Evening star., 1937-08-19
HOUSING BILL VOTE
SPEEDS CLOSING
Passage by House Leaves
Few Measures to Be
Acted Upon.
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Throughout his Senate career
Wagner OF NeD York has directed
ht principal attention totodrd leg
slntion affecting social security,
labor relations and public housing.
impending approval OF the housing
oil, although altered from the torn,
he introduced. marks d final step
IN achievement OF his three leo,sld-
ttpe ob1ecttues.
With dripe for adjournment IT.
reststible. administration leaders
picked housing bill TOR one Of last
major legislative efforts.
~ the Associated Press.
House passage Of the 1926, 900, 900
iov-cost housing program had re-
moved today the last big contro-
verslal feature Of the waning congress
sionAl session.
The Senate bill. authorizing Federal
loans and grants for State and mu-
niclpal housing protects. was changed
drastlcally by the House before it
voted approval last night, 274 to s6
AS a result, committee must ad-
,ust the differences in the House and
Senate versions before the bill can
20 to the White House A wransle
was in prospect, but sponsors ex-
pressed certainty an agreement would
be reached.
The housing program was the final
measure on the Roosevelt program
which Democratic leaders decided
could be salvaeed. Much of the ad-
mlnistration egislatlon-crop control
uase-hour and Government reorRan-
i1ation-has been deferred to the next
session
Tax Lcophole Law Remains.
The only important tasks remaining
before adjournment, aside from the
housing agreement, were Senate pas
sage of the bills to close tax law loop
hopes and to make s98. 900 900 de-
fciency appropriations. Little opp
sltion was in sight, strengthening pre-
dictions that the session would end
Saturday night.
It took the House nine hours tc
debate the housing measure. which
opponents-most Republicans and
some Democrats-contend would
ard the cities at the expense Of rurA]
eectlons. Sponsors quoted pro-
vision that funds would be used
wherever needed.
In brief, the measure as passed by
the House provides;
Loans to State and municipal
agencies for developing low-ren,
housing or slum clearance projects
with communities putting up IS pei
cent Of construction costs. The Sen.
ate fixed the amount at per cent.
Capital grants up to IS per cent OF
development costs Annual subsidies
of which communities would contrib
ute rs per cent.
An initial appropriation OF s26.-
100000 and &5oo,ooo.oo0 bond issue
covering the next three years. The
Senate approved a 100000. 900 bont
issue.
Lfnitat ton of Cost
Llmita ton of cost TO $4,000 a dwell
ing unit The Senate set $4,000
limit, with 4 maximum Of $1,000 q
room.
Limitation of funds for one State
to 10 per cent Of the total. The Sen
ate figure WAS 20 per cent.
The unit cost aroused one of the
ma lor arguments in the House. Rep
resentetive Hancock. Democrat. OF
North Carolina sought unsuccessfully
to restore the Senate figures, con-
tending the $4,000 limit would permit
apartments more luxurious" than the
homes Of average Americans
Representative OConnor, Democrat
Of New York countered.
1T has been proved that you can't
possibly, in any metropolitan area
build projects at a cost of 1000 a
room. or $4,000 a unit"
The House rejected many amend
ments not approved by the Banking
Committee, including one to permit
families receiving an income of more
than four times the dwelling unit
rental to become occupants. The SEN
ate ratio waS to l.
1t accepted, however. an amendment
by Representative Case, Republican.
OF South Dakota to limit occupants to
families OF American citizens.