Evening star., 1937-08-22

estimated. the first of Wash
ineton's low income, white collar
families will have been selected and
have moved into the model suburban
city few miles off the Baltimore pike
at Berwyn
Within six months every house will
be finished and rented. The place
will have population of about 5000.
Already more than 5000 Washing
ton families have applied for houses
or apartments. About 1000 have been
interviewed. None as yet has been
definitely accepted.
Admission will be rather strictly
restricted to families with an income
of between $1,000 and $4,000 a wear.
There are many such working in the
Government departments or eking out
old age on Government pensions
Greenbelt's rents have been fixed
arbitrarily to fit just such incomes
regardless of the cost of the project
or return on the investment. That is
another story.
First Election November q.
The first municipal election will be
held November 20, with all who have
lived in the community 10 days eligi-
bic to vote After that Greenbelt will
have a mayor and a policeman and
be real grown-up town.
1t is not easy at present to give an
altogether fair picture of the COM
81
and most criticized Of all New Deal
projects Steam shovels still are at
work. Grass is Just beginning to
cover red clay parks and lawns. The
houses and apartment buildings. ex-
cept in the section earliest finished,
look drab and barracks-like. The
place seems raw
One visiting 1t nowhere have
been 300 900 visitors during the year
is very likely to get a false impress
sion Probably the worst time to look
at any construction job is just before
it is finished. The final coats of paint,
grading of lawns, removal OF debris,
etc, can work miracles. 1t doesn't
take much imagination to vision far
different looking town six months
from nova place Of which, at least
from the point Of view of appear
ance, the Resettlement Administration
can be proud. The lucky families
admitted may we'll be envied.
Quarters Plain But Good.
They will get rather plain, cheap
living quarters. They needn't expect
the moon and lolypop thrown in.
But for the rents they will pay they
will get infinitely more than they could
get anywhere else around Washing
ton Next Spring and thenceforth It
will be beautiful spOt-an ideal place
for children, for old couples, for fami-
lies having hard struggle to make
both ends meet.
These families, of course, need not
be concerned with what has gone be-
fore It's no fault Of theirs if costs, as
has been charged, have been all out of
proportion to results. The place as it
stands, it is only fair to say, promises
to be 4 magnificent asset to the Ma
tional Capital.
It has cost q lot Of money. It will
not be. from financial standpoint 4
good Observation-Disclosures one Is willing
to adopt principles of accounting not
acceptable without a good deal of rs-
tionalization
For example, back in 1884. when
Greenbelt first was projected, the esti-
mated cost for each house was $4,000,
not taking into consideration any over
head or anything extraneous to the
actual house itself but making q small
allowance for the inef1iciency Of relief
labor. At that time the prices Of build
ing materials were at their lowest ebb
in generation and dealers were will
ing to quote almost ridiculous figures
on large orders.
Even Lower Estimates Possible.
It would have been possible to have
made much lower estimates at the
time. Fair houses. perhaps better
looking than the ones which actually
have been erected, might have been
put up for less than $4,000. This
caused \ bitter issue in the inner
ranks OF the Resettlement Administra-
ton.
The decision was finally made in
favor Of higher costs and better ma
terias. The town was planned to last
for 90 years with only minor changes
and repairs. Upon this basis the imam
cial set-up was arranged. It would
take so years for the Government to
get its money back, with interest, with
the rent schedule adopted.
Wallace Richards, the co-ordinator
Of the project. declares that the houses
now at 0reenbelt actually will last
tor % years. Suppose. he says, one