The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-04-11
Politics
in
Passing


byRAxM0ND J. FITzPATRIoK
Tha government ban on building
aonaes aa waterbury stlil has q serl-
Gus housing shortage and promises
70 bring about an even more critical
focusing situation before many
months have passed, since out OF
ewn workers are stlll Rocking here
or Jobs,
The city can blame itself for the
situation IN which u now faces.
First, q federal grant Of Sl,OOO,0OO
Cor q housing project was re-
sNcted several years agOi second,
tho present administration failed
10 re.establlsh tho Waterbury
Housing Authority, Had there
been q housing authority here
during che past two years the
chances are that the city could
now boast Of permanent federal
housing units that would care for
ne least several hundred families,
Those who favored The setting
xtp of a new Housing Authority,
20 replace the unit which lost
virtually all It's members through
death and ineilgIblllty, were told
repeatedly that the matter was
under consideration. Labor groups
were given the same answer. Then
during the last city election CAM
palgn, n definite pledge was made
that q Housing Authority would be
appointed.
THAT was last fall, Now, II Il
APRIL, and not only Is there sill
40 Housing Authority but there's
little that one could do now ever
" II were appointed
Seine OF the I0udcst complaints
against The defense housing units
~ Long IIlll and Hamilton ave.
nue. come from those who were
bitterly opposed when the govern
Hnent wanted 10 build permanent
dwellings here, When the city
waved away the million. dollar
grant, the government had no
choice, when housing conditions
here continued 10 grow worse, but
10 rush through the defense
homes.
Had there been q regular FILA
development here, the hastily
ereeted defense homes would have
been necessary only 10 supple
,sncnt the permanent units.
Tho 81 100000 oarmarked for Wa.
eerbury went elsewhere, 10 q CON-
Anunity which realized the need fol
new homes. Now Waterbury suffers
from an acute lack OF living accom-
Haodations
The vast majority Of Water.
buI1's people, unqueStlOnabiy,
wanted federal housing. Their
representative IN the city govern.
ment, however, decided that the
city shouldn't have II, We see
the result today,
congressman Joe Talbot should
IL Stems 10 US, get himself SomC
new political advisers During hi
zlfst months In Congress he has a.
ready managed 10 get n large labor
bloc opposed 10 him, u group thai
wtelds considerable influence IN Wa
terbury. Torrington and AnSonia
81 we'll a8 IN his home town o.
Nau1Atuck,
For one things, the new congress
man hasn't made himself too cleal
e. 10 his stand on labor Issues
thereby puzZling many union men,
ters who supported him In the Spe.
eial election
"a Ills vote IN faVOF Of IN add.
sl0nai appropriation for the Dies
oommlttee, though all other Con-
lle0ticut congressman vOt d
against II, likewise hasn't helped
hlm with labor, Making matters
verse, Mr.. Talbot explained his
4 vote by pralsing the Dies com.
iiittee and lis work.
AZ Union leaders, NJ q conference
with the congressman the other
night, expressed the view that
many OF Mr. Dies hcralded Tex
pesures" could be best described
~ smear, that innocent per-
sons have been unfairly labeled
because Of Mr. Dies anxiety TO
make tho headlines
Ks They might also have pointed
bat, II they did not, that the Dies
aaOmmlttee has been strangely uIi-
aware Of the activities Of most
Nazi and Fascist organizations
while trying 10 develop u RED"
scare To this observer, II appears,
that DR. Dies falls to realize that
NaElism and Communism are
Equally grave n1enaces 10 Amer.
ica and the American way Of life.
Neither has n place In this cOun.
try.
Since the Connecticut Republic
ram organization has been guilty
~ antl-labOr activity many, many
simes. Mr. Talbot, rs o high
FEAukHUk mcmDeF OF tntS OTkNnIs
satlon, went to Washington with
This as q handicap. u was sup.
posed that, realizing this and
realizing also that II was not Re-
publican votes which elected him,
ne would be careful not 10 offend
labor.
Running In the fall elections "a
Il regular candidate, Mr. Taboo
would have little chance OF victory
unless he had strong labor backing
and could count on the votes o.
many Democrats. Should he fur.
Alaer ALLEVIATE those who might hay,
been among his supporters, hi
ehances IN November would not b,
too bright
REPORTER TO ACTOR
! 2 Roland Drew Young Warner Bros