Evening star., 1946-10-28
Agency
in Duty,
ReportCharges
BumbIing Hos Ruined
Program, Brewster
Says, With Vote Near
,e housing activities

publican, of Maine disclosed a
"long-suppressed report" which,
he said, proved the program
failed miserably."
Through the Republican National
Committee, Senator Brewster made
public a Senate War Investigating
Committee report prepared by COM
mittee experts and dated April 6,
1945.
Mr.. Brewster, a committee men,
ber, asserted the public lis facing
the penalty for the administrations
failures in planning and handling
of housing. The failure, he charged,
resulted despite repeated warnings
by Congress.
Veterans Declared Victims.
Veterans especially are suffering
because of administration mistakes
and oversight, Mr.. Brewster con-
tended. 1.-THE development of ade-
quate housing for our returning
veterans" he said, could and should
have received top priority considera-
tion"
The 13-page report stated that
the National Housing Agency COM
pletely fell down on its response
bility' in construction control,
Tracing the history of housing op-
erations, the report noted that in
1912 the then Senator Truman,
committee chairman, advised the
Senate that Government officials
were doing their utmost to conceal
the inefficiencies and whitewash
the failure of building construction. :"
The National Housing Agency,
principal target Of the report, shot
back today with a statement that
much of the report does not even
make sense" and that its general
charges are not substantiated.
Notes Report Is Not Official.
Noting that the report was not an
official statement of the Senate COM
mittee but was by unnamed ex-
perts," MIA said the document
IDEALS largely with events long be-
fore the end of the war;
ANY one reading it in full will
understand why it was not released
by the committee, for it is largely
based on isolated cases and there
is no substantiation for the general
charges made by the experts" the
agency declared.
MIA contended that the war
housing program and its Handling
won the praise of officials of al
most all war agencies
The report accused the Federal
Housing Agency of failure to work
out a prompt, standardized produc-
ton plan as suggested by the COM
mittee. early in 1912. The result
was "an appalling waste of man
power, materials and public funds in
the housing program the report
maintained.
Furniture Hoarding Charged.
The housing agency also was &C
cused Of having purchased large
amounts of furniture and equip
ment which private citizens could
not get at the time. There is rea-
son to believe that it stored furnish
ings and equipment in excess of
existing needs" the report added.
The report conceded that the
housing agency was established soon
after the committees recommends
ton for central housing authority.
But, according to the report, costs
of wartime housing projects often
went far above estimates because
contracts were let on a cost-plus
basis and because housing admins
traitors exercised no close control
on the spot.
The Defense Plant Corp, Maritime
Commission and the War and Navy
Departments provided some of their
own housing and lin comparison they
maintained the simple and essential
control in a more workmanlike man
ner and have produced better results
than the National Housing Agency"
the report stated.
Overstaffing Charged.
Despite a reported decentraliza-
ton late in 1912, the housing agency
was found to be still manned by
the housing theorists and statisti-
clans who experimental in Federal
housing previous to the creation of
the new agency" the report con-
tinued. Moreover, the reorganiza-
ton did not bring about real de-
Capitalization, integration or ''in-
herent trust responsibility" the re-
port added.
Late in 1914, according to the re-
port, the National Housing Author
ity had an unusually large staff of
1892. This number not only was
out of all proportion to the then
diminishing war housing needs but
was almost 5000 more than the per-
sonnel total in the more complex
and important War Production
Board, the report found.
In February, 1945, the report
stated, there were more than $4,000
inactive units in the construction
program. This indicated that a
very substantial construction OF
war housing was undertaken where
it was not needed" the report said.
Other Committeeman Silent.
Senator Brewster's action in Civ.
ing out his copy of the report
brought no immediate direct reply
from other committee members.
The committee generally has pub
lished reports only on agreement
of majority of the members.
At the request of Senator Fergu-
son, Republican of Michigan, the
committee recently authorized an
investigation of veterans housing.
A preliminary study is being made
by the committees staff.
In New York last night Senator
Mead, Democratic candidate for
Governor, commented: II will be
very happy to debate housing Fed
eral and State, permanent and tenn
porary-with Thomas E. Dewey and
I will gladly start that debate to-
morrow morning" Gov. Dewey de-
clined to comment.