes under the attractive title of "The Homecoming Home"-a movement which seeks to interest thousands of people in "earmarking" some portion of their wartime earnings to invest in a new home to be built when workmen and materials are released at the end of the war.
The originator of this interesting project is W. C. Bell, managing director of the Western Retail Lumbermen's Association, and though it may be said that his interest is not entirely unselfish, the plan is very sound. It is a variation of the old "Christmas Savings Clubs":
- You open a "Homecoming Home" savings account-in addition to your War Bond purchases, or
- You buy additional War Bonds which would "earmark" as deposit for the purchase of your future home.
- On top of the "payroll savings" and other wartime "contributions", you pinch down a little tighter on family spending and lay up down payment on a home.
Just to illustrate the need of such a program, it was called to our attention the other day that in spite of the recently completed Victory Loan drive in Lane county, deposits in Eu gene banks have climbed right back to a figure close to $30, 000,000. All over the United States, in spite of War Bond sales, in spite of taxes, deposits continue to grow-because nearly everybody is earning income, because consumer goods are scarce or rationed. It is this "excess spending power" in every community which is pressuring for inflation.
For a long time, we have argued that one way to draw off some of this "excess spending power" is to provide some "incentive plan." Henry Kaiser and many others have contended that people should be urged to save now for things they can't buy now which they are going to need badly at the end of the war. The Treasury has consistently frowned on such a program under government auspices lest it interfere with the sale of relatively long-term war bonds-and this is wise, because at least 10 per cent of every family income should be in War Bonds.
But, with the excess growing, we believe such programs as "Homecoming Homes" can be encouraged without detriment to War bond buying. The plan is worth serious study in this community.
Now that the "hard likker" ration has been cut to a pint a week, there may be considerable cash which can be diverted to future homes-and the post-war employment of thousands of men.
The helpful psychological effect of postwar projects on returning veterans was the topic of an editorial published June 13. Herein it was pointed out that the veteran would have a "terrific readjustment to make." He would be greatly helped by the
