Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-15
Washington Realtors
Fight Decentralizing
OF Federal ACTIVITY
Convention Told Orderly
Prosperity. Minus Boom
Woes. in Store for Realty
By JAMES Y. NEWTON,

~eAA CsaAA ASobohoGA1s
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. l5-The
suggestion of a speaker that many
activities of the Federal Government
be decentralized from Washington
to points in the field met with vio-
lent opposition from Washington
realtors attending the annual con-
vention of the National Association
Of Real Estate Boards, here today.
Hugh Potter of Houston. Tex, a
former president Of the national as
ISOLATION. made the suggestion that
wherever feasible" administrative
work of Government bureaus should
be moved from the Capital to other
cities. Washington delegates were
apparently successful in their fight
to prevent incorporation of the sug-
gestion in a convention resolution.
They pointed out that Washington
was established originally as the ad-
ministrative center. q city devoted
solely to the affairs of government.
Orderly prosperity for real estate
without the maladjustments of a
boom was predicted for the next IL
months by speakers before the con-
vention. Restrictions on Govern
ment encroachment in the real
estate field also were called for.
Kniskern Is Nominated.
The associations Nom mating
Committee named Philip w. Knis-
kern of Philadelphia as its choice
for president for the next year. Mr..
KniSkern's nomination is tanta-
mount to election, although further
nominations may be made from the
floor when the election is held late
today or tomorrow. He is slated to
succeed Newton c. Farr of Chicago.
Mr.. knlSkern is well known in
Washington. where he was called to
help set up the Home Owners Loan
Corp. several years ago.
H. Clifford Bangs Of Washington
was nominated for another term as
director of the national associa-
ton. He is a former president Of
the Washington Real Estate Board.
Curtis c. Mack of Washington, dep
uty administrator Of F. H. A., was
named to the Governing Council of
the American Institute of Real Es-
tate Appraisers, an affiliate of the
association. Harry A. Taylor of East
Orange, N. j., was nominated for
vice president of the national as
ISOLATION serving the Central At
lantic region. which includes Wash
ington, Maryland and Virginia.
Commenting on the present out
look for real estate, James c. Downs
of Chicago said that active employ
ment In private enterprise is placing
thousands of families back in the
normal consumer groups These
families are swelling the number
OF housing consumers and are pro-
ducing sharp rise in the residential
occupancy levels of the country's
cities. Mr.. Downs praised the F. H.
A. as an automatic escape valve for
rent gouging" through its sponsor
ship of long-term mortgage loans.
He predicted that rentals will not
increase greatly.
Warns Of Post Emergency Trouble.
Charles Abrams of New York, au-
thor of Revolution in Land" said
that evolving new relationships be-
tween Government and private
property are of the greatest mo-
ment." Expansion of the general
welfare clause of the Constitution
under the New Deal, he said, has
opened to the Federal Government a
vast new field of possible action in
the field Of realty operation.
He called for unified long range
national policy In respect to en-
couragement Of sound home owner.
ship, land ownership and land use.
Measures 50 far taken along this
line lack integration and direction,
he added, saying that indications
are that we are entering the defense
housing program with the same
"heedlessness" for long values
Is was the case In 1917. Such &C.
ton will lead to chaotic condition
in real estate when the present ma
tional emergency Is over. he charged.
The convention, which Is being
attended by more than 90 persons
from Washington. will be brought
to 4 close tomorrow.