Evening star., 1941-11-23
P. B. A. Is Reported
Slated 10 Supervise
Temporary Housing
Proposal Would leove
U. S. H. A. in Charge Of
Permanent Work

The Public Buildings Administra-
ton will share with the United
States Housing Authority primary
responsibility for the Government S
future defense housing program. 1t
was reported in high official quar-
ters yesterday.
According to plans that have been
discussed at the White House. the
Public Building Administration is
slated to handle temporary defense
housing with the U. S. H. A. In
charge of permanent housing.
While no exact definition OF tenn
porary" has been made, the classi-
fication is believed to cover all
projects not intended for continued
use in the same locality after the
emergency.
Since both p. B A. and U. S. H. A..
operate under the Federal Works
Agency, adoption of the new plan
would mean a victory for John
Carmody retiring F. w. A. admin
istrator. who has opposed many OF
the policies and actions OF Defense
Housing Co-ordinator Charles F,
Palmer.
Custer Not Indicated.
This does not mean necessarily
that Mr.. Palmer will be ouSted or
that his office will be liquidated
Research and planning personnel of
his agency PROBABLY would continue
to play an important part in pro-
iecting the emergency housing pro-
gram. If Mr.. Palmer is transferred
il might well be to a better job.
The incoming F. w. A. admin
istrator. Brig. Gen. Philip Fleming,
who is expected to leave his post
with the Wage and Hour Division
of the Labor Department as soon
as his nomination to be head OF
F., w. A. has been confirmed, would
be the key figure in the revised set
UP. That he is highly regarded by
defense leaders was indicated re-
Gently when Donald M. Nelson,
executive director of the Supply
Priorities and ALLEGATIONS Board.
sought to enlist him to supervise
proposed requisitioning OF stock
piles of scarce materials and goods
needed for defense.
Gen. Flemine's F. w. A. would be
the major operating agency in the
new housing program. accordlng TO
tentative plans. Those who espouse
this arrangement point out that II
most of the responsibility is not
centered in one agency, little would
be accomplished by change.
F. w. A. Acts as Supervisor.
The Defense Housing Co-ordi-
nator's office. according TO one OF its
own charts, programs and co-ordi-
mates but does not administer.
Actual supervision of construction is
left mainly to F. w. A. with work
also being done under the Farm
Security Administration. the Army
and the Navy. Under this system
there has been considerable inter-
agency squabbling.
President Roosevelt indicated at
q press conference recently that the
U. S. H. A. was his favorite so far
as permanent defense projects were
concerned in future plans Those
advocating the P. B. AS direction
of temporary housing construction
point out that the agency is the
oldest of its type in the Govern
ment, with many years experience in
directing public building programs
1t has supervised construction of
post Offices and other Federal build
ings throughout the country.
Last fall the P. B. A. began
housing under Allen Stephens, an
advisory engineer. F. w, A. Ad-
ministrator Carmody transferred
Mr.. Stephens and his aides from
p. B. A. to special division of de-
fense housing established in the
Office of the P. w. A. Administrator
If Mr.. Carmody's successor. Gen.
Fleming. desires to put Mr.. Stephens
and others who have worked on
temporary housing under P. B. A.
once again the shift back should
present little difficulty.
Nothing official has been said at
the White House for several weeks
about the study of defense housing
that Judge Samuel l. RoSenman
was to make for the President. There
have been persistent reports, how
ever, that the study has been
turned in, but shelved by the Presi-
dent because it would involve drastic
shakeups of housing agencies and
perhaps heated controversy. The
President is said to want no such
violent disturbance in the defense
scene at this time.