The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-04-11

deals were pending or not yet closed
for another 18,5O0,0 acres, which
might bring total valuation to over
a billion dollars. It has been the jok
OF the Lands division to clear all
those titles and close all those deals
Who does the selling, and how, IL
yet to be determined.
All this recently acquired land Is
in addition to tn public domain OF
300, 100000 acres, some 100000 acres
Of which has been transferred by
Agriculture, Interior or other de-
partmentS to the War and Navy de-
partments, and which will probably
be transferred back to where it was
when the war is over.
LIST OF LAND AND LEASES
The net war-use property is not
just land, but it is also improve
ments and leases.
Through the Defense Plant Corp
grafton, the government has title
to 1913 factories, flying schools, pipe
lines, barge lines and so forth, val
ued at over $7,00O,O0O,00.
Maritime Commission owns ST.
100000 worth Of shipyard real estate
on which are improvements valued
at over $425,00,O00.
The Federal Works Agency, after
spending its $125,000,000 Lanham
Act funds, will have title to 244
schools, 109 hospitals, 512 recreation
centers, 100 water works, 80 sewage
systems, CT fire and police projects
and three power plants.
National Housing Agency owns
$4,000 dwellings, $4,000 temporary
homes, $1,000 dormitories, 10000
trailers.
Under lease are approximately
1400 warehouses, 1900 other storage
facilities, 2800 offices buildings, 300
hospitals, schools and hotels, $780,
900 acres of land for airports, camps
ranges and what have you. In all,
81 1856 leases at annual rental cost
of $50, 457 900.
MERIT OF SINGLE
REAL ESTATE OFFICE
The thinking, of the Baruch re-
port on postwar adjustment poll
cies was in general that the agency
acquiring property should have the
disposal of it. That makes sense
where there is no competition be-
tween sellers. But If all the % gov
eminent agencies owning property
should start dumpig at more or less
the same time, what would that do
to property values? From that point
Of view, the idea for having one
central office to dispose Of real es-
tate, as recommended by Assistant
Attorney General Littell and others
in testimony before Congressman
Carer Manassas House sub-commit-
tee on public buildings and grounds,
would seem to have merit.
A lot Of the properties will, OF
course, never be sold. Some of the
defense plants will be put in grease
as stand-bys for the next war. A lot
of the schools and hospitals may
have to be given to the communities
which they now serve. Some of the
camps, forts and airports which
must be kept for national defense,
can be turned into parks.
The airport situation is in part
Self-liquidating. or the 546 big air
fields built or enlarged under Civil
Aeronautics Administration at a
cost of some 100000, many
were located where they would serve
civilian and commercial flying after
the war. Sites were acquired by
municipalities, which were leased to
the Army Air Forces. After the war,
these fields will return to the cities,
with the provision that the air
forces can release them in case Of
emergency. There are 5000 non
military fields, and CAA estimates
the need at twice that many for the
10000 commercial planes and the
44O, 900 private planes which should
be flying around by 1850. Maybe
that will soak up part Of the gov
ernment's surplus real estate, too.