Evening star., 1934-10-14
ALLEY AUTHORITY
| MEETING CALLED
Group Will Convene Tomor-
row for Organization.
Will Get Old Data.

Comprehensive maps, population
studies and other data relating to the
inhabited alleys of Washington, as
sembled over period of years by the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, will be available to the
newly created Alley Dwelling Author
ity when it organizes this week to
make plans for the gradual elimina-
ton of these hidden communities.
The new agency, set up a few days
ago by President Roosevelt to carry
out the act of Congress which created
a revolving fund for alley improve
ment. will hold it's first meeting to-
morrow afternoon at the headquarters
of the Park and Planning Commission.
Already there is on hand pile of
applications for jobs with the Alley
Authority. it was revealed today by
Thomas S. Settle, secretary of the
planning commission. The letters are
from land purchasing applicants,
builders, real estate men, stenographers
and others who desire to assist in elm
mating Washington's alley dwellings.
Settle will place these letters before
the authority for its action.
Aided Choice of Nominees.
Settle also acted as secretary of the
special committee to suggest nomi-
nees to the Chief Executive to serve
on the new body. Inasmuch as Settle
was with this committee from the
outset and assisted Canon Anson
Phelps Stokes, its chairman, and his
colleagues, the commission secretary
will start off the Alley Dwelling Au-
thority tomorrow an6 aid it in getting
organized.
The three members of the alley
dwelling authority are Commissioner
Melvin C. Hazen of the District gov
ernment; Arno B. Cammerer, director
of the National Park service, who is
also the executive officer of the COM
mission, and Col. H. B. Hackett, di-
rector of housing of the Public Works
Administration. Tomorrow afternoon
at 80 a'clock, they will convene, set
up an organization, elect officers,
probably choose their headquarters
and perhaps name an executive Of
ficer. James Ring, who made rent
studies here and has co-operated with
planning and District authorities, and
John Ihlder, secretary of the Wash
ington Committee on Housing, are be-
ing mentioned as candidates for the
post of executive officer.
Recommendation Needed.
The Star learned that President
Roosevelt followed in the main the
recommendations of Canon Stokes
and his associates Inasmuch as the
District Commissioners and the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission have to pass on the plans
for the eradication of the alley
dwellings and the uses to which the
vacated land will be put, the Stokes
Committee thought it wise to in
clude spokesmen for these groups on
the authority. This the President
did, when he named Commissioner
Hazen and Mr. Cammerer. This is
calculated to facilitate the work of
the authority as these members will
lay the groups plans before their
official associates.
John Nolen, jr., director of plan
ming of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, has just
returned from Europe, where he con-
Quoted studies on the way that the
major governments are handling the
housing problem. He will make any
information of interest to the author
ity available to it.
The alley-dwelling authority has
$500,000 as an initial revolving fund
for the work of purchasing blighted
areas and Of erecting garages, low
cost housing or other desirable struc-
lures in their stead. The authority
is expected to embark upon this pro-
gram without delay.