Evening star., 1941-08-27
MontgomerY's
Rural Housing
Plan Revived
Harry Rhodes Named
Executive Director
Of Project
q, , statf Correspondent Of The star.

By a Staff Correspondent Of The Star.
ROCKVILLE, Md, Aug. 27.-The
long dormant Montgomery County
rural housing project took new
lease on life yesterday when Harry
Rhodes, assistant principal of the
Poolesville High School, was named
executive director of the project
which is to get under construction
In several months"
Mr.. Rhodes, who has also been an
employe in the Office of o. w. An
derson, county agent, was named
q special clerk to the county COM
n1issioners by the board at its
meeting here yesterday and as
signed to serve as executive director
of the project on the recommended
tion of the countys housing au-
thority.
The housing authoritys recon-
mendation, received by the COM
missioners in written form, also
urged immediate establishment of
an office for Mr.. Rhodes in Rock
vile and employment of stenog-
Yapher. Mr.. Rhodes salary will be
5000 a month and that of the
stenographer $50.
Held Up 18 Months.
The housing project, which is to
be financed out of $3.50, 900 Fed
eral appropriation, will provide 200
low rental homes for poorly paid
agricultural workers in the county.
Col. E. Brooke Lee said the project
had been held in abeyance for the
past 18 months because neither the
United States Housing Authority,
the Resettlement Division of the
Agriculture Department nor the
local housing authority have been
able to decide what equipment
ought to 60 into the houses and
the basic materials to be used in
their construction"
In the recommendation sub
nitted by the county housing au-
thority. it was pointed out that Mr..
Rhodes duties would consist OF
carrying on negotiations with farm
owners from whom sites will be,
purchased; negotiations for destruc-
ton of existing substandard houses
when the new homes are finished;
aid In selection of tenants and the
negotiation of various rental agree
ments with both tenants and IN
many cases with operating farmers.
Mr.. Rhodes also will aid members
of the county housing authority in
negotiations with the rural housing
division of the u S. H, A. since no
plans for homes in climates similar
10 that of Montgomery County have
been worked out either by the rural
housing division of the U. S. Fl. A..
nor the resettlement division OF the
Agriculture Department.
The commissioners agreed to
finance the salaries of Mr.. Rhodes,
the stenographer and rent for an
office during the planning and con-
struction" period of approximately
eight months duration. Afterward
the funds would be derived from
rent money obtained from the
project.
Some Single Houses.
Col. Lee said the houses will be
built singly and in groups of two's
and four's, depending on the needs
of the particular location, the homes
being constructed OF masonry and
of long life material and contain
ing two or three bedrooms. He
added they would be allotted to con-
tractors in groups of 20 and the
entire project would be completed
during "a four or five month cycle" +"
Each house would have an overall
cost of $4,000, including the building
site
The recommendation to the conn
missioners was signed by all the
members of the housing authority,
including Col. Lee, DR.. J. w. Bird
of Sandy Spring, Douglas v. Dia-
mond of Gaithersburg, j. " Morgan
Of Bethesda and Mr.. Anderson.
The commissioners also granted
q permit to William r. Stone to
erect temporary grandstands for
! 900 persons on the American Golf
Club site at Halpine, on the Rock
vile Pike between Rockville and
Bethesda. The permit was granted
on condition that Mr.. Stone does
not install fioodlights on the
premises. 1t is effective September
! and is good for go days.
Club Exempted From Taxes.
The commissioners also declared
property of the Woman's Club of
Chevy Chase exempt from State and
county taxes after hearing an
opinion rendered by their attorney,
Joseph A. Cantrel. Mr.. Cantrel's
opinion explained that at the time
Of the general assessment the super
visor of assessments objected to a
recommendation that the property
be tax exempt. Subsequent hearings
were held before the State Tax Com
mission, which held the property
assessable on the grounds that its
title was registered in the name of
q holding company. However, ac-
cording to the opinion, the title is
now in the name of the club and
the property is therefore exempt
The commissioners also authorized
the advertisement of a public hear
ing on special street improvement
on Greenwood avenue between Hud-
son and Wabash avenues in Rogers
subdivision, Takoma Park, at cost
of $4,400 to be provided by the
county and assessed against abut-
ting property owners.
On the recommendation of Rich
ard H. Lansdale, chairman of the
Board of Assessments, the commits
sioners agreed to call attention to
the fact that building contractors
operating in the upper part of the
county must obtain building per-
mits before starting construction
work.
The commissioners also authorized
the Lions Club of Takoma Park to
hold charity carnival on a lot on
Georgia avenue near the Silver
Spring station of the Baltimore q
Ohio Railroad, September 1920.
Will Sponsor PIoy
FALLS CHURCH, Va, Aug. q