I believe this to be the _chief factor_ in the decline of the American home--a hundred-fold more potent than the college education of women.
The unthinking comment on this rise in the cost of shelter is usually condemnation of greedy landlords and soulless capitalists; but is that the whole story?
In the present order of things it seems to be inevitable that the gain of one class in the community is loss to another.

Probably the law has always existed, and only the very rapid and sudden changes bring it into prominence, because of the swift readjustment needed, an operation which torpid human nature resents when consciously pressed.
For instance, the efforts of the philanthropist and working man together have succeeded in shortening hours of labor and increasing wages--without, alas! increasing the speed or quality of the work done, especially in the trades which have to do with materials of construction, so that house-building has about doubled in cost within twenty-five years, largely due to cost of labor.

This increased cost has fallen heavily on the very group of people least able to bear it, the skilled artisan, the teacher, and the young salaried man.

Again I call attention to the need of a philanthropist who shall raise his eyes to that group, the hope of our democracy, those whom he has held to be able to help themselves--and given time would do so; but time is the very thing denied them in this motor age.

Help to make quick adjustment must come to the rescue of those to whom time more than equals money.
One used to wait patiently for seed-sown lawns to become velvety turf.
Money can bring sod from afar and in a season give the results of years.
So the housing of the $2000 family can be accomplished just as soon as it seems sufficiently desirable.