Evening star., 1922-03-10

country over second mortgages. Some
cities have arranged a form of guar
antee of second mortgages that has
reduced their cost.
Definite results in relieving tho
housing situation have only been OBJ
tanned where there has been COM
munity action. This is not matter
pie of the District of Columbia can
solve this problem by having your
own chamber Of commerce, mer-
chants associations. banks and labor
leaders cooperate with the Commits
sioners. If any will not cooperate
there is a lack of community spirit
that the District should not tolerate"
Secretary Hoover told Commissioner
Rudolph all of the data and statistics
gathered by the government on the
housing problem are at the disposal OF
the Washington committee when ap-
pointed.
When Secretary Hoover had finish
ed and Commissioner Rudolph had
committee on housing would be car
ried out. Senator King again took
the floor and said:
II am in hearty accord with what
the Secretary of Comm erce has told
you. Take this problem out of the
hands of Congress and transfer it to
the people,.
Senator King began his address by
stating that he did not support either
the Salisbury resolution or the Ball
rent law, because he did not believe
in paterna1ism in government. The
situation in Washington has not been
materially improved, he declared, and
he has been forced to the conclusion
that the strong arm of the govern
ment may have to do something to
effect a cure. The senator said that
he and others who opposed the Ball
law have been disappointed in what
has taken place. Senator King said
he realized that prosperity cannot be
forced by legislation, but that ii
trusts, whether in real estate or other
business, are permitted to flourish
''an irresistible demand will be made
by the people for government regu-
lation of business. which I would re-
gard as a calamity"
The senator said he wanted to
make it clear that selfshnesS mani
tests itself in every department of
life as well as in the handling OF
real estate.
Government Mny Take Hand.
''The question to decide is What
can we do nere?" he continued. II
don't want legislation from Congress.
believe some law will be passed and
that the government will get into
the housing business. And I don't
want that"
One means of stimulating home
building, the senator suggested.
for a reasonable time residences built
by individuals for their own homes.
The senator from Utah said he also
would consider the Pittsburgh plan
of levying heavier taxes on vacant
property than on improved land to
building.
Pastor Presents Views.
Rev. J. Milton Waldron. who has
been active in the movement to close
the alley dwellings in Washington, at
tended the meeting and left with the
Commissioners statement supple
menting the views which he express
ed to the city heads at a previous
hearing several weeks ago. DR.. Wal
dron's statement read, in part, as fol-
lows:
1.-THE law requires that tho alley
dwellings Of Washington be closed on
or about the 1st of July, but nobody
enforced. Congress has temporized
so much with the closing up Of the
alleys until the alley dwellers them
selves have come to feel that nothing
is going to be done along this line,
and even a few among these people
who might have gotten out of the
alleys have failed to do so. because Of
the postponement Of the time when
the alley-closing law Is to go into ef-
feet. AS we see it. 1t will do no good
to extend the time of the closing OF
the alleys for two years fbnger. for
when the two wears have passed we
still will have the alleys on our hands
as dwelling places and with nothing
done to provide residences for these
people"