Evening star., 1942-05-03
Federation Hits
Rooning House
Ban S Removal
Wartime Proposal
Held Unnecessary;
Other Action Token

The Federation Of Citizens As
sociations last night opposed as un-
necessary the Randolph bill to per-
nit rooming and boarding houses
in restricted residential areas during
the war.
The delegates acted at the in
stance of Chairman Leon Pretz-
fielder of the zoning Committee,
who pointed out the Zoning Com
mission already has lifted zoning
regulations to permit as many as
four roomers or boarders to be taken
into homes in restricted areas dur
ing the emergency. Such bill
might be in conflict with the basic
zoning act which gave the Zoning
Commission power to handle such
a situation, he added.
Mr.. Pretzfelder, delegate Of the
Connecticut Avenue Association,
said there are enough vacant rooms
to make the Randolph bill unneces-
sary and that it would result in un-
sanitary conditions. overcrowding of
dwellings and depreciation of prop
erty.
water hdte hike OppOStu.
In other actions the delegates:
Urged no increase in water rates.
Commended the Commissioners
for allocating 100000 of Lanham
Act funds for development of rec
reation areas.
Asked the Board of Education to
relax its rules governing admission
charges for programs on school
properties so as to permit civilian
defense committees to use school
properties for Embarrassing affairs.
Asked that sports tournaments be
discouraged from coming here for
the duration because of accommo-
dationS shortages, that recreation
areas be not turned over to a single
group, that the United Golf Asso-
citation be asked to cancel its tour
nament OF the Anacostia golf course
in August and that the Langston
golf course be expanded to 18 holes.
Blackout Bill Under Fire.
The question of powers given the
Commissioners in the new black
out bill was referred to the Execu-
tive Board for action after several
delegates declared the powers called
for in the measure are too great.
In connection with opposition to
any boost in water rates, Chairman
l.. A. Carruthers of the Fiscal Affairs
! Committee said the Federal Gov
ernment should bear the cost of any
extension of the water supply neces-
STATED by the city's wartime
growth. Pointing to the fact that
the water rates go into a fund.
separate from the general fund and
are the sole support of the water
system, the Forest Hills delegate
declared that mot one dollar OF
the annual Federal appropriation"
can be credited to the water fund.
Walter F. Wasson, co-chairman OF
a special recreation committee, told
the federation of heavy Withdrawals
of recreation properties by the
| Federal Government and explained
that $500, 900 from the first Lanham
| Act has been allocated to develop
recreation areas to replace with
drawals. An additional $500 900, he
| added, is to be allocated from the
Lanham Housing bill for the Dis
| trict.
Davy Named Board Member.
Orrin Davy of Southeast Associa-
ton was unanimously elected to the
executive board replacing Vernis
Absher who has gone into military
service.
In a report on the blackout bill,
Chairman Wilbur Finch of the
Committee on Local Suffrage, de-
clared:
"The mere reading of the pro-
visions of these laws ought to make
every citizen of the District stand
aghast at the vastness of the powers
! which the Commissioners now have
or are asking"
The Burroughs representative de-
scribed the Commissioners as com
pletely unrepresentative Of, and
practically total strangers and ire
sponsible to, the hundreds of thou
sands of citizens whose persons and
property would be affected by the
exercise of such powers"