Evening star., 1942-01-04
Jones Opposes
More
Loan dnAgencies
House Unit May End
Decentralization
Hearings Tuesday =
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.


BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
Hearing on decentralization of
Federal agencies In the interest Of
economy and efficiency and to make
room here for essential national
defense activities are expected to
be closed by a House subcommittee
Tuesday. The subcommittee report
and recommendations will be made
promptly to the House Committee
on Public Buildings and Grounds.
Chairman Downs and Represent
ative Manasco Of Alabama, who have
been conducting the hearings
claimed they were given a prac-
tical admission that the Federal
Housing Administration might be
moved by Jesse H. Jones, Federal
Loan administrator, when he was
a witness yesterday. Mr.. Jones said,
however, that in removing the
H. o. L. c. to New York the loan
agencies under his administration
had been decentralized about as
far as possible, and that he had
been persuaded that to move any
other Of these agencies would be
inadvisable.
Mr.. Manasco pressed Mr.. Jones
on this point. Mr.. Jones said the
r. H. A. was lone Of the best OF
the Government agencies" and that
the administrator. Abner H. Fer
guson, had convinced him 1t couldn't
function as efficiently elsewhere,
that any move would disrupt a
scientific organization" and en-
phasized that other Government
agencies are now bidding for its
personnel. He said that he would
confer further with Mr.. Ferguson
regarding moving this agency else
where.
More officials to Testify.
Tomorrow the subcommittee ex-
poets to hear spOkeSmen for the
Interstate Commerce Commission
and the Office of Production Man
agement and on Tuesday. officials
of the Price Control Administration
and the National Labor Relations
Board.
Administrator Jones argued that
loan agencies have been decentral-
lied about as far as possible and all
are engaged here on important war
work and require daily contact with
o. P. M. War, Navy and other de-
fense Offices.
Mr.. Jones expressed pride that the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation,
tapering off on other work had been
able to meet the war emergency re-
uuirement promptly and had made
commitments Of $500 900 900 al
ready and with little additional ex-
pense.
He explained the o. P. NJ. War
and Navy Departments selected
plant sites and the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation works out the
business end and then follows
through to see the work Is done"
He promised to make study to see
how the present Office space OF
units under his administration can
be employed for several shifts OF
employees so asst o save on once
housing requirements.
Karl Fenning, patent lawyer, for
mer assistant commissioner OF pat
ents, professor of patent law at
Georgetown University and for 10
years editor of a patent trade jour-
nal, and two other veteran patent
attorneys, William H. Finckel and
j. Austin Stone, protested against
the removal from Washington OF
the Patent ONCE.
Fenning States Views.
Mr.. Fenning said he does not see
any reason for moving the Patent
Office from Washington and ex-
planned how the service given by
that agency, especially in defense
requirements, would be seriously
hampered by a transfer. He said
newer Government agencies could
be moved with less inconvenience
and hardship.
Mr.. Fenning explained in detail
how the Patent Office is used by
defense agencies and by British
purchasing groups. He insisted the
defense program will suffer greatly
by moving this Office to Richmond.
mo organization of the Govern
ment is as valuable and useful for
information in defense work" he
said.
He cited the danger of impairing
some of the irreplaceable documents
that are the basis for the manu-
featuring industry of the country,
and said a temporary building could
be erected here for less than 10
years rental elsewhere.
Mr.. Finckel said he and other
patent attorneys could see no sense
in moving the Patent Office out OF
the Commerce Building here to
make room for another Government
agency already housed here.
Mr.. Fenning agreed to submit a
brief opposing the removal of the
Patent Office on behalf of the Or
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