of Governor Herbert R. O'Conor 43

THE FOURTH NATIONAL HOME SHOW

Fifth Regiment Armory, March 18, 1939

Baltimore

THE Fourth National Home Show, under the auspices of the Beal Estate
Board of Baltimore, which has its formal opening this evening here in the
spacious Fifth Regiment Armory, is an inspiration to better living that every-
one should see who possibly can arrange to do so. Beautifully staged, in
accord with the most up-to-date living standards, the show reflects every
worth-while home convenience development of recent years, conveniences
which, through the hearty cooperation of the Federal Housing Administration,
are made readily available to every present and prospective home-owner.

As your Governor, and as a citizen of Maryland who would like to see
every home of our State furnished with some or all of these modern aids to
home comfort and enjoyment, I urge you to visit the Armory before the ex-
piration date of the Show, next Saturday, March 25, and allow yourself time
enough to examine leisurely and thoroughly the many, intensely interesting
displays that cover the vast Armory floor.

The center theme of this year's show is one that will capture the fancy
of any woman—and of a vast percentage of men as well. It is a lovely garden,
teeming with almost every type of bloom that it would be possible to find
anywhere—truly a dream after the average gardener's heart. It replaces
the home that, in previous National Home Show here, has occupied the place
of distinction in the center of the Armory, only to be torn down for reassembly
elsewhere once the show came to an end.

This year the complete home theme has not been abandoned. Rather it
has been improved upon, in that, instead of being erected temporarily on the
Armory floor before finding its permanent location elsewhere, this year's ex-
hibition house has been erected on a permanent foundation, on Windemere
Avenue, in the Loch Raven section, where it will remain after its award to
some fortunate spectator of this Fourth National Show.

In addition to the many commercial exhibits, which include not only every
accepted new device for any home purpose, but also the latest developments
in insulation, roofing, building and the like, the Federal Housing Administration
has contributed a number of attractive exhibits, that point out graphically the
provisions in the National Housing Act that are designed to encourage the
building and furnishing of a better type of modern home on a sound economic
basis.

Such exhibitions as these are of particular interest under the business
conditions now prevailing, for the reason that not a few of our leading econo-
mists are of the opinion that a revived interest in home building is the one
thing that contributes most to a general revival of business after the retarda-
tion of ten years ago. Certainly no more popular way of rescue from our
business troubles could be imagined than such a wave of home building and
improvement, which would assist so splendidly and so continuingly to an im-
proved standard of living among the rank and file of citizens of these United
States.