Evening star., 1945-12-03
Hearings Open
On Housing
Forveterans
Bill Aims to Speed
New Construction
Throughout Nation


is scheduled to open hearings
today on a bill offered by Rep
resentative Patman, Democrat,
Of Texas to establish an Office
OF Housing Sterilization to solve
the Nations shortage of dwell
ings.
Chairman Spence of the commit
tee announced that Mt. Patman
himself will be the first witness. He
will be followed by John Blandford,
National Housing Administrator
and Chester Bowles, chief of the
ONCE of Price Administration.
Mr.. Patman's bill provides that the
proposed director Of housing sta
bilization would have broad emerg-
ency powers to set price ceilings on
homes, give housing priorities to
veterans, allocate building materials
and coordination all Federal hous-
ing programs.
Extreme Action Necessary"
Mr.. Patman told a reporter this
extreme action is necessary because
the housing crisis is now so acute
We can't solve it any other way"
He said veterans alone need at
least 4 500 900 new homes, built in
the coming year, and that plans now
call for only about half a million.
He added:
II have declared action on this
problem in hopes that real estate
and building groups might solve it.
But in all parts Of the country there
is a growing tide of resentment, irri-
tation and unrest over high prices
of homes and scarcity of shelter"
Considerable opposition to the
Patman plan seemed assured. Rep
resentative Hebert, Democrat, OF
Louisiana, characterized the pro-
posal as "the first signpost on the
road to permanent regimentation of
American lives Talking to a re-
porter. he added:
This plan for housing car is
merely an expression of the real
thoughts and purposes of Chester
Bowles to perpetuate himself and
his administration in power over
the lives of Americans.
Favors Few Restrictions.
Some proponents of public or So
cialized housing will, of course, well
come this as means of advancing
their plans and proving the made
quacies of private enterprise opera
tions.
THE home building industry, like
all others, must go through a diff
cult period of reconversion, but the
fewer restrictions imposed upon it
the more rapidly 1t can supply new
housing in volume"
Vice President r. j. Thomas of
the CIO, chairman of the organ
ization's housing committee, has
called on President Truman Ito in
tervene in the serious emergency
situation which is growing up re-
garding" housing for veterans.
The CIO made public a letter
Mr.. Thomas addressed to Mr.. Tru-
man Friday. Mr. Thomas proposed
that the President use his war
powers to:
!. Require Government agencies
to turn over hotels, apartments and
office buildings obtained for war use
to be converted to veterans housing
Unused Military Facilities.
2. Make all unused military and
naval facilities in the country avail
able to house veterans.
8. Requisition unused and under
occupied dwellings.
4. Push a proposed $3.50, ,OO0, 600
appropriation to relocate temper
ary war housing units for veteran
occupancy.
Mr.. Thomas urged appointment
OF a housing director with the job
iof:
/. Getting building materials
flowing by speeding up price and
wage adjustments, using subsidies
If necessary to stabilize prices.
2. Establishing price controls on
real estate and new housing, and
maintaining rent controls where
necessary.
3. Channeling building materials
into low cost residence except those
needed for urgent industrial recon.
version.
4. Constructing Federal housing
Tor veterans where private builder:
1all TO do so at fair cost.