Evening star., 1942-05-30
W.P.B. Pledges
Completion Of
War Housing
Priorities Assured
For 100, 900 Units
Throughout Nation
By JAMES Y. NEWTON.

Private builders left the meeting
with War Production Board officials
yesterday encouraged by the promise
for completion of war housing al
ready started, though impressed
with the prospect of dark days ahead
for the home building industry.
The builders said they were as
sured by w. P. B. construction in
dustry heads that freeze orders
would be relaxed and adequate
priorities extended to permit the
early completion of some 100000
housing units now under construc-
ton throughout the country with
private capital.
w. P. B. men, however, held out
no rosy promises for the future OF
the building industry. Builders
were not encouraged over the pos
sibility of starting any new projects
in the near future. The officials
told them the future production OF
housing is dependent on new
procedure now being worked out
with the help of the Federal Hous-
ing Administration. This new pro-
cedure will be made public in about
10 days, they said.
F. H. A. Takes Step.
Although the F. H. A. was author
ized under an act signed by the
President this week to insure an
additional $500 100000 in new con-
struction, the agency has suspended
the handling of applications for pri-
critics and commitments to under
write private construction. This
step was taken, it is presumed,
pending completion Of w. P B.. new
procedure" order.
A half hundred of the country's
most prominent builders were gath
cred here yesterday at the insistence
of the National Home Builders As
sociation for the conference with
w. P. B. The meeting with board
officials was arranged by John P.
Coyne, president of the Building
and Construction Trades Depart
ment of the American Federation of
LABOR. Joseph D. keenan,, chief
of the A. F. of L. section of w. P. B.,
served as chairman.
Although a picked committee at
tended the board conference. meet
ings of all the builders were held
before and afterward. The COM
mittee which called on w. P B.
included Charles j. Harnett, Mon
roe Warren and Rufus Lusk of
Washington, Harry J. Durbin, De-
troit, president of the national as
ISOLATION; Carroll Shelton, Phila-
delphia, and Stephen E. Kovach,
jr, of Pittsburgh.
Half Billion Stake.
The builders established that war
housing, privately and publicly
financed, had begged down because
of arbitrary" freeze orders from
Washington. The present stake OF
the private operator in the wal
housing program. it was pointed out
exceeded a half billion dollars, with
several million dollars of man hours
involved.
Attending the general meetings
here were builders fromsa score oi
defense areas, many of whom were
faced with bankruptcy unless al
lowed to complete war housing
projects started, work they were en-
couraged to undertake by the Gov
eminent.
Delegates to the conference with
w. P. B. reported that every officia
present showed a constructive atti-
tude in solving the current problem
of the home builder. The construc-
ton men emphasized that If future
developments made it necessary fol
the Army and Navy to take over al
critical list materials, they were
entirely willing to step aside in the
vital interest of winning the war
The association dispatched the
(See INDUSTRY, Page BID