Evening star., 1935-01-19
S,0DO,00O IS SET
ASM0DERN|zAT|0N'
DRIVE COAL HERE'
House-to-House Canvass
Campaign Will Begin
in Two Weeks.
+. (. R. A. WILL SUPPLY
CAMPAIGN WORKERS
F. n. A. Offer of Attractive Loans
Expected to Aid Solicitors
in Obtaining Pledges.
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

An intesive house-to-house canvass
of all Washington property owners in
the effort to obtain 100000 in mod
ernization and repair pledges will be
inaugurated within two weeks under
auspices of the Federal Housing Ad
ministration, it was revealed today
Joseph Karl Gilchrist, in charge of
F. H. A. activities in the District, said
the canvass will be carried out with
emergency work employees supplied by
the Federal Emergency Relief Admin
istration, workers employed by build
ing supply firms, and volunteers from
various cooperating citizens asSo-
Citations.
1t will mark the first time such
drive has been attempted in the Cap
ital since F. H. A. activities started,
although similar campaigns have
been carried out with success in sew
eral other cities. The canvass also
gill mark the beginning of the 1885
nodernization drive here, under title
of the national housing act. The
workers will have the attractive, easily
obtained insured loans sponsored by
F. H. A. as assistance in reaching the
s6 900. 900 goal.
Drive Starts January 2s.
Gilchrist, who was recently named
by the housing administration as head
of its activities here, said the drive
will be launched during the week of
January %. In the coming week the
workers will be Schooled by Gilchrist,
with the assistance of Raphael Semmes
and Howard Kinney, F. H. A. field
workers, who have been transferred
to Washington to help the campaign.
1t Is anticipated that the canvass
will require several weeks.
The Washington Better Housing
Campaign Committee, under the di-
rection of Thomas P. Littlepage and
John Poole, also will take active part
in the drive. The committee was
formed early last Fall, shortly after
the rules and regulations of title I
of the housing act were announced.
They sponsored "modernization ex-
position" and waged drive for prop
erty abilitation, backed by mer-
chants and financial institutions
However, until the appointment Of
Gilchrist month ago, there was no
one from F. H. A. actually in charge
of its work here, and the campaign
Jagged. It is expected that a large
amount of inactive capital and num-
ber of unemployed men will be put to
work under the new set up.
Hazen Holds Meeting.
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen
called meeting last Tuesday night
of presidents and secretaries of citi-
zens' associations and other civic or
ganizations, and plans for the mod
ernization pledge campaign were
outlined. The civic leaders indorsed
the plan and pledged cooperation.
GilcMist, James G. Yaden, president
Of the Federation of Citizens Associ-
ationS, and others spoke.
Working on the assumption that
the builders and building supply and
houSefurnishing men who will bene-
fit most should bear the brunt of ex-
pense OF financing the canvass, Gill
christ said a fund of about 1000 will
be raised from that group to finance
the start. As the campaign progresses
these business men will be asked to
donate small percentage of the
money obtained from the new busi-
ness to carry out the campaign. The
supply and building heads have
offered full cooperation, Gilchrist
stated.
The workers will visit each home
and business property, and after ex-
planning Governmental insured mod
ernization loan will ascertain whether
the home owner or commercial prop
erty occupant contemplates any re-
pair work and the extent of it. A
record of each visit will be kept. In
other cities where campaigns have
been held approximately II per cent
OF the property owners visited pledged
themselves to carry out improvement
work. Representatives of the build
ing supply houses and contractors
are expected to follow up the initial
canvassers. Each firm will be al
lotted number of the pledged citizens
to visit.
Pledges Not Binding.
Gilchrist explained that although
the modernization pledges will not be
binding upon the property owner, ex-
perience has shown that high per-
q centage fulfill their promises. The
director said that $50 men will be
used to make the initial survey. That
q number Of unemployed will be put
to work in the drive was indicated
by some of the merchants, who said
they will furnish money to hire sales
men to visit the prospects rather than
employ members of their present
stats.
While the goal for the campaign
has not been definitely established at
$6,000,000, Gilchrist said that his
study of the local need showed that
the figure is approximately right"
He pointed out that in San Francisco,
which has population only slightly
larger than Washington, $7,000,0 900
in property repair pledges were OBJ
tanned when only about three-quar-
tiers of the property owners had been
canvassed. In st. Louis a goal of
S12,0O0,000 was reached easily.
It is planned to have the canvass
completed so that the repair work
may be launched in early Spring.
Modernization loans are insured by
the Federal Housing Administration
up to $4,000. No collateral is re-
ouired in obtaining the loans, which
are made by the banks and other
financial institutions approved by F.
H. A. Comparatively low interest
rates are charged for the loans, which
are repaid in easy installments.