Evening star., 1933-12-10
FUND FOR HOUSING
DATA Considered
c. W. =. Approval Would Pro-
vide $500, 900 to S. 5,0o0,.
600, Partly for D. c.

Favorable action on q request of the
Commerce Department for an allotment
to conduct real estate and housing
inventory Of the urban centers Of the
United States Is expected soon by the
Civil Works Administration, which has
the matter under confederation.
The project, 1t Is understood. would
be undertaken a. part of the G, w. A.
program to employ white collar" work.
ers, and the data to be compiled are
wanted BY the Department Of Com
merce FOR future action in an effort
to revive the construction industry.
Just how much Is sought or how
much the G. w. A. contemplates allot-
ting has not been announced, but esti-
mates have placed tho fgure from $2,-
100000 to 5000, 900.
The economic research, and p!cn-
ming division of the National Recovery
Administration, which has been serving
as the co-ordinating agency Of the
entire recovery program, has completed
plans for the real estate inventory and
recommended 1t to recovery ofhcials a.
both feasible and desirable.
Planned Before Set-Up.
The plan had besn completed be-
fore the Civil Works Administration was
set UP and 1t is understood that its
possibilities as means OF employing
architects, engineers and otherly highly
trained naen who have been jobless be-
cause OF the collapse Of construction
appealed TO Harry l. Hopkins, director
OF the @. w. A. It Is estimated that
between 1000 and 10000 men will be
employed in the work.
At the once of Dr. Alexander Sachs,
director Of the economic research and
planning division, it was explained yes
Serday that the real estate inventory is
but one part of the whole construction
survey outlined for consideration. Experts
IN the division. impressed by the virtual
standstill of construction and rehabiii-
tation work. surveyed the entire field
with the view to ascertaining desirable
facts that would help revive the in
dustry. Construction, it was pointed
out, taken as . whole, represents as
much in buying power during normal
periods as does the agricultural indus
try. Men employed In the many
phases Of the construction industry use
as much in manufactured goods and
commodities Is the farmers. For that
reason, . comprehensive plan fer i'm
provement OF the industry was set up.
Statistics and Analysis.
Whatever statistics were compiled
by the @. w. A. forces in making the
real estate inventory are expected to
be turned over to the Department of
Commerce for analysis. The figures, IN
turn, would be made available to bus.-
ness interests and the various mu-
inequalities affected.
A part Of the inventory would, it Is
said embrace the real estate and
housing situation in the National Capt.
tai. and. a. q result, many white coll
lar" workers would be employed here
1t Is also expected that other new
employees viii be required 10 make the
tabulation and Analysis at the Com
merce Department, but no estimate
of the number has been made.
Special attention to the problem OF
housing in the low-cost field was rec
commended by the economic research
and planning division. Already the
Public Works Administration has un-
dertaken one phase of this work in
m-clearance projects throughout
the country, two of which are TO be
applied in Washington.