Evening star., 1944-06-29
Letters to The Star
Denies That Public Housing
Hurts Private Building

Hurts Private Building
To the Editor of The Star
There have been so many crocodile
tears shed publicly over the dismal
plight of the speculative builders who.
we are informed, have been deprived
of their right to carry on the private
industry of building slum clearance
houses that hesitate to spoil the show.
1t has been good one, entertaining
and at times even funny we're it not
tragic
The rallying cry and shibboleth of
these gentlemen who wish to make slum
clearance an adjunct to guarantee of
private profits seems to be, Get the
Government out of the building business
so private industry can get back in."
Now as person who has been active
in both private and public housing for
many years, submit that this dismal
warcry is 80 per cent smoke screen and
10 per cent eyewash. The Government
is not and has not been in the building
business in competition with private
that of owner and manager of It's prop
critics. Every dollar of the billions
spent in slum clearance and war housing
construction has been spent through
private builders, and these gentlemen
perfectly well know that
The private building industry has
been helped tremendously by Govern
ment housing activities at time when
private building has been at stand
still. More than 100000 dwellings and
temporary living quarters for war hous-
ing erected with Government funds have
without exception been constructed by
private builders. These builders pre-
sented competitive bids for each project
and the lowest bidders got the jobs.
Previously, however, private civil engi-
neers had been employed to plat the
ground, private architects and site plan
ners had planned the houses and laid
out the streets, sidewalks, sewers, water
lines and electric services. When
successful bidder took charge he i'm
mediately employed subcontractors for
such things as brickwork concrete,
lumber, millwork, plumbing, heating and
electricity. These subcontractors en-
ployed artisans to construct the various
portions committed to them. Material
dealers, manufacturers of building spe-
cialties all entered the picture, dealing
throughout with one another, not with
the Government. The entire building
ind, cf, ti,i,> fol
the expenditures authorized and still
is participating. Obviously, therefore,
the cry that the Government should
get out of the building industry and
turn it back to private hands is in
sincere.
The province of the Government in
the slum clearance program, in addition
to financing it, is, quite properly, to set
up with great care minimum standards
Of room sizes, window areas, sanitary
OF dwellings per acre, sees to it that
minimum lawns and play spaces are
provided and that the construction is
durable yet as simple as practicable, SO
that low rents may be maintained. To
accomplish these ends the best technical
minds in the entire country were as
sembled in Washington and in 10 regions
throughout the country. The regional
offices were in all cases under the di-
rection of local citizens and local build
ers nearly always got the contracts.
Now the operative builders merely
wish to inject themselves into the pic
ture for personal profit. They would
eliminate the builder who is forced to
compete for the job and require that
such contracts be handed to them
selves on silver platter, as it were,
profits all guaranteed. Nor do they
actually want Uncle Sam to bow out of
the picture, but rather to be a kind
Santa Claus who will give them these
contracts, let up on the strict regula-
tlons designed to protect the public, fur
nlsh the money, guarantee the rents,
supply the ground and make up all
losses. So the real issue is Shall we
clear slums for the benefit of people
unable to pay for decent housing or for
the benefit of one segment of the build
Ing industry and certain money-lenders?
Assuredly the real answer to the
shameful slums is not mere clearance
and subsidies, but raising the standard
OF income of all employables in the
population to the point where thev
themselves car pay for decent living
quarters. The war has shown this to
be possible in an emergency. It is also
possible in time of peace. Given decent
annual incomes for all, the operative
builders would find an immense pur-
chasing pool opening up to them that
Goes not now exist. Let's have an end
to the demand for profits first in slum
clearance. To this writer's mind the
recent controversy held under the
shadow of the straw man of Govern
ment competition, but actually a mere
grab for profits, is disgrace to WASH
ington, the Capital of the most altruistic
nation on earth.
ROSSEL EDWARD MITCHELL,
Wonders About a Sun Reporter