Evening star., 1938-07-10
PARLEYS LIKELY
TO SPEED PLANS
=. FOR SLUM DRIVE.
Negotiations Due This Week
on LoW.Rent Housing
and Reclamation.
STRAUS LEAVING SOON;
ANXIOUS TO SEE IHLDER
Directs Technical and Legal Stats
to Cooperate Fully During
Six Weeks Absence.
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.

BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.
Oficial conferences this week are
expected to pave the way for speedy
and harmonious working out Of plans
to start q slum reclamation and low
rent housing program In the District
of Columbia for which the United
States Housing Authority on July /
earmarked the liberal amount Of
5000, 900.
Administrator Nathan StrauS Is
leaving the city week from tomorrow
on q trip combining an inspection tour
Of housing projects and . vacation to
Hawaii. He will not return until Sep
tember /.
For this reason officials Of the Alley
Dwelling Authority, sponsor Of the
program. were said to be prepared 70
start actual negotiations early this
week. Administrator Straus was rep
resented as being willing and anxious
to confer with John hlder. executive
oficer Of the local agency. at any time
before he departs from the city.
Since the A. D. A. submitted its
program and proposed is housing
sites, the two presiding ofncials have
not yet had an opportunity to get
together personally. At the local
agency, however. it was said there
have been ''several conversation"
with Federal housing officials in con-
nection with the Washington plans.
Langston Operation Brought Up.
During his six weeks absence Mr.
Straus will be in constant touch with
the Washington offices and has given
directions that the technical and legal
STATS cooperate fully and speed up
negotiations with various local au-
thorities that have applied for hous-
ing funds. A brief conference be-
tween Mr.. Ihlder and Mr. 6traus. 1t
was said, can pave the way for the
detailed work that will have to be
taken up by the STATS.
Another phase of the local housing
problem came to light yesterday when
U. S. H. A. officials brought up the
subject of Langston, the huge develop
ment now under operation on Benning
road and Twenty-f1rst street NE.
The U. S. H. A. would like to transfer
operation of the project to the Alley
Dwelling Authority and 1t Is prob
able that this proposal may be made
soon.
Langston is one Of the 40 P. W. A.
housing projects transferred to the
U. S. H. A. for administration. 1t is
now fully occupied by tenants and
there Is q long waiting list.
Under authority granted In the
United States Housing Act. Mr.. Straus
has leased 20 of these large housing
projects to various local authorities
created under the act. When IAngs-
ton was transferred to the U. s. H. A.
for administration. the Alley Dwelling
Authority was not q qualified agency
under the housing act. 1t was an
independent Federal agency. That
has now been corrected. The A. d. A.
was qualified under new act to
participate in the Nationwide slum
clearance program and therefore is
qualified, If 1t chooses, to lease and
operate Langston.
Misunderstanding Cleared.
There have been no discussions OF
the matter as yet and 1t Is not known
whether the A. D. A. would care to
assume the added burden. There is
no doubt, however. that the Federal
agency would like very much to strike
a deal for the transfer of the huge
colored development. In that event
its entire management and operation
would be turned over to Mr.. 1hlder.
Between the two agencies there is
now an evidenced harmony Of CO.
operation. It was not always so. but
earlier misunderstanding have been
cleared away and negotiations can be
undertaken with mutual satisfaction.
Mr.. Straus was said to be willing to
20 to any lengths to cut ofhcial red
tape to speed an early start on de-
molition of slum houses. He ear
marked $4,000. 900 for the A. D.. A.
in less than "A hours after the formal
application was filed.
No doubt there will be IN attempt
made this week to come to an agree
ment on one of the proposed local
sites owned by the Federal Govern
ment. This Is a 56-acre tract north
Of Minnesota avenue and adjoining
Fort Dupont. It was purchased by
the housing division Of the P. w. A.
about two years ago for . housing
site. Because Of the threat Of the
Gobel slaughter house being rebuilt
on q location about half . mile dis
tant, Administrator Ickes never used
the site. That threat has now been
removed but the vacant land Is lying
idle.
With other property Of the p. W. A.
the site was transferred to the U. s.
H. A. Mr.. Ihlder is expected to try
to get it transferred to the A. D. A.
on the theory that it would be . simple
transfer from one United States agency
to another. Il Is possible. however,
that the U. s. H. A. may desire cash
offer for it.
No Loan Funds Provided.
Unless the Alley Dwelling Authority
Is able to obtain advances ON the SIS
000, 1000 pretty soon, very little can be
done in the way Of clearing the Dis
trict's alleys this year.
Inquiries yesterday developed that
Congress made no appropriation for
the $1,000. 900 the A. D. A. was au-
thorized to borrow from the Treasury
for its own Independent program this
year. Ofhcias said 1t will be able to
complete the $4,000 project started
on v street between Fourth and Fifth
streets NV. and will have Just about
enough money to run on" until Con-
gress can make an appropriation. But
Congress does not convene until Janu-
ary 3.
The special act for the A. d. A. au.
thori1ng it to borrow from the Treas
ury for five years and also from the
U. 8. H. A. was not paused untn the
closing days Of the last session.
II