Evening star., 1934-07-16
.SLUM CLEARANCE
PLANS Up TODAY
Presidents Committee on
Alley Dwellings Will
Map Organization.


Modernization and repair of homes
in the vicinity of sections where alley
dwellings are eliminated will be one
of the detectives sought by the Presi-
dents Committee on the Alley Dwell
ing Act, which prepared to meet to-
day to work out an organization to
administer the act.
The assistance of the Federal HouS-
ing Administration in paving the way
for funds to carry out this improve
ment activity is visualized by men,
bers of the committee. which was to
assemble this afternoon at the head
quarters of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission.
Commissioners Proposed.
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen said
he would suggest at this afternoons
meeting that the three District Com
missioners be named the Alley Clear
ance Authority. and that an Advisory
Committee be set up to make recon-
endationS to them.
All District officers would then be
used In carrying out the work of the
authority and it would not be neces-
sary to 30 to the expense Of hiring
separate force. The corporation
counsel. Hszen said, could file con-
demnation suits. the municipal archi-
tect could draw plans for any houses
which the authority decided to build,
and the surveyors ofice and other
District agencies could do the other
work of the authority. in addition to
their own routine activities.
Commissioner George E. Allen, who
on Saturday announced that the
Commissioners we're considering low
cost housing scheme for the District.
is out of town on a vacation which
will last one to two weeks.
Coincident with the alley clearance
meeting, Secretary Ickes took steps
toward speeding up the Public Works
Administrators $l25, 900 900 low cost
housing and slum clearance program
by announcing the appointment of
Dwight L. Hoopingarner and F. ]. c.
Dresser as associate directors of the
housing division.
Associated With r. w. A.
The two men have been associated
with the P. w. A for some months,
Mr.. Dresser as special assistant to
the administrators in connection with
public buildings. and Mr. Hoopin-
garner as chairman of the special
advisory board on public buildings.
Hoopingarner's first work will be in
New York in connection with the
$25, 900, 900 housing program contem-
plated in the metropolis, while Dresser
will go to Chicago to take charge
of the $4,000, 900 program in that
city. In New York, Hoopingarner will
work out a cooperative plan between
the p w A. housing division and the
New York housing authorities; visit
various sites, study land values and
review the situation with view to
making recommendations to Secretary
Ickes.
Thomas S. Settle, secretary of the
Presidents Alley Clearance Commit
tee, said that while the Federal Hous-
ing Administration is not part of this
set-up, it will doubtless aid in the
improvement of other homes in areas
where alley dwellings are located.
After President Roosevelt sets up the
authority to administer the new alley
dwelling act here, and that orgaaliza-
ton has erected new low-cost houses,
other homes in the vicinity could be
improved with funds made available
by the Federal Housing Administra-
ton, Settle said. thus raising the tone
of the whole locality.
The Presidents Committee set this
afternoon aside to discuss the proper
Set-up of the authority" and its re-
lationship to the various interested
agencies that have been working to
stamp out the blighted areas of the
city.
At its last meeting the Presidents
Committee passed a resolution under
which each of its component members
would bring in a report giving his
idea on the proper Set-up of the new
authority"
Spokesman for the various related
agencies at this afternoons session
were prepared to tell what each group
could contribute and how each might
assist practically in making alley
dwelling elimination here a reality
in the near future.
The meeting was called for 2:30
pm. Representatives of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion, the District government, the
Washington Committee on Housing
and the Public Works Administration
were given membership on the Pres
ident's Committee on the alley dwell
ing act. Canon Arson Phelps Stokes
is chairman of the Presidents Com
mittee, Commissioner Melvin C. Ha-
zen is vice chairman and Settle, sec
retary.
$5O0.000 Available.
Under the alley dwelling act. $780,
900 has been made available as an
initial fund with which to begin the
program of wiping out alley dwellings
here. The law directs the Chief Exec
utiye to name an authority" to ad-
minister the act. 10 afford him first
hand practical advice, Mr.. Roosevelt
convened the Presidents Committee
on the alley dwelling act The $780,
600 Will be utilized as the start of a
revolving fund, under which the "au-
thority" will turn back profits made
from the sale of alley dwelling areas
for garages, parking spaces and low
cost housing, so that the work of
eradicating the blighted areas of the
National Capital can be carried for
ward speedily,