Evening star., 1944-06-03
Letters to The Star
Thinks Slum Reclamation
Is Local Responsibility
TO the Editor cf The Star:

In your editorial OF May 19 on the
Tydings- Randolph bill for slim clear
ance, I must call attention to the fact
that several years ago the Federation
OF Civic Associations (colored, dis
satisfied with the methods and opera
tions of the Alley Dwelling Authority,
called for an investigation and COM
plete reorganization of the ADA Later
an extensive investigation of the Ma
tional Capital Housing Authority was
carried out by the Federation of Citi-
zens Associations.
| I personally spent the better part
Of four months checking on the plan
ming and construction angle of NCHA
projects for the citizens associations.
You may recall that our company in
1912 made a checkup on the NCHA
stoddert Dwellings project for The
Star Newspaper.
The citizens investigation resulted in
the challenge to the Washington pri-
vate building industry to take over the
job of slum clearance and get it done.
The private building industry was
very dubious If it could actually do the
job. However, after another long and
careful check by the builders, it was
found that the NCHA was not magic
authority pulling low-cost housing out
Of hat; but, on the contrary, that
the taxpayers not only were being
charged too much for the housing, but
were also paying for the hat, props, and
the full dress suit, as proven before the
Burton Senate Slum Clearance Com
mittee.
Now for the first time, armed with
33-year private low interest rate A.
nancing unprecedented in United States
building history, private enterprise
under local government control and
the watchful eyes of the citizens and
taxpayers stands ready to do the job.
I would like to call attention to the
fine and healthy growth of this private
enterprise program. 1t Is something
Washington should be very proud of.
The building industry can do the
job because they build and manage for
very substantially less than the NCHA,
rs proven before the Burton Committee.
1t Is this saving tHat will enable them
to pay all taxes and make a small profit
Tor, If you like, "in the economies of the
Public Housers" they could pay them
selves a salary and eliminate the hor-
rible profit angle entirely on each unit
and beat or equal the alleged economic
rents Of public housing.
We now come to the most important
point in your editorial and 1t has
nothing to do with who does the con-
struction work, but Is q question of
responsibility and sound business The
question Is, how much Is Washington
responsible for Its own slums. and
whether or not the Washington tax
payer will be better of with the greater
part Of the local slum clearance pro-
gram financed Federally? This indeed
Is serious question and is timely, since
Federal financing seems to be coming
to the fore on all types OF projects
whether or not people ask for it.
We must clearly understand that
when We borrow q dollar from the Fed
eral Government or local government,
We ask the government to spend q
dollar for us now and collect for it
and Its handling in the future through
taxes. II We do not pay these taxes,
the government can foreclose on our
property and sell it to collect these
taxes. We borrow from ourselves
through the government.
Now the Federal Government tax
dollar is paid for by people all over
the United States and they jointly stand
the responsibility on and for what that
dollar Is spent A dollar borrowed
through State or local government is
the same, except the responsibility is
only with those who are under the State
or local government.
Therefore, in consideration of any
project the first step must be to deter
mine who Is responsible for the condi-
ton on which a tax dollar is going to
be spent; II 1t is a national, State or
local condition, or certain proportion
OF each. Now II the question of slum
clearance, or anything else for that
matter, is national responsibility, If
Joe Smith in Rosedale, KY, or Nellie
Brown in Arizona, others and ourselves
In Washington are responsible for the
slums OF Washington, New York. Chi
cago, Detroit, ETC., we should have
nationally financed slum clearance pro-
gram. We would join in q program to
clear everybody's slums.
We now come to the we'll known prob
lem in collective business We say to
ourselves: I wonder II 1t would not be
cheaper and quicker to clean up our
own slums than to help clean up all the
others. And what about this Federal
financing. We will be borrowing money
through the most extravagant, ineffi-
cient lending institution ever known,
the Federal Government. always operat-
ing at loss, and If we borrow more of
our money through them, they will lose
more money, our money, and no doubt
set up another little tax exempt,
dreamy-eyed, growing bureau in WASH
ington, full OF low pressure. nonproduc-
ing bureaucrats passing the buck and
more forms to fill out
Whereas, If we do the job locally, we
will get much cheaper money through
more efficient local Government. and
we have good Government, and we
can keep our eye on the whole business
all the time
We had better think this over care
fully And by the way, who is respon-
sible for our slums here in Washington?
he