Evening star., 1937-05-14
ICKES DEN0UNCES
SLAUGHTER HOUSE
AS CIVIC OUTRAGE
Sees Blight to Langston in
Laying Low-Rent Project
Cornerstone.
$4,000, 900 FEDERAL
OUTLAY ENDANGERED
Fight Against Plant Community's
as Well as That of City
and P. w. A.

DenOunclng the proposed cOnStruc-
ton of a slaughter house at Benning
as "a g vic outrage" Secretary of the
Interior Ickes, in laying the corner
stone of the Langston loW-rent housing
project yesterday afternoon, said that
II it had been known three years ago
that there was any danger of the
slaughter house being erected. the
Federal Government never would
have invested dollar" at Langston.
Pointing to the haf-f1nishe build
1ngs of the Langston project, Ickes
declared that if the slaughter house
plan goes through, "the occupants of
these beautiful buildings daily may see
a constant procession of trucks loaded
with cattle sand hogs passing their
doors"
Along this very street." he said,
Twill roll an unpleasant procession of
animals headed for slaughter, and
across the space down the road will
sweep back the stencil of stockyards
and packing plant"
He pointed out that while the Fed
eral Government is spending nearly
$2,000,000 at Langston to erect "one
OF the finest housing projects in the
Nation in nearby Benning, with no
consideration for the rights or feelings
OF the rest of the community men
who live outside of Washington are in
slsting, against the general protests
OF the people OF this city, that they be
permitted to erect monstrosity at the
city gates which would inevitably
blight this project"
An-Important Concern.
1ckes said that the fight to prevent
construction of the slaughter house
lis not alone the fight of the Public
Works Administration or of the De-
partment of the Interior or the fight
OF the Langston community" but is
"a deep and all-important concerl. OF
this entire community as well as of
the rest of the city"
Secretary Ickes, in laying the COR
nerstone, said that historians of the
future will regard the Inauguration of
the Langston housing project, in
tended to provide loW-cost homes for
colored families. "as possessing some
OF the significance of 1852, when
slavery was abolished in the District
Of Columbia"
The Secretary pointed out that while
only ~ per cent Of the Districts popu-
lat1on Is colored, SO per cent of all
dwellings renting for $50 per month
or less are occupied by Negroes.
From these figures" he said, "two
conclusions may be drawn: First, that
Negro incomes average less than those
OF whites and therefore that Negroes
on the whole. cannot afford average
rents, and second. that housing avail
able to Negroes is. on the whole, the
worst in the District"
Among all of the Public Works
Administration projects, Ickes said
none is more conspicuous than Lang
ston." The ceremony of laying the
cornerstone, he said, sis a milestone
in campaign which, if pursued reso-
autely, can and will bring to fulfill
ment this hope of a Nation we'll
housed, well-clad and well-nourished, !"
Loss in Improper Housing.
Maj. Campbell c. johnson, director
Of the Twelfth Street Branch of the
Y. M. G. A., said that it is impossible
Ito estimate the number of lives that
have been wrecked or the economic
cost to the District of Columbia of
improper housing" After 63 years of
effort, he said, Washington now is
beginning to rid itself of its alley
dwellings, but there are still housing
areas so badly overcrowded that they
rival the alleys as breeders of disease,
crime and delinquency" He expressed
the hope that Langston will be fol-
lowed by other similar projects, public
and private, and that this will reduce
by millions the toll paid by the Dis
trict for improper housing"
Rev. Anson Phelps Stokes, canon
Of Washington Cathedral, presided at
the cornerstone ceremonies. The in
vocation was by Rev. Walter H.
Brooks, who was born in slavery.
There was music by the Howard Uni
versity Glee Club. The ceremonies
were In charge of the Washington
Housing Association, which is acting
in an advisory capacity to the P. w. A.
on the development. Mrs. Franklin
D. Roosevelt is honorary president of
the association, of which DR.. Stokes
Is president.
The Langston project is being con-
structed at cost of 1892 900 and is
to provide 274 living units, divided
among three and four story apart
ments, tWo-story row houses and two
story flats. 1t is to be ready for occu-
pancy before the end Of this year. It
covers site Of 1873 acres in the vicin-
ity OF Benning road and Twenty-third
street northeast. Langston is one OF
81 slum clearance and low rent ho,s-
Ing projects undertaken hu A..