Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-01
Capper Bill Gets
Strong Backing
|At Stun Hearing
Budget Bureau Adds
| Weight to Proposals
| For RedeveIopment
BY DON s. WARREN.

Strong support for the Capper
plan for handling the Districts slum
clearance and redevelopment pro-
grams was placed today before the
Housing Committee of the Senate
District Committee, while debate
continued over alleged efforts to
"socialize the housing industry" and
attempts to kill public housing"
General Endorsement of the Cap
per bill came from the District Com
the Washington Housing
Association, the American Planning
ana Civic Association, the Commit
tee Of 100 on the Federal City, and,
to degree, their positions were
backed up by statement from the
Budget Bureau.
But "unalterable opposition" to
Government ownership and opera
ton of housing was voiced by Frank
w. Cortright, executive vice presi-
dent of the National Association of
Home Builders, who approved the
McCarran bill with amendments
suggested by private builders earlier
in the week.
Budget Bureau Views Given.
The views of the Budget Bureau
were placed before the subcommit-
tee headed by Senator McCarran,
Democrat, of Nevada, by Maj. Gen.
U. S. Grant, Sd, chairman of the
Park and Planning Commission,
which he had filed earlier with
Chairman Bilbo of the Senate Dis
trict Committee.
Budget Director Harold D. Smith
wrote that the detectives of the re-
vised Capper bill would be in accord
with the program of the President
and there would be no objection to
its presentation to Congress. He
added:
II feel obliged to advise you, how
ever, that the fiscal provisions of
the bill relating to the land agency
could not, in their present form, be
considered in accord with the pro-
gram of the President, but that they
would not be in conflict Herewith if
modified to provide an equal par
ticipation by the Federal and Dis
trict Governments in appropriations
to be made to the land agency, and
for a like sharing in the revenues
to be made available for distribution
to the Federal and District Govern
mentS.
II might add that this advice with
respect to the fiscal provisions of
the bill is, of course, limited to the
proposed program of urban rede-
velopment within the District, and
should not be understood as apply
ing to the formulation of any ma
tional policy for the redevelopment
of municipalities elsewhere"
When informed the Budget Bureau
was in general accord with the Cap
per Bill, Chairman McCarran inter-
jected: Unfortunately, the Budget
Bureau is not the legislative agency
and never will be as far as I am con-
cerned"
Provides Loan of 20 Millions.
Thomas S. Settle, secretary of the
Park and Planning Commission, then
explained the budget director had
given his views because reports on
the proposed legislation had been re-
quested.
The new Capper Bill provides for
an advance of $40 100000 from the
Federal Treasury for the buying and
redevelopment of blighted areas. The
measure assumes that the program
will pay for itself over a period of
years, but provides that if there were
losses after 10 years the District
government should bear half the
burden, making repayments to the
Treasury in 10 equal annual INSTALL
ments.
Shortly before noon, Chairman
McCarran announced the hearings
were concluded but that the record
would be held open for "a hours for
the filing of additional arguments.
William D. Boutwell,, representing
the Washington Housing Associa-
ton, said his association urged pas
sage of the Capper bill because it
gives private enterprise preference
to do all it can without extravagant
subsidies" and provides assurances
that proper portion of low-cost
and low-rent housing will be pro-
vided for low-income families, and
would continue the operation of the
National Capital Housing Authority,
Outlines McCarran Bill Faults"
Mr.. Boutwell, also outlined nu-
merous reasons why his group be-
lieved the McCarran measure was
faulty. For one thing, he said, the
association opposed the suggestion
for use of rent certificates for aid
ing low-income families to pay their
rents because the cost to the public
is unpredictable in outcome"
Miss Harlean James, speaking for
the American Planning and Civic
Association, said her group believed
the Capper measure was far supe-
rior.
Miss James declared it would be
an unfortunate mixture" to put
site purchase and building and man.
agement functions under our agency,
referring to the McCarran bill.
Charles H. Tompkins, speaking
for the Committee of 100, said that
organization regarded the Capper
plan as more clearcut, better bal
anced and more workable" than the
McCarran bill. He urged that the
Capper bill be taken as base and