Evening star., 1939-02-26
SIum Clearance Setback

present administration to the
meritorious task of reclaiming the
then 200 inhabited alleys in the
National Capital, has received an
other financial setback in Congress.
| The action of the House Appropri-
ations Committee in reducing by one
half the S1,G0000O recommended for
the A. D. A. by the Budget Bureau
naturally will restrict the agency to
doing half the work it should do or
expected to do during the coming
fiscal year. 1t may not be an ''emer-
gency'' work. as some of the COM
mittee members seem inclined to
think, but there are others who do
regard the alienation of miserable
living conditions reflected in the
health, delinquency and crime rec
ords of the city as something very
much akin to an emergency.
Regardless of differences over the
need for more rapid or slower prog
ress in the WORK of the Alley Dwelling
Authority, the character of its pro-
gram aad its Importance to the City
% Washington are deserving of more
generous treatment at the hands of
Congress.
In 1880. when the Alley Dwelling
Act was first drafted, completion in
ten years of a program of alley
reclamation and rehousing was con-
templated by the sponsors. A S3,OOO,-
600 revolving fund to be made avail
able at the beginning of operation
was recommended.
In 1884, when the Alley Dwelling
Act was passed, the ten-year limit
remained unchanged But only $780,
600 was authorized for the purpose
of carrying out the provisions of the
act, subject to annual reappropria-
ton.
Congress, however, pursued more
niggardly policy in the years that
followed. Since 1884, except for
funds received from the United
States Housing Authority, the A. D.
A. has had funds totaling only $685.
600. But for loans from the U. S.
H. A.. the local authority would be
dead broke"
President Roosevelt saw the advis-
ability of dual housing program in
the District last June when he per-
suaded Congress to empower the A.
D. A. to borrow $1,O0O,OOO from the
Treasury in five annual installments
to expedite it's policy of providing
economically sound housing as op-
posed to the new Federal scheme of
subsidized rents Congress neglected,
however, to appropriate funds for the
first $l,000,0O0 installment.
That million has been recommend
ed for inclusion in the deficiency
appropriation bill. It is intended to
promote the work of the A. D. A.
during the present fiscal year. There
is no assurance, of course, that the
committee will recommend it at all.
or, if it does recognize this obliga-
ton of a previous Congress, there is
no assurance that the amount will
not be cut in half as was done Friday.
The funds are not direct appropria-
tions. They are repayable to the
Treasury at the regular rate of in
terest. Obviously, in view of the
financial policy which has restricted
the A, D. A. to a very limited pro-
gram in recent years, the ten-year
limit on completing its work is i'm
/ possible of achievement. It will re-
quire probably twenty years unless
Congress sees fit to adhere to the
terms of the act of June Is last.
Meanwhile, the immediate object
OF the program-the elimination of
blighted back areas and the provi-
sion of an adequate supply of good,
loW-rent housing-will be retarded
to the detriment of Washington and
thousands of its citizens.