Evening star., 1934-11-10
j. s. WILL THROW
ALL Of RESOURCES
T0MODERN|zAT|0N
Housing Body Plans to Make
Intensive Campaign Dur
ing Winter.
INTERESTING EXHIBIT
WILL OPEN THIS MONTH
Exposition Will Show What Can
Be Done in Repairing and I'm.
proving Homes.
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

4NL wv oANs
While giving the public and the
vitality interested world of finance op-
portunity to absorb the highly compli-
Gated rules and regulations governing
administration of the mutual mort
gage insurance phase of the housing
act, the Federal Housing Administra-
ton is throwing all of its resources
behind the home and commercial prop
erty moderniZation campaign which
next week will be months old.
Apparently needing the warning cry
Of officials in charge of title of the
act, that too much "ballyhoo' for title
II will kill interest in the moderniZa-
ton drive just as it is beginning to
be successful, the administration has
decided to give right-of-way to the
older campaign. Little information
has been forthcoming the past week
concerning the section designed to
bring about revival of new building
through creation of tremendous reser-
voirs of building credit by insuring the
investor against loss.
Long Time Program.
The view taken by the F. H. A. is
that title II is a longtime program
which at best will require considerable
time to get started, while the moderni-
zation drive in which the Government
inSures 20 per cent of the short-term
loan is temporary with slightly more
than a year of life left. The emphasis
throughout the Winter will be placed
on modernization, and it is expected
that Spring will find the campaign at
its height.
In Washington, where far more
mOdernizatiOn loans have been made
In the last three weeks than during
the entire first months, the better
housing program is preparing to 60
into high gear. It was announced
today that "the biggest and most in
teresting exhibit of material and equip
ment for building modernization ever
staged in Washington will open on
November 26."
Benefits Will Be Shown.
The show, to be known as the Better
Housing Exposition, is designed to give
a graphic portrayal of what may be
done in repairing and improving
homes. 1t will be held in the 10000
square feet of the bus center Of Wash
ington, located at Sixth street and
Pennsylvania avenue. The company
owning the property has donated the
space for a two-week period.
Opening November 26, the exhibit
Will continue until Sunday, December
8. AL Stern, successful director of
previous building exhibits here, has
been appointed to handle the details
by Thomas P. Littlepage. general
chairman OF the Washington Better
Housing Campaign. 1t will demon
strate the benefits home owners can
secure by undermining through the
loans sponsored by the F. H. A.
1t is planned to make the opening
OF the exhibit an event Of national
Importance with speeches by high
officials of the Federal Housing Ad-
ministration and the local campaign.
Every type of improvement that can
be made to a home, from repainting
and remodeling to new plumbing will
be shown.
A person of national Importance,
according to the plans, will be guest
OF the exposition each night.
Low Interest Rate Here.
Home owners of Washington who
wish to improve their properties
through Government insured loan
are unusually fortunate in that the
banks have set rate of interest and
carrying charges here that is much
lower than the rate prevailing in
most sections of the country.
Meanwhile, real estate men and
persons closely connected with the
financing of home building, were
somewhat divided over the ultimate
accomplishments of the housing ad-
ministration's mutual mortgage in
surance program which officially got
under way last week. The majority
of the real estate men were high in
their praise of this revolutionary step
the Government has taken in regard
to mortgages. They believe that it
will furnish all that is needed to
start building revival III this city,
where residential space, due to the
large number of people brought in
by New Deal" agencies, is at
premium.
Fears Expressed.
Others, however, expressed fears
that title II might bring a further
sitting of credit for new construction.
They pointed to the possibility Of in
vestors Withdrawing funds from build
ing due to the comparatively "low
return" which will be yielded by in
sured mortgages.
Meanwhile, it was announced that
Michael ]. McDonough, president of
the Building Trades Department of
the American Federation Of Labor,
today issued call to the 100000
building tradesmen of the country to
get behind the home mortgage pro-
gram, and to cooperate with the
Federal Housing Administration, its