Evening star., 1934-10-10
FULL COOPERATION
IS SOUGHT TO AID
ALLEY CLEARANCE.
Hazen to Urge Complete Use
of District Staff and
Facilities.
AUTHORITY WILL MEET
ON MONDAY AFTERNOON
No Decision Has Been Made as
to Appointment of Secretary
or Executive officer.

or Executive officer.
Full use of the District staff and
facilities in placing the alley clearance
program into operation will be urged
by Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen at
the first meeting of the Alley Author
ity named yesterday by President
Roosevelt. The authority consists of
Hazen, Arno B. Cammerer, executive
officer of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, and Col.
Horatio B. Hackett, director of housing
of the Public Works Administration.
The first session of the newly created
authority is scheduled for 1:3O o'clock
Monday.
Meanwhile. no decision has been
made as to who is to be appointed sec
retary or executive officer of the Alley
Clearance Authority. The field of
candidates was said to be headed by
John Ihlder of the Washington Com
mittee on Housing and James Ring,
rental research assistant to the Public
Utilities Commission.
views LACClltHl.
DR.. Anson Phelps Stokes chairman
of a committee appointed by the Pres
ident to advise with reference to the
set-up of the alley authority, said
today he thought the authority is an
excellent one The committee, he
said, had wished, if possible, to name
an authority that would include both
official and unofficial members, but
had been informed by legal represent
ativeS of the Government that owing
to the wording of the law, It had to
consist of an existing Government
agency or include only Government
officials.
Under the circumstances, he be-
lieved no three officials could have
been chosen who would look after the
work in a more constructive and wise
way than the chairman of the Board
of Commissioners of the District. the
executive officer of the Park and Plan
ming Commission and the housing di-
rector of the Public Works Admin
istration.
He hoped and believed that the au-
thority would choose on the basis of
experience and special fitness its
executive officer, as much would de-
pend on this choice. He was sure
that the Washington Committee on
Housing, which he represented on the
Presidents Committee, would, as an
independent citizens agency, cooper
ate in every way in its power with this
committee in trying to make its work
effective.
Hazen believes much money can
be saved in preparing the program by
having the surveying, planning, sub
division condemnation and architec-
tural work performed by the District
government He said he thought that
only three additional employees would
be necessary for such work. these to
be hired on a per diem basis. One
would be the surveying computer, one
an assistant architect and one an
assistant lawyer He suggests that
Walter Fowler, assistant corporation
counsel. be placed in charge of con-
demnation work.
Centralizing the planning work in
the District government, he believes,
would make possible the fullest and
most economical use of the highway,
sewer law and municipal architect S
Office of the District.
Chairman Not Named
The executive order appointing the
authority did not name a chairman,
but left the selection Of this officer
to the three appointees. The order
also empowered the authority to ap-
point an executive officer without re-
gard to provision of the civil serviC :
act and rules.
BY uniting the District government
the Park and Planning Commission
and the housing division of the Public
Works Administration in single au-
thority the President laid basis for
coordination of the three proposed
low-cost housing projects. These are
the S4300.000 P. w. A. program, the
District rehabilitation corporation pro-
posal and the project authorized in
the Capper-Norton alley dwelling act.
The Alley Authority has $5O0,0OO
in P W. A. funds to use as a revolt
ing fund to start its work. but 1t is
authorized to borrow more money
from the R. F. c. or other Govern
ment agencies.
Aids Community Problem.
The law Congress passed at the
last session creating this S500,000 re-
volving fund to be applied directly
to the elimination of inhabited alleys
offers greater promise of solving the
hidden community problem than any
of the measures enacted during the
long period of years the question has
been debated.
The law gives the Government au-
thority to acquire the property in an
inhabited alley or in the surrounding
square. The existing structures can
then be cleared away and the area
replatted for some new use. The
governmental agency may then sell
or lease the property, or proceed di-
rectly to develop it for housing or
other desirable purposes. In some
areas, particularly near the center of
the city, it may be found more
practicable to permit these replatted
alley areas to be used for some COM
mercial development, while in other
sections new, low-cost housing prof.
ectS will be carried on.
Funds received by the alley author
lLy lIUul llle odIE vi 1CdolllS VI IllC AC-
plated areas will go back into the re-
volving fund to be used in repeating
the improvement process in other in
habited alleys.
Among other powers, the law gives
the alley authority the right to make
loans to limited dividend corporations
limited to 6 per cent a year-or
loans to individual owners, to enable
such corporations or owners to ac-
quire and develop the property. Such
loans would have TO bear not less than
per cent interest and be secured by
a first lien.
Ali plans for replatting or ccndem-
nation of property under the alley
clearance act must be approved by
the Park and Planning Con mission
and the District Commissioners.