Evening star., 1945-12-16
Housing Farley
|0pens.Here
Tomorrow
Conferees to Study
Ways Of Speeding
Home Construction
BY MALCOLM LAMBORNE, Jr.

BY MALCOLM LAMBORNE, Jr.
Representatives of Govern
ment, labor and the construc-
ton industry open here tomor-
row a two-day conference to
work out details of a program
to speed urgently needed home
construction. The goal is SOC, 900
homes in 1916.
National Housing Administrator
John B. Blandford, jr., who will
preside at the session, declared in
a statement last night that the con-
ference will consider all possible
steps to overcome obstacles to maxi
mum production
Top officials Of the Office of War
Mobilization and Reconversion,
which first suggested the meeting,
the Commerce Department, Labor
Department, Office of Price Admin
istration and Civilian Production
Administration will make statements
at the opening session beginning at
$50 am. in the Social Security
building.
Statements also will be made by
representatives of the Producers
Council, the National Retail Lumber
Dealers Association, the AFL, the
CIO, National Association of Real
Estate Boards, National Association
of Home Builders, the Construction
Industry Advisory Council, Associ-
ated General Contractors of Amer
lea, American Bankers Association,
National Savings and Loan League.
the Mortgage Bankers Association
and the United States Savings and
Loan League.
The conference will then go into
. closed session, and, in the words
of one Government official, repre-
sentatives will talk across the table
on what's wrong in the housing in
dustry and what We can do about
it,"
Specifically, the group will seek
to reach agreement on the three
point program announced Wednes-
day by President Truman. This
called for prompt release of Gov
ernment-owned housing units for
veterans and their families, issu-
ance of priority controls on build
ing materials going into homes cost
ing $4,000 or less a unit and the
placing of ceilings on old and new
houses, proposal now before Con-
gress.
Il Opposition to Ceilings Expected.
General agreement is expected on
the first two points, but the CELL
ing proposal is expected to pro-
duce some heated opposition.
Details of the regulation that will
restore priority controls over scarce
building materials will be outlined
to the group, which also will be
asked for suggestions on the prob
lem of establishing quality controls
on homes. A proposal has been
made within OWMR that the regu-
lation place safeguards against q
SO,OoO 4OA VIC pio-
posed $4,000 top price.
Also to be decided is the agency
that will issue priorities and enforce
them. The assignment may go to
MIA.
The House Rules Committee yes
terday cleared the way for intro
duction Tuesday of measure al
ready passed in the Senate to au-
thorize s160,0Oo, 900 to move aban-
doned war housing facilities to
shortage areas as homes for veter-
, ans. The bill, introduced by Sena-
tor Mead, Democrat, New York,
; passed in the Senate by voice vote.
The House Banking and Cur
rency Committee will resume hear
ings tomorrow on the Patman bill
to place ceilings on new and old
|, homes. Secretary of War Patterson
has been asked to estimate the
) amount of building materials held
by the Army that could be made
, available for private construction.