Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-22
Rent Priority
Requestedby
Veterans Here
| Builders Urge Halt
| In Service Project
To Speed Homes

action to overcome the housing
shortage.
Ray Sawyer, a spokesman for the
American Veterans of World War
II, suggested TO the District Com
missioners that a central veterans
office be given "a to 48 hours to rent
vacant apartments to veterans be-
fore they are advertised to the gen.
eral public.
Mr.. Sawyer said that veterans
would be glad to double up with
their mothers-in-law" if they felt
that civilians" also were dou-
bling up.
Ernest F. Henry, executive direc-
tor OF the Home Builders sAssocia-
ton, told the Commissioners that
private builders here could put up
1000 brick homes for veterans with
in the next year if the Army and
Navy would postpone construction
OF some scheduled war projects"
Construction Not Needed.
Mr.. Henry charged that there Ii
no immediate need for construction
now in process at Andrews Air Field,
the Dalecarlia Map Service, Belle
vue Research Laboratory, the White
Oaks Research Laboratory of the
Navy and at Cedar Point, Md. They
are being rushed to completion only
because OF Judiciary" considera-
tons, he said.
Edward r. Carr, president of the
Home Builders Association, said pri-
vate builders in the Washington
area have the land and the money
to build $1,000 units for veterans in
the next two years, but that they
must get the material.
At the request of the builders,
Brig. Gen. Gordon r. Young, Engi-
neer Commissioner, said he will
appoint a committee Immediately to
review the building code and also
to study speeding the present system
OF granting building permits which
the builders commended sometimes
take as long as eight weeks.
Asks Code Revision,
In plea for revision of the build
ing code to permit lighter" apart
ment house construction, Morris Ca
fritz, builder, said present regula-
lions call for over building" The
code could be eased considerably
without causing any danger to fu-
ture occupants, he insisted.
The builders also asked for review
OF restrictive labor practices put in
by overzealous union enthusiasts
when work was slow" A Washing
ton Building Trades Council spokes-
man said later the unions would be
glad to cooperate in the study.
The present situation calls for
something much more level-headed
than we have ever gotten out of our
Government planners, Mr.. Henry
said. eff you and others in re-
sponsible position" he told Com
missioner John Russell Young" con
tinue to listen to the Federal Public
Housing Authority, the veteran
might as well pitch his tent on Penn
sylvania avenue and wait for the
worst"
Meanwhile plea for price in
creases to encourage production of
certain building materials was made
yesterday to Federal Housing Ex-
pediter Wilson w. Wyatt by mem
bers of the Producers Council, a
national organization of building
products manufacturers.
Need 5000 Homes.
The council estimated that $50 900
new city dwellings are needed this
year ''to meet the urgent immediate
demand of veterans and others. The
overall requirement is much
greater"
With the removal of existing bot
tlenecks," builders can produce
100000 units, according to the
council.
A spokesman for Mr.. Wyatt said
an emergency program to provide
housing for veterans, Including
prefabrication and everything neces-
sary to get the job DONE" will be
announced very shortly" President
Truman disclosed in his message to
Congress yesterday that the pro-
gram of emergency measure lis now
being formulated"
Some sources expect the housing
expediter to use idle aircraft and
shipbuilding plants to prefabricate
at least a half million homes for
veterans this year. Mr.. Wyatt's
spokesman insisted, however, that
such reports were sheer guess
work"
Would Create Authority.
A proposed solution to the long
range housing problem for veterans
was offered by Representative Beall,
Republican, of Maryland, who intro
duced bill yesterday to create q
veterans housing authority
The Marylander's bill would create
such an authority under the Ma
tional Housing Agency to erect
homes for veterans. They would sell
at fair market value from $1,000
to $500, and ex-servicemen could
pay for them at a cost of $35 a
month over period of 10 years
or longer, Representative Beall said.
The bill also would permit VIA to
rent housing units to veterans for
from SIS to SITS month. 1t grants
the agency broad powers to acquire
land and all necessary supplies.> The
measure contains no limitations on
the number of houses VIA could
build, except that it should be de-
cided on the basis of a survey Of
need.
Wants Public Hearings.
The bill was referred to the House
Banking and Currency Committee.
Representative Beall, who said he
would ask for public hearings, en-
phasized that his measure does not
conflict with housing measures al
ready introduced.
There is room for all the public
and private housing that can be
started at this time, said the Repre-
sentative. He expressed agreement
with President Truman's statement
that Where private industry cannot
build, the Government must step in
and do the job"
Missionary to Speak
Mrs. John H. Reed, jr., missions