The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-05-29
SOLUTION OF THIS PROBLEM NO
NEARER THAN BEFORE Gov
EMINENT DROPPED
MILLIONS

The country was astonished some days
back when United States Senator byrd
of Virginia) requested the Washington adj
ministration to let up on new deal spend
ing in his State In fact, the spending prof.
ect was right in the Valley of Virginia, the
section in which Senator Byrd resides and
has large properties.
That was something to almost render
the country speeches. with amazement;
but it is hoped that citizens have not been
so dazed by the Byrd announcement as to
be unable to fully grasp its import; and
those who have somewhat recovered from
the shock may be interested in the practi-
cal implications of the spending scheme to
which Senator Byrd entered exceptions.
The government project to which Sem
ator Byrd objected as extravaganza, waste
full, mismanaged and altogether impracti-
cal, is one of the Resettlement Administra-
TONS projects. 1t is designed to transfer
settlers removed from their homes in Shen-
andoah Park to one of those natty villages
constructed with the money of the taxpay-
ers Senator Byrd pointed out a number
of objections to the project in addition to
those already mentioned, one Of which is
that the houses in this development are
costing approximately three times what
they are worth, and that to sell them or
rent them on a basis of fair returns on
construction costs will be to rob buyers or
renters.
This, however, is not the main reason
why the project is destined to failure,
which is that the cost of the houses is so
Outrageous" Ito quote the language OF
Senator Byrd that the people who are
expected to occupy them can not finance
either purchase or rental.
Now that is precisely the governments
usual experience with these schemes. Peo-
pie whose incomes compel them to live IN
low cost houses cannot do business with
the government because of the eXtrava-
giant and wasteful practices which control
in this construction and force costs beyond
the financial ability of the prospective ten
ants or purchasers. The only way to over
come these difficulties is to have the gov
eminent step in and assume part OF the
costs as a deficit or loss. In that case the
loss is covered by tax money belonging to
the people of the entire United States,
while the expenditure is for the direct and
personal benefit of a few people scattered
here and there.
Unprejudiced and thoroughly competent
critics of the record of the Resettlement
Administration are agreed that while this
agency has scattered and wasted hundreds
of millions of the money of the tax payers
it has not arrived near a solution of the
so-called "slum clearance" problem or the
problem of providing satisfactory homes
and conditions for the people who must
have low cost houses.
Who ever heard of the government
building anything at low cost?
Who believes there is any moral or con
stithtional Justification for the federal gov
eminent going into the housing business, in
competition with private citizens. engaged
in the construction trades, and spending
the tax money of the United States for the
benefit of favored classes or a small mi
nority of such classes?