Evening star., 1933-10-11
Large Scale Land Planning
Is Discussed by Conference
Years May Be Required to Carry Out
Stun Clearance in Cities, Baltimore
Speaker Declares.

Planning, as an ardent worker, while
president of the American Institute OF
Architects, for slum clearance, social
control and housing generally. He told
the convention he thought he knew
what a high-pressure job was when he
tackled the housing problem for ship
yard workers, in conjunction with the
Shipping Board, during the World War.
His present job, he said, is much more
difficult.
I'VE are torn between our desire to
make progress in housing and the press
ing need to put men to work speedily" ="
he said. We are compromising with
practical idea and a practical
problem"
He said the objective is to get rid Of
the rotten core in every city, which is
so easy to say and so hard to do. He
cited the difficulty Of getting 100 owners
In a single block to agree. Slum clear
ance, he asserted, is "a frightfully
difficult problem"
The people Of the Nation should not
look to the Federal Government to do
everything, Kohn said, citing recent
conversation with Newton D. Baker,
whom he quoted as saying that, when
the American people look to the Fed
eral Government to do it all-"when
we accept this defeatist attitude. then
we are beaten"
THE new Federal corporation may
use its powers, indeed we shall use it.,
as. demonstration as part of larger
plan in a community" Kohn continued.
THE Federal Government will utilize it
to initiate process"
There are between $50 and 100 prof.
ects before the housing division of the
Public Works Administration for con-
sideration, Kohn said. Every one the
division has recommended to the. Cab
met Committee there are so far
about 16 amounting to some S40000,-
000-has been passed by that group, he
said.
Committee Sympathetic.
The attitude of the Cabinet Commit
tee, he said, is that it has every SYM
pathy for housing, as it would rather do
this than anything. for this is not only
giving men work, but building for the
future and raising social values. For
the first time, he contended, the Fed
eral Government has housing policy.
Frederick A. Delano, president Of the
American Civic Association, who is also
head Of the new National Planning
Board, will do valiant work in planning
for these projects, he said.
The division of housing Of the Public
Works Administration has a double
problem, he said-to do things properly
and the wish to put men to work quick
ly. The organization, he said, is crit
icized for the things it does and the
things it does not do-accuSed of hav-
ing nothing but real estate men on the
group and of having no real estate men;
of building only apartment houses, only
row houses. only single houses.
Some 40 per cent of authorizations
so far, he asserted, are for row houses
or single houses.
Urges Real Values Be Paid.
As long as the Government has to
continue to pay the nuisance value"
of the land and not the real value, it
cannot compete successfully with the
slum problem, he said. Detroit has
come in with the first municipal project
for housing, and Milwaukee IS expected
next week, he said. Where cities are
prevented by city charters from engag-
ing in housing projects, other plans are
being devised, such as agreeing that
taxes shall not be increased.
Our educational work is having its
effect, for cities are asking what they
must do" said Mr. Kohn. The United
States, he said, in the case Of private