Evening star., 1939-03-12
Capper Urges
Restoration
Of Alley Fund
King to Study Question;
$500, 900 Left by House
DeIeted by Senators

A plea to the Senate to restore
the $500 900 loan for the Alley DWELL
ing Authority that was knocked from
the Treasury-Post Office supply bill
by the Appropriations Committee
Friday, was made last night by Sen
ator Capper of Kansas, ranking
minority member of the District
Committee.
Il was sorry to hear of that devel-
opment," said the Kansan, land I
hope it will be restored at least to
the amount of s500,000 the House
had allowed"
Senator King. Democrat. of Utah,
chairman of the District Committee,
said he intended to study the ques-
tlon during the week end.
The House already had cut the
original sl,000000 request in half,
so the Senate committees action
eliminates the loan entirely.
Leaders expect to call the bill I'D
in the Senate tomorrow afternoon,
Immediately following the legisla-
tive appropriation bill.
TOstpOneS Program.
The effect of leaving the loan out
entirely would be to postpone indef-
| nltely reclamation of some of the
worst alley slums. The SlOOO,OOO
estimate was to have been one in
stallment of s5.000,000 interest,"
| bearing loan authorization approved
| by Congress last June for the acoui-
sltlon and rehabilitation of lnhab-
lted alleys, which has been under
consideration in Congress for many
years
John 1hlder. executive officer of
the A. D. A.. told the Senate COM
mlttee in the hearings that even if
the loan is only for the s5OO,OOO al
lowed by the House, the Authority
Will be severely handicapped in car
rylng out the express mandate of
Congress y"
The committee stated in it's re-
port that the A. D. A. has obtained
a loW-rent housing loan of S66OO.OO
from the United States Housing
Authority. and is negotiating for an
other similar loan of s8,4OO 900. 1t
was testified in the hearings, how
ever, by the A. D. A that the hous-
ing loans must be used for loW-rent
housing, whereas some of the alleys
most in need of improvement are
in areas unsuitable for development
with new dwellings.
Difficulties Encountered.
| The alley dwelling law, therefore,
contemplated separate Treasury
loans with which these alleys in
congested parts of the city could
be redeveloped for sale or lease as
commercial projects. 1t was testi-
| fed also that some of these areas
could not be acquired within the
$3.50 per square foot limit applying
to projects under U. S. H. A. loans
| Efforts to get rid of inhabited
alleys in the National Capital have
encountered difficulties for many
years. An early effort was DELAYED
by the World War. Finally, in 1884,
Congress created the A. D. A. to
begin the task in systematic way.
but thus far the agency has been
limited to S865 900 for investment in
the program. not counting the u S.
H. A. loan approved recently.
After describing some of the areas
needing redevelopment today, Mr..
Ihlder told the committee that
Congress many years ago brought
about the improvement of Willow
Tree alley, which, he testified. "the
Senate had cleared out in 1907,
because it was found that the towels
of the Senate barber shop were be-
ing laundered down there ."
If the Senate fails to restore the
loan item, the fate of the $4,000
allowed by the House would rest
| finally with the conferees.