Evening star., 1936-02-02
J|NX STILL DELAYS
HOUSING Jobs HERE
Latest Victim Is Benning
Road Project, Now Be-
ing Revamped.
BY NELSON NJ. SHEPARD.

The jinx that has pursued the
eheckered course of Washington's low
rent housing program for nearly three
years is still much in evidence.
Seven weeks have elapsed since a
blare of publicity from P. w. A. an
nounced the awarding of the first con-
tract to break ground on Benning road
for a sl,600000 project for colored
families. Plans had been drawn and
pictures of the proposed model homes
were widely reproduced. Work on
the foundations was to start with the
new year
Up to date not single spade has
been turned on the site and housing
division officials admitted ruefully yes
terday they couldn't tell when the
long-heralded event would occur.
They hoped it would be soon.
Changes in Plans Blamed.
Inquiries developed that changes in
the plans and designs" for some of
the 800 living units for Langston
Courts were responsible for the delay
since the contract award December IL.
Housing officials believed they had
shut the door against the jinx, but
apparently they had failed to reckon
with the architectural staff.
Charles H. Tompkins Co. of Wash
ington submitted the low bid of S44, $40
for the foundation work. After the
contract was awarded numerous
changes were made by the architects
in the plans-in some cases increasing
the height of the buildings and neces-
stating deeper foundations.
The contract was returned and the
Tompkins company, 1t was explained.
had to make new estimates on some of
the work. There was approximately
no change in the final cost.
Changes May Mean Savings.
BY ordering the changes before the
foundations were begun, the Housing
Division probably saved thousands of
dollars in cost. Officials benefited
from the mistakes in the famous
Reedsville (W. Va) subsistence home
stead project.
The Benning road project is all that
is left of the once ambitious plans Of
Secretary Ickes to build at least three
model housing developments in the
National Capital. From the very start
the program became proverbial
Jonah for hard luck.
During the early stages, some three
years ago. the conflict of opinion
among the many minds dealing with
local housing and slum clearance
served 10 retard progress. Besides
Ickes' Housing Division officials. there
were members of the District Alley
Dwelling Authority, the Advisory Com
mittee OH Housing, headed by Mrs.
Franklin e. Roosevelt, and other
groups directly interested in the move
ment.
Howard City Failed.
The first slum clearance project.
Howard City, floundered on high
real estate values north Of u street
and Ickes withdrew it as warning
to future Planning officials took up
options on Rhode Island avenue north
east. Thev were driven from that
site by indignant outbursts from prop
ertv owners.
Then tie site in southwest. near the
Army War College, was selected for
a nuge colored project. Property
owners attacked in the District Su-
preme Conrt the condemnation pro-
ceedlngs brought by the Housing Di-
vision and won.
The court ruling ended Ickes' efforts
to establish slum- clearance projects
in Washington and for his next ven
ture he went to Anacostia. He was
accused of grabbing part of site on
which private cooperative group Of