Evening star., 1936-10-03
Creenbelt.

trations low-rent housing project at
nearby Berwyn. Md, is another manifes-
tation of the New Deals avowed inten-
ton to provide the more abundant life.
Designed to show the feasibility Of
planned communities, socially and eco
nomically, the town is another OF the
now famous Roosevelt "yardsticks.'
Resettlement officials candidly refer to
this $7500,0OO investment of taxpayers
money as an experiment. Technically,
Greenbelt is termed a demonstration
project" Conceived by Rexford Guy
Tugwell, the town will be completed late
this Winter or early next Spring. At that
time, some $500 persons, most of them
probably Federal employees, will populate
the village literally overnight.
Evaluation of the project must cur
rently be limited to Resettlement's prom
ises and plans. Even now no definite
program for amortization Of that $780,
600 has been adopted. In a recent series
appearing in The Star one article was
devoted to the financial phase OF the
experiment. The chapter was sane
toned by Resettlement oflcials before its
publication to assure accuracy of fact
and figure. The article revealed that the
project could not be completely self
liquidating if it we're operated as an
exclusively low-rent community. If rents
are low enough to accommodate the
Garner Of 81, 400 to $4,000 per year, only
IS per cent of the original cost will be
returned to Government coffers-and so
to the taxpayer-over a sixty-year period
at interest That means an expenditure
Of $3,375, 900 never to be regained by
the taxpayers.
Now, Resettlement claims that Green
belt will serve as "yardstick" Of plan
ming and construction costs for plan
ners and builders of future similar prof.
ects, whether they be sponsored by public
or private agencies. Unfortunately. the
costs of Greenbelt have been increased
by the necessity of using relief labor
All unskilled employees at the town have
been taken from relief rolls. Various
factors attendant upon this transforma-
ton Of dole-recipients into wage earn
ers have increased the initial expense at
least $1,000,000, according to Resettle-
ment estimates.
1t is, of course, patiently desirable to
put relief clients to work. Since this
increase in construction and planning
expenses cannot be accurately deter
mined, however, the value Of Greenbelt
as "yardstick" of costs has been greatly
diminished.
But this is not the time to weigh the
wisdom of starting such project. The
money has been allocated, much of it ex-
pended, and the balance must be spent
If any return on the investment is to
be realized. The vital question, rather,
is whether Resettlement's planning, now
in the critical period, can be coupled
with complete understanding of the
towns potentialities to warrant this ex-
pensive experiment.
Every effort must be made by Resettle-
ment to obtain at least a proportionate
return on the investment. Part of the
experiments burden rests with Maryland.
That State is charged with granting q
charter to the town and the all-import-
ant duty of keeping Greenbelt's admin
istrative corporation devoid of State and
county politics. Even the 1000 fortunate
families who will inhabit the model
community" share some responsibility.
They must attempt to develop a feeling
Of town ownership" as Resettlement puts
it. They must temporarily submit to
New Deal paternalism If Greenbelt is
eventually to approach the status of the
normal Maryland community. They
must, indeed, at first be socialized in
accordance with Resettlement's plans
for operation and government of the
town.
In the wisdom Of current New Deal
planning and the mutual cooperation
Of other interested agencies and persons
lies the answer to the question: Will the
experiment work?