Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-19
FPHA|sAccused
0f'Propaganda'
Against Builders
Head Of Association
Asserts Paid Agent
Vilifies' Industry
By Robert J. Lewis

~ @S' Vail SploCllG VI Gllc
Home Builders Association of Metro
politan Washington, today charged
the Federal Public Housing Author
1ty had employed a propaganda
agent" to tour the country and
willy" private builders.
Testifying today before the Sen
ate Judiciary Committee in opposi-
ton to President Humans re-
organization plan to make the Ma
tlonal Housing Agency permanent
agency, Mr.. Carr said Robert Lasch,
author Of Breaking the BUILDING
Blockade" was now on the FPHA
payroll
Mr.. Carr said he had heard Mr.
Lasch speak at a recent meeting at
the Shoreham Hotel arranged by
the Citizens Council for Community
Planning, and that most of Mr..
LaSch's comments were unfavorable
to private industry"
Won Nieman Fellowship.
the author, a former Rhodes
scholar and winner several wears
ago of a Nieman Fellowship for
neWSpapermen at Harvard Univer-
slty, is regularly employed as an
editorial writer for the Chicago Sun
Phlllp M. Klutznick, FPHA COM
missioner, explained about a month
ago that Mr.. Lasch was employed
by FPHA on part-time basis to-
give the benefit of his research into
the housing field to the agencv,s
personnel at Washington and in
field Offices. Mr. Carr said Mr.. Lasch
was lecturing to Government en-
ployes and other groups under FPHA
auspices.
In support of his contention Mr..
Lasch had an antipathy for private
builders, Mr.. Carr read to commit
tee members several quotations from
the authors book.
Deception Charged.
He refers to the real estate men
and builders of this country as re-
sorting to 'bare-faced lies, deception
and distortion to carry their
points," Mr.. Carr said.
writing of banking and other
financial interests in the home
building field, Mr.. Lasch wrote in
Breaking the Building Blockade,
according to Mr.. Carr:
AS a result of these Influences
lending institutions which 20 years
ago victimized the home owners in
merclless gouge, are now peace
FULLY financing him at AZ or per
cent on straight-line mortgages
without tricks-and calling atten-
ton to their virtue with the sancti-
monlous smugness of a reformed
pickpocket."
'e These quotes give you some idea
OF Mr.. Laschs leaning" Mr.. Carr
told the committee members. but
what is just as important, I don't
believe Mr.. Lasch ever built any,
thing, and to show his complete
ignorance OF the true facts ne told
the group at the Shoreham Hotel
that mass production by so-calleo
conventional builders had actually
increased the cost per unit.
Building Taxes Pay Salary.
Yet Mr.. Lasch is hired with the
taxes OF private industry to tell the
world what is wrong with it."
Mr.. Carr, who said he also repre-
sented the National Association of
Home Builders as a member of the
Executive Committee, said he OBJ
Jected to the Presidents reorgani-
zatlon plan because 'it superimposes
permanently top-heavy central Of
fee" over Government home financ-
lrg and housing agencies, and that
was part OF a Campaign by
public housing proponents" to ex-
pand public housing activity.
Home builders are under ire
; mendous pressure to produce homes,
and this proposed plan will not give
them the, tools to do the job" Mr..
Carr said
Mr.. Carr said that in England
four of every five homes are being
built by the government and that
he believed men in influential DO
sltlons here want to see the Govern
ment dominate" the building indus
try. Operation of the National
Housing Agency, he added, has
added nothing but confusion"
Mr.. Carr told the committee he
didn't believe in further controls.
I think the building industry fin
ally has walked up to the fact that
it must produce low-cost housing"
he said. Before the war one Wash
1ngton firm sold houses for as low
as $4,000. We can't get costs that
low again, but we can reach that
comparative market"