Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-11-18
U. 5. Aid SOUGHT
10 Draft Plans
On Stun Project
District to Appoint
3 of 5 Members of
New Agency
By Rudolph Kouffmunn n

1ne Natlonal Capital Park and
framing Commission said TODAY II
VIII ask the new Congress for i948
Federal funds to hire a special staff
70 draft Capital master plan and
sium-clearance plans under the
Districts new Slum Act.
AT the same time the District
commissioners announced thew
would match the planners request
Ior funds with appointment of three
OF the five members of the sl,lm
clearance agency set up by the act.
Presumably this meant that tho
PRESIDENT is prepared to appoint the
TWO other members of the agency az
required by the slum law.
The Commissioners also announced
they are seeking funds to repay the
census Bureau f. survey of FAM
lily incomes in tie Capital to set a
ceiling on the lowest one-fifth in.
come bracket here.
Contract Rules Cited.
The act stipulates that the slum
agency may contract its projects
TO the National Housing Authority.
or any other public housing apencv'
only If the dwellings are used ex-
clusively by families falling In this
lowest income group.
These promises of early action ON
rebuilding blighted areas came out
OF q joint meeting of the Planning
Commission with the District Com
mlSsioners. Commissioners Gordon
R. Young and Guy Mason were
present. Commissioner John Rus
sell Young was absent, due to the
death Of his brother.
The planners are holding their
monthly meeting today and tomor-
row.
The planning money, which the
commission is to seek under thu
act. Is entirely Federal and does not
have to be repaid by the District.
Requirements Outlined.
Commission staff spokesman de-
clined, however, to estimate how
much it would be. But it must be
enough, they said, to hire drafts
men and technicians to make two
kinds Of plans:
First, a master plan of the entire
District and all phases of its future
development in the forseeable fu.
ture: second, detailed plans Of slum
clearance projects.
Thomas S. Settle, Planning Conn
mission secretary, mentioned the
Barry Farms area in Southeast
Washington and the central area Of
the city as possible early projects
under the new law.
i These two sections of the city. IL
selected as the first projects to be
done, would be linked up under the
law as follows: -
4 The Barry Farms AREA largely
undeveloped tract north of st. Eliz-
abeth's Hospital originally set aside
i after the Civil War for small farm
sites for freed slaves = would be
bought under the $4,000, 900 re-
volving fund set up by the slum law.
The purchase would be made by the
five-man slum agency.
Commissioners to Get Plan.
When the Planning Commission
had finished its master plan for the
entire city, plus detailed plan
covering housing, highways, schools,
parks, playground and business de-
velopment, the Barry Farms plan
would be sent to the Commissioners.
The Commissioners, in turn.
would hold public hearing on the
plan. After final approval it would
be sent to the five-man agency.
The agency would then ask both
private contractors and public hous-
ing authorities for construction bids
on the basis Of the plan.
Once built, families from the mid
city section would be moved to
Barry Farms and the central area
rebuilt in its turn.
In theory, this process would 90
on indefinitely until all slums were
gone.
The 100000 Federal advances
to finance this cycle of slum clear.
ance eventually would be paid back
without interest out of the incoms
that the slum agency would receive
from the various Droiects