Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-04-22
Builders Score
kIutzniick for
SIums Stand
FILA Chiefs Attack
On Washington PIon'
Answered by Daniel

Answered by Daniel
Commissioner Philip M. Klutznick
of the Federal Public Housing ADJ
ministration was assailed yesterday
by spokesman for the Metropoli-
tan Home Builders Association for
his recent attack on the Washing
ton plan" to give private enterprise
a first opportunity to do slum clear
ance work here.
In a letter to Chairman McCarran
of the Stun Subcommittee of the
Senate District Committee, Clarke
Daniel of the Public Housing Com
mittee of the home builders group
also challenged Mr.. Klutznick on his
criticism of the summary of last
years testimony on slum problems
made by the National Industrial
Conference Board of New York.
Termed Slur on Sponsors.
Commenting on the Klutznick
statement that the Washington
plan had nothing to recommend it,"
Mr.. Daniel wrote:
This accusation certainly casts
aspersions upon the intelligence Of
outstanding District groups who de-
Veloped and are sponsoring the
Washington plan. These include:
THE Washington Board of Trade,
Washington Real Estate Board.
Building and Loan League of the
District, the Mortgage Bankers
group, the District Bankers AS
ISOLATION, the Washington Tax
payers Association, Building Own
ers' and Managers Association, the
Federation of Citizens Association
and the Home Builders Association
of Metropolitan Washington"
Claims Facts Ignored.
The Daniel letter continued: TT is
nice to know Mr.. KlutZnick thinks
we have no sense. He completely
ignores the fact that the National
Industrial Conference Board report
was solely factual summary and
digest and was not intended to ex-
press any personal opinions. The
continued insistence by Mr.. Klutz-
nick on interfering his opinion does
not alter the facts.
Such asperions by a high Gov
eminent official Go not sit well with
the voteless citizens of Washington
whose taxes 60 to support Mr..
Klutznick's job, agency, and sub
sidized public housing. One often
wonders if democracy has gone un-
foreground in Washington.
The Conference Board summary
of testimony last year before the
Burton Subcommittee of the Senate
District Committee contained fac
tual findings" that private builders
could build and manage cheaper
than the Government agency, the
National Capital Housing Authority,
for comparable housing, according
to data. supplied to the Burton
group.
Mr.. Klutznick had attacked the
Conference Board summary for
pointing up" the fact that private
builders pay lower wage rates than
those required by law for projects
financed out of Government funds.
Defends Private Scale.
The Klutznick question: What
sense would it make for public hous-
ing to pay substandard wages to
produce low income families to re-
ceive future public housing subsi-
dies?" brought this reply from Mr..
Daniel:
Private builders pay union B
scale wages, or higher, as required by
the Federal Housing Administration.
If these wages are substandard, Mr..
Klutznick should take it up with
his brother agency. the FILA. After
all, for the last five years, private
builders have only been able to do
what they have been permitted by
the Government in regard to wages,
number of rooms, and so forth.
Mr.. Klutznick states his FPHA
policy is to set rent at income levels
for admission to public housing at
least 20 per cent below the level at
which adequate housing is available
from private enterprise. Who is go
ing into a business in which the
policy of the Government will be
always to undersell you by at least
20 per cent
AS soon as other congressional
business permits, Chairman Nc
Carran plans to call his subcommit-
tee into session to report out bill
charting Washington's future slum
clearance and redevelopment pro-
grams. Pending are his own bill, Tor
which number of amendments
have been suggested, and the COM
peting bill by Senator Capper,
Republican of Kansas