Evening star., 1934-11-30
ROOSEVELT OPENS
CONFERENCES ON
HOMES PROGRAM
Moffett Sees President on
Plan to Build for Poorer
Class.
ICKES, M0RGENTHAU AND
HOPKINS TO BE HEARD
Housing Administrator Says Gov
eminent Will Do Construction
in Non-Competitive Field.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG,
staff Correspondent of The Star.


WARM SPRINGS. Ga. November
3o.-President Roosevelt today turned
his attention to his housing program,
which has for its objective better
homes for persons with small incomes.
He conferred this forenoon with
James A. Moffett, Federal housing
administrator.
The point has been reached in mod
ernizing and repair loan program
where the President wants to expand
the Governments help 1t does not
now go far enough, in the opinion of
Mr.. Roosevelt, who is determined that
the standards Of living in this country
shall be improved. Therefore he is
working out plan which will call for
Government construction of small
homes for those who cannot obtain
loans-thoSe who cannot obtain credit
from private sources.
Details to Be Determined.
The details of this house construc-
ton plan have not yet been worked
out, but the President has clearly indi-
Gated this plan will be among the
major activities in his general recovery
program which is being reshaped to
meet changing conditions.
The President has not determined
just how this housing program Will
be administered or by what agency.
This was discussed during Administra-
tor Motett' S visit. The President, before
he returns to Washington next week,
Will confer with Harry L. Hopkins,
Federal relief administrator. and
Henry Morgenthau, Secretary of the
Treasury, and Secretary of Interior
Ickes, public works administrator, re-
sarding the salient features of this
benevolent plan to help the very poor.
MofIett said after his conference
with the President that everything
was peaceful now between his admin
lstratlon and that OF Secretary Ickes.
When asked directly about it he re-
Piled. that's all Strengthened out en-
tirely"
Moffett said that he and the Presi-
dent talked over the whole housing
scheme. Il asked him what was the
general thought on the whole pro-
! gram Moffett said.
Sees No Competition.
In providing for slum clearance.
subsistence homesteads and rural
homesteads it isn't the intertio to
compete with private enterprise in its
natural normal field Of operation. If
the Government doesn't do this build
ing no one else will.
1T isn't the intention of spreading
into the private enterprise field.
With regard to my program. re-
ports from all over the country on
modernization and repair are very
encouraging. New home construction
application blank requests are exceed
ing expectations.
Secretary Ickes and Moffett have
recently been in some conflict of opin-
ion as to the plan in some of its de-
tails, but the pacifying President
presumably has smoothed out these
differences. Just the same, the i'm
preston here Is that the President
personally favors the Federal con-
structlon plan as advanced by Ickes.
Happy on Holiday.
The President turned to his busi-
ness problems today with light heart
and gay spirits, having enjoyed yes
terday one of his happiest Thanksgiv-
| ing days. In the afternoon he at
tended the annual meeting of the
board OF trustees of the Warm Springs
Foundation. Later he participated in
| dedicatory exercises for the new units
! to the main building of the founda-
| ton and in the evening spent three
| happy hours at the THANKSGIVING
! dinner.
| The big dining room was packed
with paralysis patients. mostly chill
! dren. and each one seemed as gay
and happy as their pal and hero"
at the head table-President Roose-
welt. Undoubtedly the happiest of all
was little 6-year-old Mary Griinley of
Moorestown, N. j.. who, drawing for
seats in advance of the banquet, had
won the right to sit at the Presi-
dents left. At the Presidents right
sat Peter Woodbury.. years. of Man.
chester, N. H. On his right sat Mrs.
Roosevelt.
The feast commenced with Mr..
Roosevelt carving large turkey sent
to him by 97-year-old woman resi-
dent of nearby county. Of course,
there were other turkeys for the vari-
Gus tables, but the one at the head
table was the largest. During the
meal there was singing of familiar
songs in which every one joined.
4 l.
tory of Warm Springs were shown.
The festivities were brought to a
close with an informal talk by the
President. He told of his early ef-
forts to regain the use of the muscles
of his afflicted legs after he had been
Continued on Page 4, Column. 81