Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-10-05
GRIMM IS HAILED
IN NEW POSITION
Former Head of New York
Real Estate Board to
Stimulate Financing.

Real estate boards over the coun-
try, and with them prospective nome
buyers. home builders. including
operative builders, and individuals and
institutions everywhere who look to
home mortgages as the normal place
to invest savings-an are following
with active interest the constructive
DEVELOPMENTS in the general mortgage
and housing activities of the Federal
Government indicated by the recent
appointment of Peter Grimm of New
York to a new administration post
potentially important beyond any title
that may be given 1t.
From its own news observation in
Washington, the National Associa-
ton of Real Estate Boards gives this
outline of the work:
For the threefold purpose Of stimu-
lating home building, devising
methods for reducing building costs
and securing more effective team
work among Federal agencies in the
field, Secretary of the Treasury Nor
genthau has secured the services Of
Peter Grimm, former president Of the
New York Real Estate Board. Mr..
Grimm has been given the title of
Assistant to the Secretary of the
Treasury.
Understands Needs.
Mr.. Grimm brings to the admin
istration a practical view of the
whole mortgage-housing situation and
its needs based on his own extensive
experience in real estate and housing.
He is president of the New York real
estate firm of William A. White &
Son.
In these rapidly changing times If
action of Federal agencies is to be
of maximum effectiveness, definite
first-hand knowledge of conditions
throughout the country is more than
ever necessary. Mr.. Grimm is there
fore devoting a considerable part OF
his time to trips to important cities
and centerS. He regards as a particu-
larly important part of these trips the
conversations he is able to have with
local real estate men, bankers and
insurance executives. 1t may be en-
phasized that the business groups
concerned with the establishment Of
sound workable mortgage and home
building conditions value highly This
first-handl opportunity to state In
formally what will work and what
will not work in the present ma
chinery.
The procedure followed calls for a
stay of two days in each city. The
State administrators of the various
Federal agencies are directed by an
executive order to meet and confer
with Mr. Grimm when he visits a
city in their State. Through these
meetings of the State administrators,
it has been found that better bal
anced program is achieved. The Gov
eminent men get to know each other,
obtain a clearer picture Of the OBJ
jectives of each others agencies, and
are afforded an opportunity of work.
ing out plans to avoid conflicts and
the overlapping of functions.
Effective Cooperation Gained.
More effective cooperation also
is being secured in Washington
through Mr.. Grimm's activities.
Obviously, with the present large
number Of Federal agencies dealing
with the mortgage, with building, with
home ownership, their total effective
ness depends to considerable extent
on how well they fit together as sepa-
rate pieces of a single whole. 1t is
not simply a matter of avoiding con-
f1icts. It is matter of dynamics.
Co-ordinating machinery is now pro-
vided in the Committee on the CO.
ordination Of Housing Activities which
is composed of the heads of the
F. H. A., the H. o. L. c., the P. W. A.,
the Resettlement Administration, the
National Emergency Council, the
r E. r. A., and the r. F. c. Mort
gage Co. The President has desig-
mated Mr.. Grimm as assistant to