The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-11-23
Pressing Fight For
Expdnsion Of USHA
Representatives Who Block
ed Consideration Of Bill,
Censured

| 80
Senate bill sol, the Administrations
bill to expand the slum-clearance and
Iow-rent housing program of the
United States Housing Authority, was
Ismothered by a coalition of reaction
iary Republicans and Democrats in the
closing days of the last session of Con-
gress, indications are that the measure
is far from dead.
Indignant groups and individuals
Throughout the country have lost no
time in censuring Representatives who
blocked consideration of the bill in the
House, after it had overwhelmingly
been passed by the Senate and had
been favorably reported by two House
committees. Representative who voted
to consider the bill but who are known
to be Indifferent or opposed to the pro-
posed expansion of the public housing
program, are also being buttonholed
by irate voters as part of vigorous
campaign to insure passage of the
bill when it comes up for vote in the
House at the next regular session.
Cox to Back Housing
Southern A. F. of l.. chieftain
George Googe reports that Rep. E. f.
Cox of Georgia, New Deal critic and
an influential member of the rules
committee, will carry out his pre-
viously announced intention of sup
porting housing, despite his recent ac-
tivities in the House in helping sabo-
tage S. sol.
When Congressman Albert E. Aus
tin Of Greenwich, Connecticut, came
before the Connecticut State Fedora
tion of Labor Convention at New
Haven recently, he was astonished to
find himself under heavy fire for his
adverse vote on the housing bill. Sew
eral delegates tore to pieces Austin's
excuses for having failed to be for
the public housing program. A vote
of censure on Representative Austin
was proposed but was dropped out of
courtesy to the Federation officials
who invited Austin to speak.
Labor Group Active
Among the many smaller A. F. Of
l.. groups who recently have taken up
the cause of housing are the Match
workers.
The housing committees Of both the
A. f. of L. and the C. /. 0. have re-
iported to international state labor
federations, and local affiliates on the
housing votes and positions of the
various Congressman. Local labor and
consumer groups in all parts of the
country are ;&ipiag in the fight to get
rid of the sllyns or else get rid of the
Representatives who are trying to
wreck the housing program.
= At last report, 260 local housing
authorities had been set up through
out the United States to build and
manage low-rent dwellings, with
USHA assistance, and the number is
growing g rapidly. An increasing
amount of support in carrying out To-
cal housing programs has been given
by alert civic and trade union groups.
In Montana, for instance, the Cas-
,cades County Trade and Labor AS
Isembly (AFL) has been particularly
active in pressing for the USHA-as-
sisted project now under way in Great
Falls.
Legion Groups i'll Line
Even with the knowledge that all
of the USHA's initial loan funds have
been allocated, scores of local housing
authorities are filing requests for
Iearmarhings with the USHA and are
going ahead with project plans, spur
red on by the realization that public
housing was set up as a permanent
program.
The brightest spot in the housing
picture to date is the popular and or
gani2ationaI support that has made
itself felt the moment loW-rent hous-
ing was seriously challenged. Hous-
ing is no longer being backed solely
Iby professional housers, trade union
lists, social workers, and "starry- eyed
ideaIists." 1t is significant that such
GROUPS as the American Legion in
Connecticut, Massachusetts,, West Nir-
ginia and the District Of Columbia
have voted to support housing legisla-
tion.
Farm groups are likewise joining
THE fight; President O'Neal of the
American Farm Bureau Federation
having been one of the first to rally
to the support of housing. Since the
adjournment of Congress great inter
est has been shown in the proposal
TO extend Federal assistance TO rural
/, housing projects.
Public Housing Seen Imperative
, Administration leaders declare that
with war in Europe, the public hous-
ling program becomes even more i'm
operative than when low-rent housing
Legislation was first introduced 10
meet the peace-time housing deficit
carried over, in part, from the last
war Whether or not America stays
neutral, workers are being drawn
from normal occupations into the war
industries. Under such conditions
private residential building is likely
ito be even more seriously retarded
than it has been in recent years. The
virtual standstill in private construc-
ton in this country in 19l4-18 is