The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1936-06-05
AFL Executive Council Declares
Passage Of Federal Housing Bill
Is Imperative Duty Of Congress
All Railroads Will Provide Protection for Employees Dis
charged In Consolidation of Lines and Joint Use OF
Terminals.

Washington, D. C.,--At the adj
iournment of the final session of the /
Executive Council of the American
Federation of Labor, President Will
liam Green issued the following state
ment on behalf of the Council:
"The need for immediate enactment |
of the Wagner Ellenbogen Housing
Bill is sharpened and made insistent
by the recent decision of the United
States Court of Appeals for the Dis
trict of Columbia against one of the
Resettlement Administration housing
projects.
"This decision proves that there
must be clear-cut national housing
policy, carefully designed and enact
Ell by Congress, before there can be
any housing. 1t gives incontrovertible
proof of the fact that housing cannot
be brought in by the side door, under
any disguise whatsoever.
"The Council deplores the decision
of the court against the housing pro-
ject in Bound Brook, n. J. This de-
cision will throw needy New Jersey
building trades workers out of en-
ployment once more. 1t will deprive
thousands of families, living in con-
gested unsanitary dwellings, nearby,
of any opportunity to live in decent
quarters. But this unfortunate decis-
ion may in the long run help to throw
light upon some of the dark corners
of the housing problem
"Low-rent housing is one of the
major issues confronting this nation
today. No one has stated this fact
more positively or more often than
President Roosevelt himself. And
vet, thus far we have attempted to
attack this basic and all-important
problem without any continuing pro-
gram or concrete policy whatsoever,
and without specific legislation. All
we have to show after four years OF
fruitless discussion, and to satisfy an
increasingly urgent demand, is
handful of timid unrelated expert
ments. And even these have been
seriously obstructed at every step by
the lack of comprehensive program
or clearly defined policy.
Legislative Requirements Classified
"A study of the Courts decision
will show that it is not an argument
against public aided housing in gem
eral-but rather an argument against
attempts to undertake housing with
out statutory statement of policy and
purpose, without rigid restrictions on
the Federal powers, and without def
milton of local rights and response
bilities.
Senator Wagner's Housing Bill
solves these difficulties and honestly
confronts them by offering a program
which is sound legally and well de-
signed economically.
"The decision claims that there has
been 'riotous delegation of power to
the President by Congress with re
spect to housing, and that there are
no adequate limitations as to the
kind Of housing operations his en-
ergency agencies may undertake, and
no safeguards of the rights of Local
governments.
Wagner Bill Solves Problem
'SUnder the Wagner Housing Bill
however, Congress will clearly ant
definitely limit the type of housing
to be undertaken and the kind Of
people to be benefited. Only low
income families or those who canno
be adequately housed by private en-
terprise, will be permitted to benefit.
"The rights and responsibilities O
local governments, in such matters a.
taxation and the initiation of pro
iects, are clearly defined and well pro
tected under the provisions of thi
carefully drafted piece of legislation
There is no irksome regulation of 0
dictation to local governmental au
thorities under this bill. 1t guaran