Evening star., 1934-07-06
Many Inquiries Await De-
VeIopment of Program
for Home Aid.
HUGE PUBLICITY DRIVE
WILL LAUNCH PROGRAM
Local Improvement Contest Spon-
sored by Star Attracts
Wide Interest.
BY VINCENT TUTCHING.


Federal Housing Administrator
James A. Moftett is expected in the
Capital tomorrow, and Immediately
the huge task of launching the Gov
ernment's comprehensive program for
revitalizing the capital goods and con-
struction industries will begin.
Impulses from all over the country
on the Governments broad program
for home modernization and construc-
ton will greet the former Standard
Oil Co. executive, who has been in
New York during the past week con-
ferring with advisers and drafting
plans for administering his new Office.
First tasks to confront the housing
administrator will be the selection of
staff, and location of quarters from
which to direct the far-fung cam
paign.
Council Marking Time.
Awaiting word from Moffett. the
National Emergency Council, which
drafted the housing act and thus far
is the only agency having anything
to do with it, is marking time on this
program. Beyond the skeleton of a
plan to launch the campaign for ma
tional home moderniZation and con-
struction, nothing concrete has been
undertaken.
However, the spearhead of the
movement will be a gigantic publicity
and advertising campaign similar to
that which gave the N. r. A. to the
Nation. One of the chief functions of
the Federal Housing Administration
will be selling" American home own
ers on the wisdom of moderniZation
and repair and enticing prospective
home owners to build.
The publicity campaign will utilize
every media of advertising, including
newspapers, magazines, radio, bill
boards, movie screens and speakers.
In the drive the administration an
ticipateS the whole-hearted co-opera-
ton of the building trades and con-
struction industry as a whole. who.
with property owners and labor. will
share equally in the benefits of the
movement.
The inquiries which are pouring in
on operation of the program are
being tabled pending organization of
the F. H. A. In the main they deal
with principles and policies which the
new housing unit must itself deter
mine, since the law was written in
broad language, leaving much detail
to the discretion of the executive
branch.
While the national housing pro-
gram awaited developments, the local
home improvement campaign spon-
sored by The Star through its Better
Homes Contest continued to progress
in every community of the metropoli-
tan area.
improvements Started.
Competing for some of the $1,l00
in total prizes, many home owners in
the Capital and nearby have started
improvements. The Stars prizes are
divided into two groups: for homes
valued at $4,000 and less and for
homes valued at more than $4,000.
In each class the prizes are: First
prize, $3.50; second prize, 500; third
prize. $50, and four honorable men,
ton prizes of $40 each.
In addition, the Washington Board
of Trade has posted 500 landscap-
ing award.
Citizens associations. acting as
campaign armies in each community.
are vying for the Sl00 cash prize
offered by The Star for the most
successful community campaign. After
distributing entry blanks and Better
Homes Contest literature, the associa-
ton committees are diligently fol
lowing up" this work by keeping in
contact with prospective home mod
erniZerS.