The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-03-28
PROPOSAL. TO CARE FOR HOUSING
SHORTAGE BY FEDERAL LEGISLATION

ests of the public without injury 10
those of the coal miners and operators,
the legislative and executive branches
Of the government need Systematically
gathered and carefully-anuyzed statis-
tics of the fullest sort in respect to the
coal industry. The public, irrtated
over the high cost and unsatisfactory |
supply Of coal and the high railway |
rates Tin part dependent upon the cost |
of operation, Of which fuel cost is a |
large factor), is entitled to know |
whether the burden put upon every |
householder and every manufacturer
is fair, or whether profiteering is go
ing on. and it turns, not to the gov
ernment Of the states bst to the gov
ernment of the nation for its informa-
ton The committee has recommend
ed a bill to authorize the securing, col
lecting and publishing Of information
with respect to the coal business. II
believes that the predominantly nation
al character Of the business its nation
al Importance and the extent to wh'ch
it is subject to national action, both
legislative and executive, warrant tins
bill and bring it within the power oil
congress under the constitution.
The proposal to establish federal
housing division somewhere in the
government which could gather and
disseminate information as TO con-
structlon. costs city planning, and 9th
er housing facts, with view to stand
ardization Cf building codes and parts
! has the earnest support of Secretary
| Hoover.
1T is appropriate" the report says
chat the federal government, with IFS
wide connections abroad, with its OPP
portunity to coordinate the experience
Of all the states. should establish IN
Washington bureau or division
where builders and city planning coml
mittees can secure the most recent IN
formation on the construction oil
houses"
While depreciating the tendency to-
ward tax exemptions, the committee
feels that its proposed exemptions are
temporarily necessary to induce invest
ment in construction. The insistent
drift Of money toward tax exempt Sc
curities, it declared, makes it impera-
tive that steps be taken to make hous-
ing investments equally attractive.
! Decentralization is necessary to the
solution of the slum problem, the com
mittee points out. ?nd this can be ac'
complished only with the aid Of prop
orly functionng public utilities. En-
phasis is placed on the gravity Of the
question of obtaining money for extern
sions and improvements which confront
public utilities. In meeting wartime
emergencies, It is pointed out. the pub
lie utilities expended their reserves and
now are without adequate funds &c
meet a demand for increased service
The problem Of financing public uuli-
ties Is more difficult than that OF II
nanc ~ railroads, it is declared. pc
caug. there is no central body as now
, provided, in the case Of the steam rail
roads. which might adjust rates N
proper relation to operating cost and
capital investment
The housing shortage already Is
nationwide and is increasing, the re-
port says. Specific situations in Bal
timore. Boston. New Bedford, Ph!ladel-
phia, st. Louis. New orleans, Cleve'
land, Detroit, Omaha, Denver, New
York and ether cities are dealt with
No attempt is made TO determine the
exact amount OF money that will bt
: required TO bring about complete re
construction, but a need for approx
imately $4,000, 100000 is shown. This
includes six billion for railroads, five
billion for houses, two billion for pub
lie utilities, and several billion more
for highways waterways, and so forth
The committee holds out hope ioi
the average citizen In two respects. II
SAYS that the cost OF building can nc
brought down substantially and thai
the cost to the government of trying It's
recommendations would be small.
In addition to senator Calder, th'
signerS of the report are Senators WIN
s Kenyon sf Iowa and Walter r
Edge Of New Jersey.