Evening star., 1934-01-17
|F0UND[|NGS' HOME
BILL GIVEN 0. X. Of
HOUSE COMMITTEE
Group Also Tables Request
for Inquiry Into Fire
Department.
CLEARANCE OF ALLEYS
TO GET EARLY ACTION
Subcommittee Ordered to Report
Soon on Measure to Elimi.
nate Sums.

The House District Committee today
ordered favorable report on the bill
which has passed the Senate author
iZing the Washington Hcne for Found
lings to enlarge its board OF manage.
ment.
In executive session. the committee
tabled a request by Representative
Jenckes of Indiana for an investigation
OF the management Of the Fire Depart
ment pending the outcome of decision
by the courts in case of suspended
fireman.
Chairman Norton asked for a report
on the old age pension bill from the
subcommittee headed by Representative
O'Brien so this legislation can be con.
sidered at the District Committee meet.
ing next Wednesday.
After considerable discussion, the bill
authorizing a continued program Of
alley slum elimination, using S500000
OF the Housing Corporation as a re-
volving fund, was referred to the SUBJ
committee on Public Health for early
consideration. II has been been passed
by the Senate.
IhIder Answers Patman.
Representative Patman. Democrat. of
Texas frankly announced himself as
suspicious" of interests behind the al
| ley elimination -rogram. This led John
lhlder. chairman of the Washington
Committee on Housing for the Council
of Social Agencies, to reply that he had
devoted his life to this work and that
1t was costing him considerable out Of
his private resources
At first. Patman advised Ihlder to
forget it, but later joined with Repre-
sentative Randolph. Democrat. of West
Virginia IN congratulating Ihlder on
his public spirited devotion to what he
believed a worthy effort.
The committee hopes to obtain be-
lore the next meeting an explanation
of why District Commissioner Melvin
G. HaZen. in supporting this legislation,
called attention that it is mot in ac-
cord with the financial program of the
President, as reported by the Budget
Bureau.
Representative Burnham Of Califor-
mia pointed out that at a recent meet
ing Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt had
emphatically declared in favor of such
a program. but Representative Harlan.
Democrat, OF Ohio, said he still recog-
nized Mrs. Roosevelt's husband as the
President and did not want to support
any legislation contrary to the Presi-
dents program.
SONCeTn SHOWN lenantS
Representative Weideiman. Democrat.
of Michigan. declared the District
! ought to be ashamed Of alley conditions
and that he was surprised to find such
danger spots in the National Capital
Several members of the committee. in
Guiding Chairman Norton and Repre-
sentative Dirksen. Republican. of Illi-
nois, showed an earnest concern that
fa q 1yov c.7fc kar DO
elsewhere for alley dwellers who might
be turned out and that they should not
be subjected to hardships
T. S. Settle secretary and legal ad-
wiser to the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, and Mr.. Ihlder
explained the alley elimination pro-
gram. including the work that the first
Mrs Woodrow Wilson did in eliminat-
ing these sore spots and in providing
model homes for colored people. Mr.
Ihlder told the committee that President
Roosevelt is heartily in favor of the en-
tire program. He said that a careful
survey shows that the present alley
dwellers can be taken care of without
increased cost in the same or similar
neighborhoods. He emphasized that this
bill seeks two things, first to convert
what is now an economic as we'll as
social liability into an asset and Sec
ondly to place IN proper dwellings those
who now inhabit the alleys.
| Cost Put at 100000.
Mr.. Ihlder estimated the $780, 900
fund of the U. S. Housing Corporation
could be used as revolving fund
amounting to 100000 to carry out
| this project over a 10-year period at an
estimated cost of S9,000,000.
Representative Patman said he be-
lieved the alley dwellers are 100 per
cent better of than 95 per cent Of the
poor people throughout the country.
In answer to the complaint that some
of these alleys are productive of crime,
Mr.. Putnam emphasized that there
are murders and other crimes COM
mitted in your best hotels and apart
ment houses"