Evening star., 1939-01-22
Senator 1ydings Hits
SIum-C|earance
Program
Part Rent Will Cost U. S.
81, 400. 900, 900 in Next
60 Years, Editors Told
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, Jan. 21.-Sena-
tor Millard E. Tydings, who attacked
the national administration on the
floor OF the Senate yesterday, broad
ened his criticism today to include
the Federal slum- clearance program.
Senator Tydings, addressing
meeting of publishers from Mary
land, Delaware and Pennsylvania,
warned that country editors were
missing a great opportunity" In
their failure to inquire more closely
into the lum-clearance programs,
as well as other governmental
affairs.
Using the slum- clearance program
as one of several examples of what
he said were missed opportunities"
Marylands senior Senator, a sur
vivor Of New Deal purge" last
November, said there were details
of the housing program which mot
more than l 1000 people in the whole
country" and only about "one- third
OF the Senate" know about.
Contract for go Years.
Specifically, he referred to provi-
sions In the housing law requiring
the Government to contract for 60
years to pay part of the rent of low
income groups moved into federally
financed low-cost housing develop
ments.
He asserted that in the next go
years the Nation must pay, under
the present law, grand total of
50, 400 100000 as part rent on the
low-cost homes.
Families using the homes, he ex-
planned, come from such low in
come group that they are unable to
pay the full rent necessary if the
Government is to realize a return on
its investment of $5OO,O00 900 for
construction.
The original housing bill pro-
vlded that the appropriation of
$500, 900, 900 be loaned to big cities
for destruction of old slum buildings
and erection Of modern structures"
he said. The average cost of a
four-room dwelling was fixed at
$4,000, which meant that the appro-
priation would provide homes for
only 100000 Of the estimated 8,OO0.-
200 families in sub-standard homes.
More to Be Asked.
Since the law requires that only
families with incomes of from $50
to $40 month are eligible for the
Government dwellings, the rent
1 they would be required to pay on a
$4,000 house would be impossible
for them to meet"
To meet this situation, he contin-
ued, the Congress wrote in amend
ments whereby the Government
would contract to pay rent subsidies
for not more than 60 years." and
$40 900 was appropriated to serv-
ice this subsidy fund"
In other words" he said, "the
Federal Government today is max
ing 6O-year contracts to take out of
the Federal Treasury a sum of
money so that rents on these de-
velopments can be paid. I under
stand that they already have used
this s20,000,000 and are about to
ask Congress for an additional sum.
Il have heard the sum to be re-
quested will be around $50, 900 ,oOO-
and that for 60-year period"
Asks "More Realistic" Approach.
Senator Tydings told the publish
ers he did not oppose the principle
OF the program but did believe that
"a more realistic approach should
be made to the problem and the
present law revised.
AS recently as two days ago, he
said, two outstanding Senators"
told him they had heard reports
of this situation and wondered If
it were true"
Murray Metten of Wilmington
Del. was elected president of the
tri-State newspaper group.
Elected along with Mr.. Metten to
offices Of the DelMar-Va Associa-
ton were Max Chambers, Preston,
Md, vice president, and A. o. H.
Grier, Wilmington, secretary-t.eas-
urer.
Leo Moore of Havre de Grace was
elected president of the Maryland
Press Association. George A. Nc
Daniel, fredericksburg, was named
vice president and Samuel Shanna-
han, Easton, secretary treasurer.