Evening star., 1930-06-04

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tricts liabilities to sustain prosecutions
hereunder in the court.
while not indorsing all that has
been said to the discredit OF alley
buildings as a class, the Commission
ers are in favor of the general OBJ
iect sought to be attained by this
BILL assuming that it will be reason
ably administered and that the alley
dwellers will not be evicted before other
housing accommodations can be found
for them, thus creating another prob
lem. The Commissioners are inclined
to believe that the method proposed In
this bill, while perhaps not applicable
to every case, may prove useful and
effective in many cases which other
methods have failed to reach. They
have, however, certain comments to
make upon the bill as drawn
THE bill is not specific as to the
source of the funds authorized to be
appropriated for the purpose of carry
ing out the provisions of the bill, but
in the absence of the provision to the
contrary, it is assumed that the funds
are TO be appropriated from the General
Treasury and are to be general funds.
Under this assumption it appears appro-
pirate that the work should be admin
istered by the United States Housing
Corporation, a Federal agency, under
the direction of the President.
Not Bound by Rules.
"The Housing Corporation not being
bound by the rigid rules of procedure
and accounting that bind the depart
ments of Government can, no doubt,
handle such a project with greater
ease, flexibility and success than any
other existing Government agency
known to the Commissioners. AS the
work of the Housing Corporation under
the act will closely touch the depart
ments of the District government, such
as the Highway Department, the Sewer
and Water Departments, the Surveyors
Office and the building inspection di-
vision, it is clear that the activities of
the Housing Corporation in this matter
should be subject to the jurisdiction of
the District departments concerned. 1t
Is sufficiently safeguarded by the pro-
visions of section 1-B and section Az.
Section 4-A makes 1t unlawful to
use or occupy any alley dwelling in the
District of Columbia as a dwelling on
and after July /, 1910, and section Alb
provides that no building or structure
shall hereafter be moved, altered or
converted for use as an alley dwelling.
| It appears to be questionable whether
emily repugnant to health, safety,
morals and welfare as to justify sum-
mary abatement as contemplated by
| this section. 1t appears that such
dwellings, If supplied with sewer and
water and otherwise sanitary and
healthful, may well be permitted to be
occupied until actually acquired by the
! their owners, and eliminated by re-
nInff1np Hn0VNrCiNn nthaTUign
contemplated by the bill.
| Furthermore, the bill, as drawn,
makes no provision for continuing the
use of sleeping or living quarters over
/ stables or garages, or servants quarters
| over the rear of building, If fronting
alleys or interior courts. 1t is be-
/ lieved that provision should be made for
exceptions in such cases when the pub
| lie health, safety and general welfare
are not adversely affected.
Loan Provision Opposed.
'The provision in section I'D, re-
| stricting loans to home owners who
/ will undertake not to sell during the
period OF the loan, seems to be unneces-
sary, discriminatory and to contain pos
sibilit1es of subjecting a home owner to
considerable hardship or embarrassment
| IN circumstances which may not be
within his control. The final proviso
in the same section may introduce dit-
! flcultieS Of administration and be i'm
practicable Of application in cases of
property already occupied.
THE financing provisions in section
3 OF the bill contemplates the appro-
| priatton OF 100000 to be used as a
revolving fund for the purposes of the
bill. The bill makes no provision for
maintaining the integrity of this fund
nor disposition of the fund upon COM
| pletion of the work. It is presumed,
however, that the fund would be audit
ed by the accounting officers of the
Treasury and that any balance remain
| ing would finally be returned to the
+, Treasury when the work is done 1t is
believed that more definite provision
to cover these matters might well be
included.
Pursuant to the provisions of cE-
culars Nos. 49 and 273 of the Bureau OF
tho - 10 - ----- er.-