Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-09-23
Senators Reach
'Agreementon
d. Housing
New Bill Provides
Participation by U. S.
And Private Agencies
By DON S. WARREN.

rOuT members OF Cne Senate
District Committee yesterday
reached an agreement on terms
of a new bill charting $20,000,-
900 10-year slum clearance and
rehousing program for the Dis
trict, setting the stage for early
action on an issue that has been
batted about Capitol Hill for two
years.
The new measure. its sponsors say,
would open the door to both public
and private housing agencies to en-
gage in loW-rental housing work,
with preference given, where con-
ditions permit, to private industry.
1t declares the policy that a low
rental project is not to be awarded
to public agency unless its offer
provides greater compensation" to
the Government than that of some
private redevelopment corporation.
A compromise of conflicting bills,
the new measure will be sponsored
jointly by Senators McCarran, DEM
ocrat, of Nevada; Burton, Republi-
can, of Ohio, and Capper, Repub-
lican. Of Kansas. Committee sources
said it also has been approved by
Senator Saltonstall, Republican, of
Massachusetts,.
Seeks Early Action.
Senator McCarran. who heads q
District subcommittee in charge of
the pending measures, said he
planned to introduce the bill to-
morrow. He announced he would
call a meeting of the subcommittee
sometime during the day to expe-
dlte action. Predictions were made
the subcommittee would report the
bill favorably to the full District
Committee, which will meet Tues
day.
In addition to the announced
sponsors of the new bill, members
of the McCarran housing subcom-
mittee are three Democratic Sena-
tors, Tydings of Maryland, Hoey of
North Carolina ard Briggs of Mis-
souri,.
The new measure, according to
modification of bills sponsored by
details reported yesterday, is a
Senators McCarran and Capper. 1t
was worked out during a confer
ence yesterday afternoon.
While the bill authorizes an adj
vance of $4,000, 900 from the Treas
ury. to be used as a revolving fund
over a 10-year period for the &C
QUESTION of redevelopment project
areas, sponsors say they recognize
this sum would not be ample to do
a complete job They stress, how
ever. that it might be we'll to have
this plan, if adopted, run for a 10
year period, with a general review
of accomplishments and costs to be
made at the end of that time. Ad-
ditional funds could be authorized
when needed.
Continues Housing Agency.
AS the terms of the measure were
outlined to reporters by a spokes-
man for the four Senators, it would
continue the life of the National
Capital Housing Authority. focal
point of the opposition of private
builders, but with some curtailment
OF its present powers.
The NCHA would be declared a
public redevelopment corporation
under the new bill and after three
years would lose it's present powers
to condemn sites for slum clearance
and rehousing, though it could
continue to manage or operate its
present projects.
The bill creates District Rede-
velopment and Land Agency. which
would be charged with the re-
sponsibility of acquiring by pur-
chase or condemnation sites selected
for projects
This would have five members,
two to be appointed by the Presi-
dent and three by the District Com
One of the presidential
selections may be a Federal official
and one of those named by the
Commissioners may be municipal
official.
Nonofficial members would have to
be residents of the District for five
years preceding their appointment
and during that time have engaged
in private business, industry or a
profession. They would be paid at
the rate of $40 day for time spent
in the actual work of the agency.
A new definition of what shall be
considered low-rent, housing was
placed in the bill as result of yes
terday's conference between Sem
ators McCarran, Burton and Salton-
stall. This is designed to end a
long controversy which arose over
provisions of earlier bills.
This states that ''low-rent tous-
ing" means: Safe and sanitary
housing within the financial reach
OF families of comparatively low
income and, as a guide for the
standard of rental to be used as a
maximum at the time of the en-
(See HOUSING, Page A-7J
>ll Mr.