Evening star., 1934-11-23
HOPE FOR HOUSING
REVIVED BY |CKES
P. W. A. Administrator In.
vites Allen to Present Plan
to Department.

The use of p. w. A. funds to carry
out Commissioner George E. Aliens
low-cost housing program. blocked by
ruling of Controller General McCarl
loomed possibility today.
Secretary IckeS suggested the Dis
strict Commissioner might be able tc
work out a plan with P. w. A. housing
officials to finance the project, since
McCarl had held that the $685., ,00O
Federal relief grant could not be spent
for acquiring real estate or building
homes. No such ruling. he pointed
out, could affect the similar use of P
w. A. funds.
The Public Works Administrator
has not committed himself to an ap-
proval of Commissioner Aliens project
for work relief, but he indicated SYM
pathetic interest in the plight of Dis
trict officials who are unable now to
proceed with their plans to provide
moderately priced homes for unem-
ployed persons on the relief rolls.
Invites Conference.
He suggested Allen might do we'll to
confer with Col. Horatio B. Hackett
chairman Of his housing division
Some way might be found, he said, to
work Aliens plan into the local P. w
A. program for low-cost housing.
The sum of 81, 900 has been
budgeted for two low-cost housing pro-
grams in the city. one for white and
the other for colored residents. Some
progress has been made in acquiring
titles, but owing to the effect of an
-nouncements on land values, all the
operations have been zealously
guarded.
There is a wide gulf between Com
missioner Aliens low-cost housing
program and that being promoted by
p. w. A. officials in Washington. Allen
had planned to use unemployed labor
ers on the relief rolls in the construc-
ton of the houses. In that way it was
The Public Works Administration
on the other hand, is promoting its
low-cost housing programs to stimu-
late the building trades and the heavy
industries contributing materials fol-
building. The work is done by gen.
eral contractors.
Commissioner Allen said he would
be glad to make study of the posi-
bility of using public works funds.
While gratified at the suggestion
made by Secretary Ickes, he said he
realized there were several problems
involved. Allen indicated it might be
possible to effect an agreement where
by common labor used in the work
would be drawn from the District re-
lief rolls and skilled workmen from
private sources.
Options Win Interest.
p. w. A. officials, it Is known, are
very interested in Aliens program
since they had learned he had OBJ
tanned verbal options. at least, or
sufficient land to start his project
The difficulty of obtaining options ha.
long been stumbling block in theiI
own plans and it was believed in some
quarters that If Allen is willing
P. w. A. might take over his options
The fact that the Federal Relief
Administration had approved Aliens
housing project carries no weight
with the P. w. A. Its housing divi-
sion proceeds under its own plans an6
no money changes hands until the last
detail Of the contract has been ap-
proved.
A way might be worked out, how
ever, by which so-called day labor
might be used in constructing the
houses If Allen and Hacket agree on
q plan Of cooperation. At Beltsville
Nd, the Department of Agriculture
put up its own buildings with the aid
Of day labor and p. w. a. paid the
bills.