Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-05-17
Battle Shaping Up
To Ease New Curb in
20 Million SIum Bill
By Don S. Worren

A hight to liberaliZe the definition
of public low-rent housing written
into the s2o,O0O.O0O slum redevelop-
ment bill by the McGehee Subcom-
mittee Of the House District Com
mittee was in the making today on
three fronts.
Representative Dirksen, Repub-
lican, of Illinois. ranking minority
member of the District Committee
declared the MCGEE definition to
be too involved and too restrictive"
and said he planned to offer a sub
stitute.
A few hours after the bill, passed
by the Senate last October 10, was
rewritten and reported by the Nc
Gehee Subcommittee, a pointed re-
action came also from the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission. 1t instructed its Legisla-
tive Committee to oppose adoption
of the McGehee definition which
would restrict public low-rent hous-
Ing to the submerged fifth of the
population. according to net income
classification.
Determines Limitations.
The definition is regarded as of
major Importance because it would
measure the extent to which low
rent housing could be developed here
under the slum bill by a public
agency, in this case the National
Capital Housing Authority.
Sharp opposition to the McGehee
definition was voiced last night by
John Ihlder. executive officer of the
NCHA. Definitely, it is an unwork-
able proposition" he said, and
would result only in confusion. Why
not let the public housing agency
engage in the necessary low-rent
housing work which private industry
cannot do. This would be the case
under the workable Senate def
milton"
Mr.. Ihlder also questioned another
change ordered by the McGehee
Subcommittee to require NCHA to
keep books in accord with stand
ard auditing practices" and to be
subject to annual audits by the Cen
eral Accounting Office.
Defends System.
He asked what would be stand
ard practices and contended that
his books now are kept in line with
rules laid down by the GAO and the
Federal Public Housing Authority
He added that his accounts are in
spected not annually, but monthly
by the GAO and also are subject to
review by the Budget Bureau and
Congressional Appropriation Com
mittees.
The bill as revised by the Nc
Gehee Subcommittee is to be taken
up for action next week at a session
of the House District Committee, to
be called for the purpose by Chair
man Mcmillan.
Action by the subcommittee in re-
porting the bill, even with amend
ments, brought an expression of ap-
proval from Senator McCarran.
Democrat, of Nevada. who played a
major role in getting the bill through
the Senate last year.
McCarran Hopeful.
Il am pleased to hear that the bill
has been carried another step
toward enactment" he said. II am
hopeful that whatever the House de-
termines to do with details of the
bill will not delay its final enact
ment. The measure is drastically
needed. Should it fail of enactment
at this session, i am afraid it will
be long time before another bill
will get through Congress-
Senator McCarran, former chair
man OF the Senate District Commit
tee and now head of the Senate Ju-
dietary Committee, said he did not
wish to comment specifically on
amendments by the McGehee SUBJ
committee
Denmark chine