Evening star., 1942-02-01
Housing Shortages
In Other Cities Face
Shifted Workers
OfficiuIs Find Conditions
Duplicating CopitoI's
In industrial Centers
By OLIVER MCKEE.

BY OLIVER MCKEE.
With the shift of the country
to a total war economy and the
expansion in industrial activity
to an all-time high, Government
decentralization faces a new
problem, that of finding cities
with adequate housing facilities
for transferred Federal workers.
As a result of the growth OF war
industries, and the influx Of defense
workers, most large industrial cities
are confronted with housing condi-
tions that closely parallel those in
Washington, according to reports
reaching here. Delays and changes
in the decentralization program an
nounced by Budget Director Harold
D. Smith late In December have
been due, in large part, to the hous-
ing situation in other cities, particu-
larly the availability of homes within
the rent levels that the average
Government worker can afford.
The Patent Once began its move
TO Richmond yesterday. According
to data given to the decentralization
Office Of the Public Buildings Ad-
ministration, based on returns to a
QUESTIONABLE, $50 employees of the
Patent Office indicated that they
needed housing in Richmond. Some,
of course, made their own arrange
ments.
Little Opportunity for Choice.
Though the housing listed as
available in Richmond apparently
will be sufficient to take care of
the needs of the Patent ONCE
workers, it will be a tight squeeze,
officials admitted yesterday. There
will be little opportunity for choice
Of accommodations.
In one classification, that of
houses renting between $50 and $79
= month, the number of homes listed
as available was considerably below
the number of applications. When
the Patent Office move is completed,
Richmond, in the light Of these
figures, will hardly be able to absorb
another large Federal unit
The Wage and Hour Division will
move to New York City on February
IA, it was announced yesterday.
Under the original order, this agency
was to have been moved to Pitts
burgh, now one Of the major CEN
ters of war production Shortage
Of suitable housing, it is reported,
was one Of the reasons why Labor
Department officials asked that the
unit be moved to another city.
Approximately 200 of the 500 en-
ployes of the division are expected
to move to New York.
The Rural Identification Admin
istration and the Farm Security Ad-
ministration both are scheduled for
transfer to st. Louis, an important
defense production city. The R. E.
A. has a Washington staff of about
LOO and F. S. A. about 1000.
st. Louis Situation.
Though st. Louis officials have
indicated there is ample housing
available, Government workers who
have looked into conditions there
report a tight" housing situation.
They point out further that st.
Louis homes, in many instances, do
not provide refrigerators and ranges
AS a result, they explain, Gov
ernment workers transferred to that
city may find it necessary to buy
second hand refrigerators and
ranges, since new equipment, under
the priorities, may be hard to obtain
Living costs, on the whole, are re-
ported to be about the same as in
Washington.
The r. E. A. has found quarters
In the Boatman Bank Building An
mex in St. Louis and the move Is
expected to begin in few weeks.
Many employees have applied for
transfer to other agencies.
The date of the move of the Farm
security Administration has not
been fixed and it is by no means
certain it will go to st. Louis. About
40 per cent of F. S. A. workers have
expressed willingness to move out
Of Washington, another 40 per cent
indicated that they will seek trans
fers to agencies remaining here
and the others said they were un-
decided.
Philadelphia has been selected as
the new home of the Securities and
Exchange Commission, and the I'm
migration and Naturalization Ser
vice of the Justice Department. OF
the 1850 employees of S. E. c. in
Washington about 300 are expected
to 90 to Philadelphia, 1t was said
yesterday. Though no date has been
Set, CIle move PROBABLY WILL Oe mace
within a month or so.
The immigration and Naturaliza-
ton Service will move to Philadel-
phia about March l. 1t has about
l,500 employees in Washington.
Reports from Philadelphia.
Government workers who have
made reconnaissance trips to Phila-
delphia report fairly tight" hous-
ing situation in that city. According
to information submitted by local
officials to the decentralization Of
fee, only 4,80O family units are now
vacant in Philadelphia.
The Bureau of Old-Age and Sur
vivors Insurance of the Social Sc
curity Board is another agency
scheduled for transfer to Philadel-