Evening star., 1932-01-24
$9]O,0t)O WAR FUND
URGED TO ABOLISH
ALLEY DWELLINGS
Planning Board Debates Use
of Money Held for Hous-
ing Corporation.
MRS. NORTON ATTENDS
, HEARING WITH CAPPER
Members Believe Available Cash
Should Be Diverted to Start
Six.Year Program,

BY procuring congressional authori-
cation to use the unexpended 100000
wartime fund of the United States
Housing Corporation the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission is
hopeful that an early start will be made
on wiping out alley dwellings in the
city.
Closing its three-day session yeSter-
day, the commission had frank dis
cussion with its congressional members
Chairman Capper of the Senate Dis
trict Committee and Mrs. Mary T. Nor
ton of the House District Committee
on the subject. With Mrs. Norton Sit
ting in as an ex-offlcio member Of the
commission, it witnessed a woman for
the first time officially taking part in
its deliberations
Legislation is now pending in Con-
greSs, designed to eliminate gradually
Washington's alley dwellings over To-
year yeriod, with $4,000 being appro-
priated for each of six years. The
commission and its other sponsors say
that the United States Housing Cor
poration would supervise the work and
that the project should be self-support-
ing, about 4 per cent on the invest
ment being secured.
Cali Tor Details.
Senator Capper and representative
Norton listened closely to the discussion
of various aspects of Washington's alley
dwelling problem and interrogated their
fellow members on the commission
about its details. Commission mem
bers believe that the $500,000 in the
Treasury TO the credit of the United
States Housing Corporation should be
used as start on eliminating the alley
dwellings. They believe that the ends
of the closed-in alleys should be opened
to permit free ingress and egress, In
the initial program.
The commission went on record as
favoring the use of some of the new
funds to be secured If the 2 cents ad-
ditional gasoline tax goes into effect,
as part Of the MapeS program, for the
Improvement of park roads.
Oficials of the Office Of Public Build
ings and Public Parks say that the
Rock Greek Park roads will have to be
widened and repaired, shortly, as heavy
automobile traffic in that area is wear
ing down the thoroughfares constructed
for the Victorian era.
The gasoline tax measure is now
pending in the Senate District Commit
tee and a hearing likely will be held
on the pIOpOSdl w l4ofC pAAS PN~~ ~NN~~~
share in the new fund.
Early Action Urged.
The commission urged the need OF
early action con. the proposed amend
ment to the Capper -Cramton park
purchase act. Under this amendment,
the Federal Government would be able
to 90 ahead Immediately on the pur-
chase of key properties In the George
washington Memorial Parkway, stretch
ing southwark on both banks OF the
Potomac River from Great Falls.
The Federal Government ana the
States of Maryland and Virginia, and
fneir political subdivisions, are to snare
equally on a $3.50 basis in the pur-
Cnasa of land for the George Wash
ineton Memorial Parkway. Under the
amendment, the States would purchase
a like amount of land, later. under
their portion.
Capt. z. N ChiSoln, jr., the commits
sion's engineer, asserted yesterday the
amendment would not mean the au-
thorizatior of additional funds. but
I merely enables the Federal Government
to protect necessary property from en-
!, croachment.
The commission favors the measure
arranged to facilitate the transfer OF
land between various governmental
4 agencies. This would be blanket act
4: TO permit land transfers through exec
I utive action, instead of the necessity
for individual acts in each instance.