Evening star., 1942-03-19
Reported 1876 Million
Defense Furniture
Project Under Fire
Holmes Says Such q Plan
Would Leave Little
Over for Building Houses
By JAMES E. CHINN.

BY JAMES E. CHINN.
Investigation of another so-called
''boondoggling" project - reported
plans by Federal housing agencies
to purchase s136,0O0,0O0 worth of
furniture for defense workers homes
was threatened today by the House
Public Buildings and Grounds Com
mittee.
Representative Holmes, Repub-
lican, of Massachusetts, proposed the
inquiry after reading q newspaper
dispatch from Chicago announcing
the appointment of furniture COM
pany official there as an agent to
purchase furniture for 10000 defense
homes The article said S36 900 900
would be spent this year and $780,
100000 in 1943
II would like to know" Mr.. Holmes
declared, IF this is another part Of
the boondoggling which we have
read so much about, whereby the
taxpayers money is promiscuously
thrown away"
Illus NJ futlUIlty.
Representative Holmes said he
had been unable to find any author
ity in law giving various Federal
housing agencies the use of defense
housing funds for purchase of furni-
ture. If $136,O00,O00 of the $780,
100000 appropriated for homes is
spent on furniture, he declared,
there will be little left for housing"
There is something radically
wrong" he added, "or something
has gone askew."
Representative Holmes made his
attack while the committee ques-
toned John Ihlder, executive officer
of the District Alley Dwelling Au-
thority about plans of his agency
for constructing defense homes for
Government war workers in Metro
politan Washington.
Mr. Ihlder assured the committee
that purchase of furniture for the
his program.
First Witness Called.
4llC "A. II. n. "dS OllS AL OI
witness called by the committee as it
continued public hearings on the
Senate revised Lanham bill author
izing an appropriation of $40 100000
for defense housing and related pub
lie works in the District area.
Mr.. Ihlder told the committee
Washington now is dangerously
overcrowded" and needs many more
homes "and needs them at once"
He explained that at President
Roosevelts direction the A. D. A.
now is arranging to erect 4,500 de-
mountable homes in the District and
nearby Maryland and Virginia to
ease the housing shortage I'VE are
securing sites wherever they are
available" he declared.
Mr.. Ihlder testified the demount-
able houses would be attractive and
good" though economically con-
structed. In high-value areas, he
said, the houses will be of two
story type to conserve land.
Says Dormitories Are Desirable.
Chairman Lanham asked Mr.
1hlder what he thought of the
Presidents sensible" idea of erect
ing temporary dormitories for un-
married workers In the Mall and on
public park lands.
He replied the emergency housing
program should be well balanced"
and dormitories would be desirable
for single persons.
Representative Lanham expressed
the opinion that dormitories in the
Mall would alleviate the transpor-
tation problem, provide for genial
association among the war workers
and make for their general con-
tentment.
For the second time in a week
Chairman Lanham complained
about stories sent out of Washing
ton to newspapers throughout the
country appealing to men and
women to come here to take Gov
eminent jobs. The articles, he
said, painted a rosy picture of
Washington life - good salaries,
ideal housing and various attrac-
tlonS.
Wants to Find Origin.
That sort of propaganda, Mr.. Lam
ham declared is contributing to the
congestion here. He wanted to know
the source of it's origin.
II, too. would like to know" Mr..
1hlder remarked.
Representative Harris, Democrat,
of Virginia and McGregor, Repub-
lican of Ohio criticized Mr.. Ihlder
for his admitted lack of knowledge
of existence of a 2-year-old law
designed to force improvement of
antiquated sanitation facilities.
Wasn't it the original intention
to have the A. D. A. clean up the
slum stench?" asked Mr. Harris.
How could you 60 down and clean
up conditions if you didn't know
anything about the law enacted two
years ago?"
Mr.. Ihlder said the law was put on
the statute books without his knowl-
edge. Moreover, he explained, it is
not the Job of the A. D. A. to enforce
regulatory police powers.
Believes Authority Exceeded.
Representative McGregor said he
thought the A. D. A. had gone
far beyond" its constituted author
ity. Mr.. Ihlder, however, stoutly de-
MED it had exceeded the scope
given it by Congress.
Belief also was expressed by Mr..
McGregor that various housing
agencies have so many overlap
ping" functions it is difficult to fix
responsibility for irregularities" in
the housing situation.
Mr.. Ihlder incidentally registered
his opposition to the plan of Arthur
Goodwillie of the Home Owners
Loan Corp. for rehabilitating nine
block area in Southwest Washing
ton to create modern housing for
Government war workers. Five mil
lion dollars of the S70000,000 author
lied in the bill is set aside for car
rying out the program.
The Goodwillie project, the A.
aHoio1 Iao1orol tn