Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-02
kcCarran Calls
Another HEARING
|0n Housing Bills
More Witnesses
Seek to Give Views
On SIums Program

Because additional witnesses have
asked to be heard, Chairman Nc
Carran OF the Housing Subcommit-
tee Of the Senate District COMMITTEES
announced today there would be one
more hearing on the bills to govern
the Districts future slum clear
ance program.
The date has not yet been fixed,
but probably will be some morning
next week.
Urgent requests for reopening the
hearings were heard yesterday
shortly after Senator McCarran had
declared the hearings closed after
four days of debate over the COM
peting McCarran and Capper bills.
One Of the requests came from
DR.. G. Herbert Marshal, chairman
Of the Emergency Committee on
Housing in Metropolitan Washing
ton, who said colored civic groups
resented the hearings being "monop-
olized" by real estate and building
organizations. The McCarran bill,
he continued, can not meet the
needs Of the low-income colored
families who will be most affected
by large scale slum clearance and
rehousing programs"
Ihlder Makes Recommendations.
Private industry should be given
three years to do all it can towards
meeting the shortage of lower
priced homes here, while the Ma
tional Capital Housing Agency as
sumes minor" part Of the task,
John Ihlder, executive officer Of
NCHA, has recommended to Con-
gress.
"At the end Of this three-year Pc
Rod" he said yesterday in a 141-
page report covering 10 years Of
NCHA operating here, Congress
will be in position to evaluate the
continuing need and the ability Of
private and of public housing
agencies to meet that need"
He stressed the large amount Of
construction" facing the Capital. If
Stun clearance is to be carried for
ward, and permanent housing pro-
vided for people now living in
temporary" buildings supposed to
be torn down after the war.
Sees Population Gain.
Between 10000 and $4,000 dwell
ings should be replaced or recondi-
toned, he said, and 3,157 tempo
rafy" dwellings should be removed.
There was no prospect Of ma
terial decrease in population" he
said, pointing instead to prospect
Of increase after readjustment."
The part to be played by NCHA
In the three-year experimental Pc
Rod in the immediate future, Mr..
Ihlder said, should include: First,
the reclamation of slum areas con-
tanning some $500 dwellings and the
, construction of new dwellings to
I provide for displaced families; Sec
ond, the construction Of permanent
dwellings for 1000 Of the 3,157
families now living in temporary
houses"
Taking account of the possibility
that private housing may do more
than it ever has in the past" he
said, that urban redevelopment
legislation may encourage private
redevelopment Of blighted areas,
the NCHA recommends that it be
assigned a smaller task than would
be indicated by the record"
Without naming the measure
sponsored by Senator Capper, Re-
publican, of Kansas, which he has
supported in the past, Mr.. Ihlder
summarized his argument for it by
saying in dealing with the problem
!, of low-income people living in unfit
dwellings," the lesson of the past
was that public housing is essential
as supplement to private housing
if we are to assure proper dwellings
for all our people"
The McCarran bill would abolish
the NCHA, and set up a different
system of slum clearance.
Private enterprise proponents in
hearings have sought to abolish
: public housing in favor of private
i. hny,ciyr