Evening star., 1945-10-19
Action
To Be Sought
On SIun1 Bill
Senate Passage
Sends 20-MiIIion
Program to House
By DON S. WARREN.

by DUN >. WAhhEN.
Chairman Randolph of the
House District Committee today
voiced hope for early action by
his group on the liberalized COM
promise District sIum clearance
and redevelopment bill which
went sailing unopposed through
the Senate yesterday.
The measure, which was passed
as the climax to more than two years
of rtours, studies, hearings and
negotiations, authorizes a $40, ,000, 900
program, with an accounting to be
givenS after 10 years. Sponsors
called it "a real start" on redevelop-
nient of the National Capitals
bhghted areas. though warning that
more funds likely will be needed
later to do a complete job"
1t opens the door to 1ow-rent
housing by public and private
agencies, with at least some Gov
eminent aid.
MIR. Randolph said he would bring
the Senate measure before the full
House District Committee at its next
meeting to chart a course of action.
1--WE hope for early action in view
of Senate passage of this BILL" he
said.
Battle Possibility.
There may be battle In the
Hosue Committee. Earlier bills sup
ported by private enterprise" or by
the public housers" have been bot
tied up for many months in the
District Judiciary Subcommittee,
headed by Representative McGehee,
Democrat, of Mississippi.
Mr.. McGehee has declared several
times he would oppose any bill which
promoted the program of the public
housers." He has been fighting the
policies of the National Housing
Agency and its subsidiaries.
Since the latest hearings were held
some months ago before the Nc
Gehee subcommittee, the situation
has undergone a radical change.
Sponsors of the competing bills by
Senators McCarran, Democrat, of
Nevada, and Capper, Republican, of
Kansas, reconciled their differences
and the Senate District Committee
brought out compromise bill This
was sponsored by Senators McCar-
ran, Capper and Burton, Republican,
of Ohio, since elevated to a place on
the Supreme Court.
During Senate discussion yester-
day, Senator Taft, Republican, of
Ohio, called the bill progressive
and hopeful measure" which was
attuned to the policies which a
Senate housing group had adopted
as to the pending national measure
Senator Ellender also took the floor
to defend its provisions and Senator
Capper, protesting against the
simply deplorable" slum conditions
that prevail in the National Capital,
characterized the revised COM
promise bill as 'the best effort" yet
drafted.
A half dozen liberalizing amend
ments were written into the bill on
the Senate floor yesterday at the
request of Senator McCarran. as a
result of his conferences with Sen
atorS Wagner and Ellender. Major
among these was one providing a
new definition of public low-rent
housing" stating it means housing
Constructed by a public agency for
families whose net family income
does not exceed the income level
tas determined, or from time to
time predetermined, after public
hearing, by the District Commits
sioners) at which family of COM
parable size may be reasonably able
to afford to pay the lowest rentals
at which private enterprise is pro-
Viding an adequate supply of de-
cent, safe and sanitary housing"
This more liberal definition was
designed to eliminate the gap" be-
tween public and private housing
which was alleged to exist under
the earlier definitions in the COM
promise bill. Senator McCarran said
it removed all controversy" as to
whether public low-rent housing
would be confined to the submerged
fifth'' of the Districts population
according to family income
Considers Displaced Tenants.
Other amendments adopted were
designed to make sure that sub
stantially equal amount of housing
rs provided, at once or later, for
families displaced from blighted
areas which are to be redeveloped,
and to direct the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, in
recommending project plans, to
designate how much of an area
shall be used for low-rent housing,
at what maximum rental price, size
and character. These would be sub
ject to action by the District Com
missioners, after public hearings.
Another amendment requires Sem
ate confirmation of the appointment
by the Commissioners of three of
the five members of the Land Re-
development Agency, which would
purchase or condemn sites of pro-
posed blghted area redevelopment.
Two other amendments were
adopted at the instance of Senator
EHender. One is designed to assure
rother localities" equitable treat
rnent with the District in any grants
to be extended States and munic-
ipafties under the proposed national
urban redevelopment bill. The other
prohibits resale to public or private
redevelopment corporation of project
area land at less than one-third of
the cost of the site 20 the land
agency, excluding costs of old build
tngs destroyed and the site clearance.
Hits Letters From Labor.
Senate passage of the revised
compromise bill was not without its