Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-04-03

was made in leaning 50 heavily on
the pre-fabricated house industry,
still in its infancy. There are some
pre-fabricators, he points out, with
experience. Most of those signed by
Federal Works Agency either had no
previous experience or were still ex-
perimenting.
How can you expect" he asks,
IAN industry which had never pro-
duced more than q thousand houses
a year to build 10000 by July?
From now on we will deal only with
those who can produce. We will not
deal with promoters"
Another oficial likened the pro-
gram to giving a mans job to .
boy"
Just who got the idea first Of
buying so many pre-fabricated, de-
mountable houses under the pro-
gram also is nard to decide. The
consensus seems to be that 1t was
Charles F. Palmer, former defense
housing co-ordinator. Mr.. Palmer,
perhaps, is a good one to blame, for
he now is somewhere between Wash
ington and England on housing
mission for President Roosevelt.
45,70S Houses Ordered.
Rufe B. Newman was placed in
charge of the program by F. w. A.
when the President allocated the
big fund early in January. His Of
flee was besieged with pre-fabrt-
Gators and many with only CLEAN
in their eyes" when word about the
$685. 100000 got around, and Mr..
Newman proceeded to break records
in house buying. An announcement
of March 6, when F. w. A. turned
over the program to John B. Bland
ford, jr., new national housing ad-
ministrator, stated that Mr.. New
man had contracted for 45,70S pre-
fabricated, demountable" houses in
As days.
IT think this is a remarkable
record" Acting F. w. A. Admins
traitor Baird Snyder, Sd, wrote Mr..
Blandford, for which Mr.. Newman
cannot be too highly commended"
Though Mr.. Newman had signed
for all the houses in letters Of in
tent" only one contract actually
had been negotiated, and that with
a West Coast firm, for the 5000
Norfolk houses. The letters of in
tent, while cancelable, are binding
on the Government to the extent
of funds expended by contractors
under them. The contractors are
said to have spent millions Of dollars
so far and are considerably con-
cerned as to when actual contracts
will be forthcoming.
II think they IF. P. H. A. missed
perfect pass" Mr.. Newman told
The Star, using a football phrase
to describe the situation. II can't
see any justification as to why the
contracts haven't proceeded on
schedule. I turned over well
wrapped job. All they had to do
was to take the technical specifica-
lions, wrap them up In contract
and issue work order. Some OF the
best men in the country worked out
the specifications"
Says Contractors Capable.
Mr.. Newman said the prefabri-
eating contractors were fully capable
of doing the job on time. While all
of them may not have had home
building experience, all Of them had
facilities to do the work. He said
that 80 of IS sites had been ap-
proved when he turned over the
program.
Mr.. Newman refused to complete
the program under F. p. H. A. be-
cause they offered me only sub
ordinate job" and remained with the
Federal Works Agency. Mr.. Shire
charged that Mr.. Newman, in re-
with F. w. A., pulled out
all of his key men," Mr.. Shire said
further 1t had been necessary for
him to review all Of Mr.. Newman's
negotiations and to change house
specifications in many.
Site selection, Mr.. Shire said, b