Evening star., 1941-01-14


It is claimed that under the
Lanham Bill authorizing construc-
ton of Army housing, under the
direction of the Public Buildings
Administration, little is being &C
complished. Many reasons are cited
but foremost is the one that the
P. B. A. being an old-line agency
has its contacts among the contrac-
tors of the country, etc.
Under this set-up, authority is
given for the construction of $4,000
homes costing an estimated $50
100000. To date there are said 10
be actually only $50 units being
built and only 100 of these will be
complete by February l, l94l.
Navy Builds Own Houses.
The total number of houses esti-
mated to be needed under this
branch of the service and defense
is placed at 100000.
Under the entire defense housing
program, the Navy builds its own
houses 1t is using in some cases
steel fabrication. but these are not
erected along the shores of the
Nation where rust and corrosion are
dangerous factor.
In a way it all supports the
argument that industry must put
up or shut up.
Upon the statute books of the
public law is measure passed in
1884 as Public Act No. 324, which
contains a clause designed to pun
ish those contractors and subcon-
tractors who force a kick back
from others concerned with con-
struction on public buildings. The
c. I. o. holds that the A. F L.,
with its present practice OF making
men buy" jobs, violates this law.
The law carries a penalty Of five
years, a IS 900 fine or both.
In the State of California. the
C. I. o. has knowledge Of a w. P. A.
administrator who resigned to be-
come associated with a large con-
tracing firm. His assistant became
| administrator and certain A. F. L.
leader in the building trades left
his work to become personnel head
for the Association of General
Contractors. Carmody has ordered
an investigation which is supposed
to be in progress at this time.
Union Fees ASsailed.
! The connection. so they believe.
| between the contractors and per-
sonnel and w. P. A, in this instance,
revolves around w. p A. labor and
the so-called initiation fee Of the
building trades unions.
1t should be made clear that the
fee being charged by the unions is
not an initiation fee in any sense.
The men are not given union status
only work permit for the one job.
1t all involves huge turnover OF
labor since the more who are forced
to make the down payments and
the balance the finer the racket"
turns out to be.
1t is really all added up to the
entrenchment of those already in
the saddle. The building industry
has long been a problem and it
would seem that the richer the whole
combination becomes the farther
back we slip into the old, old rut.
Housing Division Urged.
The c. I. o. plan will urge a
housing division for prefabricated
houses. 1t will further urge that
the Government utilize the various
housing agencies of the Govern
ment, who have had experience in
building small units, which they
claim the Public Housing Admins
tratfbn does not have. They will
ask, of course, relief from the prac-
tees they charge are being pursued
by the A. F. L.
In the entire housing program for
defense the Army and Public Build
ing Administration are one; the
Navy builds alone; U. S. H. A. is in
the field with what money they have
in revolving fund and what has
come back from projects planned
but not followed. The R. F. c. has
authority to participate in rentol
projects up to a total of s50,000000.
Army and Public Buildings Ad-
ministration have S250.000,000
(Released by Consolidated News Features,
IncD