Evening star., 1946-11-07
Wyatt 70 Reply
ToLegion' Court
On GI Housing
Committee Will End
Sessions Tomorrow I
On Shortage Causes

Housing Administrator Wilson w.
Wyatt will appear before the
Amerisan Legion's World War II
Housing Committee today to answer
questions brought out during the
past three days by Government, Ia
Dor and industry leaders on all
phases of the veterans housing pro-
gram.
The committees five-day court Of
inquiry" at the Hotel 2400 will end
its sessions at noon tomorrow.
Highlighting yesterdays sessions,
Boris Shiskin, secretary of the AFL's
Housing Committee, strongly urged
the Legion to support the Wagner
Ellender- Taft Housing Bill as the
opportunity for private enterprise
to solve the housing shortage"
He termed criticism that the bill Is
socialistic both malicious and abb
surd."
"The program does not place any
Government controls over private
enterprise or local initiative, but
provides aids and guides to private
effort" he declared.
Denies Labor Shortage.
At the same time, Mr.. Shiskin
called for elimination of price con-
trolls on building materials and de-
MED there Is a shortage of labor
holding back the construction pro-
gram. The AFL has 1000 900 men in
its building trades, he added.
In another address, James w.
Rouse, vice president Of the Mort
gage Bankers Association of Ameri-
ca, called the Veterans Administra-
tion's appraisal system, which
checks veterans housing loans for
Government guarantee, an absurd
term"
THE Veterans Administration has
no appraisal system" he declared.
Appraisals are made in each COM
munity by real estate men," he said,
who are approved for that duty by
the veterans agency but selected in
dividually by the lender. Some Of
the appraisers are well qualified"
he said, others are certainly not"
Asks Reviewing Boards.
Mr.. Rouse recommend that the
Veterans Administration establish
appraisal reviewing boards" in each
regional Office ito really check every
appraisal that is brought to them for
approval"
Following the line of other indus
trial speakers before the committee,
Douglas Whitlock, chairman of the
Building Products Institute, urged
the removal of Government controls
on building, particularly calling for
relaxation of price ceilings on ma
terials.
Earlier, Joseph Kershaw, of the
OPA construction price branch, up
held the need for price ceilings, and
/ said the ceilings are easily high
enough to allow builders to operate
at a profit"
Six Veterans Heard.
/ Meanwhile, six Washington vet
erans who obtained CT loans to buy
homes in the Dexter Terrace devel-
opment in Southeast Washington
told the committee they have had
| ASSdo W OAAC 1tOk4ASo oA44lC WV
have been unable to move in because
the houses are occupied by tenants
who are renting from the firm which
sold them.
Joel Levenson, spokesman for the
group, said they were promised last
March the homes would be open
within 80 days, but that efforts to
have them removed have been futile.
And so now we have to pay rent
on the places where We now live as
we'll as paying on our CT loans each
month, and most of us have had to
borrow to do it," Mr.. Levenson said.
The committee promised to ar
range a meeting between the vet
Grams and officials of the District
American Legion to start an investi-
| cation of the complaint.