| Show Worlds World's orld's Largest Mobile Community ty Built of Trailer Coaches Will House Naval Workers I Removal After War Will Leave No Ghost Town Improvements in Construction i Expected to St Stimulate Future Use by Migrant I Workers From wasteland to a city of homes in 46 days That's the wartime miracle of Trailer City at Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth Ports Ports- mouth Va where persons will soon make up the I worlds world's largest mobile community I When the navy found it was impossible to recruit workers I for the Norfolk navy yard because of housing shortages the Federal Public Housing Authority was requested to supply accommodations quickly The huge trailer project is the answer to this request Nothing approaching this feat has ever been seen in hous hous- ing Through the combined efforts of manufacturers government government govern govern- I ment officials contractors and local workers mobile homes a day were transported to the site and placed on foundation foundation foun foun- I dation blocks ready for occupancy Since all the units were completed and furnished at mid I western factories it was a matter of a few minutes for four tour men to them and connect electric lines The successful completion of this project which is expected to be fully occupied about July 15 IS is the highpoint highpoint highpoint high- high point of a revolutionary change in housing techniques motivated by war necessity Del Deliver Deler er Complete Unit Completely reversing the ries-old ries method of transporting parts or sections of houses to the site and then assembling them the trailer trail trail- er coach industry has applied as as- ns- ns line methods to home con and delivers complete un units ts including essential furnish furnish- ings Just as mass production techniques techniques tech tech- have changed automobile manufacture from small-scale small output output output out out- put at high prices to unit million capacity Capacity Ca- Ca ca at low cost this new construction construction construction con con- method for homes brings speed quantity and economy into housing at a Do time when all aU these factors are imperative for the war var e effort In manufacture this method saves 9 90 0 per cent on manpower The mobile mobile moile mo mo- b bile ile houses require less than one- one third the ordinary amount of critical critical c cal al materials permitting much greater reater g volume from a limited stock stock- p pile ile The average trailer coach vu A total of trailers dot acres near Portsmouth Va Here workers in the Norfolk navy yard jard will make their home borne for the duration Each trailer has a plot at least 26 by 46 feet adequately theS S drained and Victor Victory gardens already have been set out I furnished and installed costs about 60 per cent as much as the low- low priced house Further important savings are made in manpower manpower man man- power at the site since four men can have a trailer ready In a few minutes while even a house louse requires several hours Since war housing is needed in labor- labor scarce areas this has made trailers even more popular Employment in the Norfolk Navy Yard which is to be served by the Portsmouth trailer community is due to about 40 per cent inthe In Inthe inthe the next few months The speedy availability of ot the mobile homes will make it possible for the navy to recruit wor workers ers long before it could have i if it had to wait for other types of living units The effect on the naval shipping program willbe willbe will willbe be important to the early completion of the war Trailers Accommodate Families Of the units in Trailer City 2640 are standard trailers normally normal normal- ly housing two to four persons The Theother Theother Theother other are expansible mobile houses which are transported like trailers but have wings that are opened at the site to form extra rooms With a few quick movements movements move move- ments these form four- four room homes comfortably accommodating accommodating dating families of six This proportion of two sizes provides provides pro pro- vides ample quarters for large families families fam tam as well as smaller ones All AU other needs of this city larger than St. St Augustine Fla FIn are being F provided by the Equipped playgrounds dot dt the acre site and two vo schools have been erected I for the children A nondenominational nondenominational non church will be available to all al residents Four community and recreation recreation rec rec- recreation buildings will provide facilities ties tics for stage shows motion pictures pic plc pictures pic- pic tures games meetings and dinner parties Four large play areas each large enough for a sized full baseball field will be available for adults and seven seven seven sev sev- en stores will wm occupy a large commercial commercial com corn mercial building eliminating the need for traveling into the city to shop Each trailer has bas a plot at least 26 by 46 feet Drainage has made the soil fertile and a Victory garden garden gar gar- garden den usually appears outside each unit a few days after the family moves in Some build small picket fences around their gardens adding adding adding add add- ing the final touch of ot suburban at at- I All AU trailers when delivered were standard olive drab but because camouflage is not important at this site they are being repainted vanous various various vari van ous hues to suit the taste of the occupants rentals on these furnished homes range from 6 