Evening star., 1934-05-15
STIMULUS IS GIVEN
STAR HOME PLAN
Congressional Action a
Presidents Request
Seen Beneficial.
BY VINCENT TUTCHING.

reconditioning movement in the Capt.
tai today as Congress tackled the
ambitious modernization and con-
struction program laid before it yes
terday by President Roosevelt.
While home owners of the Capital
and the Nation awaited expectantly
the next development in the Federal
Governments plan for loosening credit
for home betterment, flood of in
quiries poured into Th' Star office
tooay relating to the 81 900 Better
Homes Contest now being sponsored
by this newspaper.
New applications mingled with re-
quests for entry forms, literature and
contest rules as the thought of home
improvement took on new meaning
with the molding of new national
credit plan designed to enable home
owners everywhere to undertake
needed repairs and reconditioning.
Aids Building Trades.
The administrators pronounce
ment yesterday is the second charge
in a double-barreled onslaught on the
tagging building trades. On the one
hand Is the $200,00000O fund for
financing improvements to homes on
which the Home Owners Loan Cor
poration takes over the mortgages.
This program, announced a few weeks
ago. is expected to be in full operation
within two weeks.
On the other side of the picture Is
the Presidents plan. proposed to Con-
greSS yesterday, for looSening credit
for home modernization and repair,
as well as new building, by creating
machinery to guarantee loans made
by private institutions. This program
has been worked out by the National
Emergency Council in accordance
with specifications of the President.
Both of these plans will provide the
whereWithal for home owners to make
essential repairs and Improvements
which they have postponed for the
past three or four years, due to heSi-
fancy because their own future has
not been secure.
Progress of both methods Of dealing
with home Improvements will have a
decided effect on local property re-
conditioning campaign throughout
the country, and notably in the Dis
trict, where The Stars contest, in
augurated month ago, is now in full
swing.
The interest shown to date in the
contest here has demonstrated beyond
doubt that vast volume of home re-
pairs would be undertaken immedi-
ately were the funds available.
Two-Fold Objective.
The two-fold objective of The
Stars competition, in which IA cash
prizes are offered. is to create en-
ployment in the building trades. and
at the same time raise the stand
ards of community beauty In the
Capital and suburbs.
With the valuable prizes acting as
an incentive, many owners Of prop
erty have evinced keen interest in
the movement thus far, and citizens
associations IN the District and nearby
Maryland and Virginia have been
particularly active in promoting the
contest as popular idea in each
community. The Star has donated
an additional S100 cash prize to be
awarded to the civic group which
conducts the most successful cam
paign during the period Of the con-
test, ending September Is.
Widespread interest has been
shown, also, in the landscaping fea-
ture of the contest, in connection
with which the Washington Board
of Trade has put up S100 cash
prize. All home owners in the met
ropolitan area Of the Capital are
eligible to compete for any Of the
prize awards.
Failing in line with the many citi-
Zens' associations which have pledged
active support to the campaign, a
number of other groups. including the
Montgomery County Civic Fedora
ton, last night voted to indorse It.
Making the matter one of "emer-
gency business" the Montgomery
County group adopted the following
resolution:
Whereas. The Washington Eve
ming Star has announced a Better
Homes Contest to encourage physical
improvements and renovation Of
homes and landscaping Of grounds,
and
Whereas, this contest should have
the value of increasing employment
and the use of building materials as
well as improvements in the appear
ance of the homes of Greater Wash
ington. therefore be it
Resolved, That the Montgomery
County Civic Federation heartily in
dorses The Washington Evening Star
Better Homes Contest and urges upon
its constituent organizations active
local participation in the contest in
their respective local communities.
Supports Other Stands.
The resolution supports the stand
taken by representatives of member
associations of the federation 10 days
ago when they organized central
committee to promote the contest
throughout suburban Montgomery
County.
Citizens associations in the District
which indorSed the contest included
the Stanton Park Citizens Associa-
ton, Takoma Park Citizens Associa-
ton, Hillcrest Citizens Association
and the Park View Citizens Asso-
citation.
After indorsing the contest. the
Stanton Park group named special
committee to promote the movement
in that section. ]. T. Kenyon is
chairman of the committee. with
William H. Getz and william N. Pres
graves members.
The Hillcrest Association. in in
dorsing the contest idea, named two
special committees with instructions
to begin at once to promote the move
ment. Those named were Charles
Foster, chairman; B. H. Patton. Mrs.
Henry Daniels, Mrs. H. L. Gramp
and Mrs. Peter Rosele, on the first
committee. which will canvas the area
south of Alabama avenue. and H. R.
Townsend, chairman; John Collins.
Mrs. o. r. Davidson, Mrs. Allen
johnson and Mrs. r. Malth. to work
territory north of the Avenue.
Park View Action.
The Park View group, through its
president. F. v. Hale, named the fol-
lowing Better Homes Committee: Fred
S. Walker, chairman; H. H. Moore,