Evening star., 1946-07-23
House PASSAGE
Reviives Hopes
For SIum Bill
D. c. Public Housing
Limited by Definition
To Submerged Fifth
By Don S. Warren

$4,000, 900 slum redevelopment pro-
gram surged upward today as a
result Of a 115-to-9 vote by the
House yesterday for a modified
version of the Senate bill.
The only major difference between
the House and Senate bills lies in
the definition of public low-rent
housing" which would serve as a
yardstick for the extent to which
the Government may engage in
low-rent projects.
Senator McCarran, Democrat, of
Nevada, chief sponsor of the Sem
ate bill, voiced pleasure over the
House action and said he thought
the Senate may be willing to accept
the House language as a means of
ending the protracted fight and
getting the legislation on the books.
Too Late for Dispute.
His first reaction when told that
the House had insisted on his orig
inal definition for public low-rent
housing was:
Fine, I think that is much better.
At any rate, I think it would be
infinitely better to take the House
definition and send the bill to the
White House to be signed into law
than to engage at this late day of
this dying session in a dispute over
definitions and probably lose the
entire bill.'
The House definition, which was
insisted upon by Representative
McGhee, Democrat, of Mississippi,
chairman of the House District
subcommittee in charge of the bill,
limits low-rent housing construction
by a public agency-the National
Capital Housing Authority-to the
so-called submerged fifth" of the
population, according to net family
income.
Senator McCarran had written
this into his original draft of the
bill, but 1t went out at the insist
ence of Senators Wagner. of New
York, and Ellender, of Louisiana.
Democrats. co-authors of national
housing bill.
Both Definitions Draw Fire.
Instead. the Senate proposed to
allow public housing to be con-
structed for those families who
could not reasonably be expected to
pay the lowest rent on dwellings
constructed by private enterprise.
Labor and planning groups have
contended the McGehee definition
was unworkable, too complicated
and would unreasonably restrict the
work of the public agency. On the
other hand, private enterprise
spokesmen had voiced fears the
Senate definition was too broad and
would permit unreasonable compe-
tition from the public agency.
In adopting its definition, the
House approved additional clauses
providing that at the end of one
year the definition shall be re-ex-
amined by the District Commission
ers and directing a public hearing
be held to determine whether lad
ministrative or interpretive difficult
ties or unsatisfactory progress in
b1AC JlON4olOIl vi lOW-Ic1lG IlOUSlIlS
required modification.
Following the hearing, the Com
missioners are directed forthwith to
submit recommendations to Con-
gress.
Senate Attitude Undetermined.
1t was not at once indicated
whether Senators Wagner and Ell
lender or others would demand that
the differences in the two versions
of the bill be ironed out in con-
ference.
Only one change was made in the
bill by the House from the form in
which it was recommended by the
House District Committee. Commit
tee amendments were quickly ap-
proved at the request of Repre-
sentative Healy, Democrat, of Cali
fornia, who was acting as chairman
of the House District Committee.
The change was made at the re-
quest of Representative Rich, Re-
publican, of Pennsylvania to strike
out a section which would have
provided that, in the event of sub
sequent national legislation for
Federal aid for housing, the Gov
ernment agencies involved take
into consideration" Federal assist
ance given the District under the
separate District bill
When Mr.. Rich insisted on this
amendment, Mr. Healy told the
House the District Committee had
no objection.
Sets Deficit Ratio.
Representative Buck, Republican
of New York, championed another
amendment which would have the
effect Of placing on District taxpay-
ers the entire net cost of the slum
clearance program at the end of
the 1O-year test period. This was
lost by standing vote of 27 to 8.
and later by roll call of 153 to ia.
AS passed by the Senate, recon-
mended by the House District Com
mittee and finally passed by the
House, the bill provides that at the
end OF 10 years any net deficit in
the S20,000,000 revolving fund shall
be covered on $3.50 basis by the
District and Federal governments.
Stanch support for Federal aid
in cleaning up the blighted areas
of the National Capital came from
both sides of the aisle. A major
role was taken by Representative
Dirksen, Republican, of Illinois,
ranking minority member of the
District Committee, as he aided Act
ing Chairman Healy and former
chairman Randolph in plotting the,
bill through the House. Others
supporting the bill included Repre-
sentatives Bates of Massachusetts,
and McDonough of California, Re-
publicans.
Attacks on the bill were led by
Representative Smith, Republican,
OF Ohio, who had blocked consid-
Grafton of the measure a week ago
when it came up under unanimous
consent.