Evening star., 1943-08-28
Two Home BuiIdinq
Groups Merge After
Conference Here

1ne Two national organizations O1
home builders this week merged into
single unit as a representative OF
the building industry field. During
the two-day conference OF the Al
members Of the boards of directors
at the Statler Hotel, Government
officials were called in to outline
war and postwar prospects for the
private builder as affected by Gov
ernment orders.
The National Home Builders As
sociation joined the National Asso-
citation Of Home Builders Of the
United States and the two today
operate under the latter name
Fritz B. Burns, head OF NAHBUS
prior to the merger, was named
president of the new group. Other
ranking officers are Joseph e. Mer-
rion, vice president, and H. A.
Schulenburg, secretary.
The new organization now repre-
sents builders in all major cities,
except Seattle and Cleveland, whose
local setups are not affiliated with
the national group. Frank w. Cort-
right, executive vice president, re-
ported its membership at present
Is handling 80 per cent OF war hous-
Ing now going up in the Nation.
Postwar Plans Discussed.
Following organizing detail, the
directors discussed policies to be
adopted for postwar housing plans.
In this connection, representatives
of the Federal Housing Administra-
ton, the National Housing Agency
and other Government agencies
connected with the building pro-
gram spoke.
Today, the representatives from
throughout the Nation were on their
way home with reports for their
local groups. This followed the
closing session yesterday during
which 81 subjects were discussed.
However, the membership of the
meeting did not decide on a hard
and-fast program pending local re-
action to developments in the con-
ference.
Among the topics considered dur
Ing the conference were priority
quotas, sale and rental maximums,
plumbing equipment, child care CEN
ters, Negro housing, amendments to
the various housing regulations and
the availability of lumber for con-
struction'
Seek More Lumber.
Builders recently have been dis
turbed by lumber curtailments and
are seeking ways to alleviate the
supply situation for home consump-
ton. 1t has been reported that
great part of the milled lumber has
gone to the war effort, leaving
narrow margin for operating build
ers. The association through its
Washington letter this week said:
"It is generally recognized that
the estimated 10000, 600, 900 feet of
lumber which will be produced this
year is some 6,000,000.0o0 feet shy
of the total demand. While the
Army and Navy requirements must
be taken care of first in the 19,000,-
10000 feet allocated to boxing and
Grating, there undoubtedly exists
tremendous waste in the boxing of
nonmilitary items. Priorities have
meant almost nothing,
Builders of war housing have
found it necessary to employ ex-
pediters to Scour the country for
lumber. We can meet most of the
lumber problems with which we are
currently faced, but redesigning
of house plans and specifications
at this time undoubtedly would
throw the entire program into a
tailspin.
"In round figures, the entire war
housing program requires 500,000,-
900, 900 feet of lumber quarterly. Pri-
vately constructed housing uses
about one-half of this, or 250,000,-
900 feet. Therefore, the maximum
savings which might be accom-
plished by reducing the standards OF
one fifth would be one one hundred
fiftieth of the total 5000, ,000,00 feet
produced quarterly. Even the most |
optimistic admit that far less than |
this maximum economy would be ef-
fected, and the small savings In |
lumber would be more than offset in !,
the resultant damage to the hous-
ing program. Our weekly starts |
under the present standards are
behind schedule. Pri- |
vate builders certainly cannot with
stand such severe blow as this |
revision would inflict."