Evening star., 1933-11-19
|SLUMS CLEARANCE
FOES TO Be IGNORED.
Civil Works Body Ready 10
Proceed With Program IT.
voIving Millions.

With the Federal Housing Corpora
ton, formed by the Public Works Ad-
miniStratton, incorporated, organized and
ready TO work with a tentative P. w. A.
allotment of several hundred mil
lions" plans were under discussion yes
terday for the Civil Works Adminstra-
ton to undertake extensive slum clear
ance projects with a dovetailing pro-
gram of rebuilding of low-cost housing
units by the housing corporation.
This program is being worked out
between Robert D. Kohn, chief of the
division # housing of the Public Works
Administration, Miss frances Perkins,
Secretary of Labor and v president of
the housing corporation, and Harry L.
Hopkins, civil works administrator.
Opposition Is Ignored.
The program will be carried on, it was
stated yesterday by Hopkins. despite the
efforts of certain influential inter
ests" to throw a monkey wrench into
the machinery and throttle the activi-
ties Of both the housing corporation and
the Ciyll Works Administration. Stun
clearance Is a major job of the army
of G. w. A. workers, he said.
Meanwhile, shortly after the an
nouncement yesterday that the organi-
zatlon of the Federal Housing Corpora
ton had been completed the United
States Chamber of Commerce urged the
Government to put limitation on the
number of low-cost housing projects to
be constructed directly by the Federal
Government.
Secretary of the Interior Ickes. public
works administrator and president of
the new housing corporation, stated,
Immediately after organization of the
new Federal concern that it will i'm
medlately begin to assist communities
to clear away their slum areas and as
sist in providing modern, sanitary, low
cost housing.
Outlet Valued Highly.
The public works administrator long
has been known to regard the clear
ance of slums and the substitution
therefor Of modern housing facilities at
low cost as an almost unlimited outlet
for public works funds, and a project
that meets the highest requirements of
the socially desirable" clause of the
recovery act.
Opposition also was expressed by the
Chamber Of Commerce. according to the
associated Press, to use of public works
funds to finance business units de-
signed to compete with or duplicate ex-
listing units now rendering adequate
service at reasonable cost"
Such action, a resolution adopted by
the board of directors said, lis con-
trary to sound public policy. destruc-
tive OF savings investments therein,
mace in good faith by all parts of
our people, including wage earners and
farmers, and causes an inequitable shift
in the basis of taxation, through re-
moVal Of extensive property values. and
the income thereof. from local. State
and Federal taxation.
We ask the Federal Emergency Ad-
mlnistration of public works to an
nounce policy aainst such use of Fed
eral funds. Such an announcement
VIII greatly contribute to the restora-
ton OF confidence in large aggregate
OF existing investments and encourage
existing business enterprise to proceed
with needed plans for extension and
oetterment Of service, thus furthering
employment"
Favors Private Enterprise.
The resolution on Government con-
Structlon said loans to limited divi-
uellu corporations, organized by public
spirited citizens with community back
ing, are 10 be preferred to direct con-
sTuctlon as an experimental means to
PROVIDE employment through Govern
ment encouragement of low cost
housing" NN''
1t would assist in restoring conf
oence OF investors and in encouraging
private construction, the resolution
continued, If housing projects under
taken directly by the Government as
" now proposes TO do are confined
solely to demonstration projects for +I,e
income iIH groups for which new housing
4Aas not n1therto been constructed
any temporary plan which NAV
seem 10 De required by the recovery
program TO provide employment through
M eHe extending of Government financing
ala 70 Individual home construction and
repairs, and Improvements Should he
based on established practices and cor
fleo out through the Cooperation Of
'he Federal Home Loan Bank Board
Large Fund Allotted.
ne Federal Housing Corporation was
aiIoIIeo tentatively considerable nor
tion OF remaining public works funds
described by Secretary Ickes as Several
hundred millions s"-for large-scale oner-
ations "4e o'eA-
IN addition TO assisting communities
IN housing projects, the Corporation
organized under the laws of Delawara
was authorized to engage directly in
sucn activities where cities or con1nu-
mites are forbidden by law to set up
organizations of their own.
Besides the Secretary, other officers
are: Vice president, Secretary Frances
Perkins; secretary, Lloyd H. Landau of
81: Louis, solicitor of the Public Works
Administration; treasurer, Rexford q
Iugwell, Assistant Secretary of Agri-
culture, and controller, George H
Parker. chief public works accountant.
The directors will be Ickes, H M
Waite, deputy public works admins
traitor, and Kohn.
Kohn is preparing an estimate of the
amount of money the corporation will
need Immediately, based on a tour he
made among the Middle West and Pa
Cific Coast communities
During the tour Kohn conferred with
housing authorities and citizens com
mitteeS in 10 cities and reported to
Ickes that everywhere he found an
eagerness to cooperate with the Pub
lie Works Administration plan to clear
slum areas and build self-liquidating,
low cost housing"
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