to 9 a week far lower than prevailing rates for tor p z f r at f S 1 iT I S r sub-standard sub quarters in the city S Electricity is provided at cost Although Trailer City at Portsmouth Portsmouth Ports Ports- Portsmouth mouth is the point high-point of the use of trailers it is expected to be followed soon by similar projects in other severely congested centers The government already owns more than units situated in nearly nearl parks throughout the country Portsmouth Enthusiastic Portsmouth is enthusiastic about I its infant addition for the housing shortage has been its greatest headache headache headache head head- ache since the emergency began But even more than the speed of its itt completion the projects project's effect on or I the city after the war is Residents are glad that when I Ithe the need subsides this emergency r subdivision will be moved en 1 masse leaving only the vacant field I it mushroomed from instead of a n 1 ghost community George F F. F Miles president of the thc t Trailer Coach Manufacturers association association asso whose members supplied the thi mobile units for the project sums 5 up this aspect I This city's birth is spectacular its contribution to the war effort t twill will be noteworthy and its fate when the war ends will make a dramatic sequel to the whole tale For unless B war post-war needs exceed expectations the whole community Is likely t to disappear even faster than it came The workers move on to peacetime peacetime peacetime peace peace- time occupations the trailers will wil i i I J i I d. d I s 1 j I wF I J y I This little girl even en finds room fo for r her dollie dollic in one of the trailers trailer S of the settlement near Portsmouth I IVa Va Whole families can comfortably y occupy one of the new units Playgrounds Playgrounds Play Play- grounds schools and recreation centers centers centers cen cen- I- I have ha been built to accommodate accommodate I- I date the residents find wheels again and serve vagabondage vagabondage vaga vagn i- i bondage or house migratory workers workers work worl ers ens and the ground that had bee been n Sn host to a 1 thriving city will once more mor 6 e ebe be an open field field no no worse for wear For Portsmouth there will be n no 0 bad effects no ghost slums no re re- t- t grets In this project also is seen the th e forerunner of a vast field for trailers trailer S 'S Sin in war post-war Europe With millions million 3 of persons returning to ravaged ci citIes cities cit cit- t ies communities like Trailer Cit City y will pop up to house them until permanent per per- manent quarters can be constructed construct construct- I- I ed he predicts If It American manufacturers manufacturers manu morn 2 can get sufficient mate mat rials in time it is not unlikely that it they will provide units for hundreds hundred 5 of towns as big as Portsmouth's t to 0 dot the European topography See New Trailer Use Peacetime me uses for trailers wi will wm II also show the effects of their wartime wartime war war- n- n time use Large groups of migratory migratory migra migra- I- I tory construction workers movin moving g from one reconstruction job to another another an an- 1 other will use trailers so they ca can n move their homes with them Seasonal Seasonal Sea Sen I- I farm workers will do the same sam thing Lighter and more powerful automobiles will ViII make road trav travel 1 more popular with salesmen and I professional men and trailer homes will permit them to keep their families fam fam- families together while they travel An upsurge in travel interest following following fol fo- fol- fol lowing wartime repression will enhance enhance en en- hance the normal market for trailers trailers trail trail- ers era too and thousands of families who are finding these mobile homes satisfactory during the war will vill decide decide decide de de- de- de cide to retain this type of living The trailers that were moved into Portsmouth are tributes to the manufacturers manufacturers' manufacturers manufacturers' manufacturers manufacturers' man man- ingenuity for they are areas areas areas as sturdy and comfortable as prewar prewar pre pro war models despite sharp curtailments curtailments curtail curtail- curtailments ments in available materials The chief shortages shortages rubber rubber for tires and steel for carriages wider are arc not serious because the units are placed on foundation blocks and andare andare andare are immobilized for the duration of the war unless they are to be moved to another site after their first assignment is filled However shortages of such basic materials as plywood and stainless steel have necessitated sub sub- The Portsmouth trailers have less than 2 5 pounds of steel only three pounds of copper and use in place of The experimentation required by these substitutions will pay real div div- I in the future experts predict Weve learned better ways to do things these experts say We now can save weight add space and increase comfort without increasing cost After a year or two when we get a 1 supply of the new light metals and plastics well we'll produce trailers that will be luxurious and practical and and at a small cost Meanwhile the Portsmouth project project is doing a big war job Incoming ing workers pour into the project every day bringing their families into a new type of living experience Once in they plan to stay This kind of life explains one worker after five days in his tr iler il- il er cr is as much fun as camping and anda a lot more comfortable |
