The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1934-02-23

deal in Slum - -
properties" h'charo BAKER
A. C. Houghton, president Of the
Real Estate Board, said:
"My interest in the project is
chat of a citizen and taxpayer
rather than that of a realtOr,
but from my observation the
general building public is not in
favor of the government going
into the housing business.
"Our experience has been
that sIum-clearance is not &C
complished by offering higher
priced dwellings to the Slum
dweller, and. knowing the rent
paid for the average slum
dwelling now, we cannot see
how the Government can meet
the present rent level with its
project and at the same time
maintain the Self-liquidating
feature it contemplates.
I'VE are not opposed to the
plan-the sociological theory is
good. AS business men-exper-
fenced in such matters-we are
merely skeptical."
Earl M. Macintosh of Weaver
Brothers, confined his firms at
titude on the proposition to the
following simple analysis:
1--WE are not concerned with
either the Governments low
cost housing projects or its
plan to loan money for lOw-cOst
home construction.
Homes which we sell are
not in the latter price class
and we do not consider our
field a competitive one with
any of the Government pro-
jectS."
From a business point Of view
w. C. Miller, former president OF
the National Association of Real
Estate Boards, thinks the idea
an impractical one and refers to
his analysis of the proposition
in an editorial written by him
several months ago IN the ma
tional real estate magazine. He
said in part:
"When the Government this
summer set aside funds in the
PWA for loans on lOw-cOSt
housing we urged that instead
Of being expended to support
limited-dividend take xe mp t
enterprises such funds should
be loaned as first mortgage
money to stimulate building,
specially BODYBUILDING,
through the regular and
customary channels. That is
still our position.
g.. People who have insult
ficient to eat will have i'm
proper shelter. People make
SlumS and the actual physical
housing, be it ever so poor,
cannot be blamed for the social
misfits that are forced to in
habit them.
"The elimination of the build
1ngS will not build sound or
correct bodies, and to rob this
portion of our population of
shelter which it can afford
must be to take care of them
at the public expense or by
philanthropy. The provision of
more costly dwellings that they
cannot afford will not cure the
evil.
Money at 6 per cent can
not compete with money at 4
per cent except that the : per
cent money offered by the
PWA must be expended accord
ing to the wage scale set up
by PWA, which is, in most
communities, at least twice as
expensive as the wage in those
communities for similar work.
"FOr instance, in Washington
carpenters receive so cents an
hour. Under the PWA wage
scale they would receive not less
than 81 an hour. If all the
labor going into housing is paid
the PWA scale, / believe that
private initiative can well COM
pete with and drive out of the
market the 4 per cent money
that is offered"
Leroy M. mccarthy, crack avia
tor of the Weaver Brothers staff
may be a long time coming back
to his desk. Captain McCartS
holds commission in the Avia
ton Reserve and early in tn,
summer was called to active duty
and assigned to Citizens Conser
walton Camp at Plymouth, Mass
Many of the Regular Army avia
tors who were also on CCC duty
have been ordered to posts to aic