Evening star., 1947-01-14
s Communities
Study Plan 10
Speed Housing
Program Will Set Up
Committee to Aid
| D. G. Area Veterans

A master plan to expand and CO.
ordinate efforts to supply more
houses for Washington area vet
Grams today was being studied by
officials of six communities Of the
Metropolitan Area.
Representatives Of the various
communities submitted the plan to
their local governing bodies. follow
ing a meeting yesterday in'the office
of Engineer Commissioner Gen.
Gordon r. Young.
If approved, it will provide for
establishment of veterans housing
committee, with not more than six
representatives each from the Dis
trict and Alexandria and Arlington,
Fairfax, Prince Georges and Mont
gomery Counties.
Unanimously Supported.
Oficials of the six communities
voted unanimous support Of the
plan at yesterdays meeting, acting
on q resolution submitted by Daniel
A. Dugan, member of the Arlington
County Board. The government in
each community, however, must give
approval before the group is formal
ly organized.
Sentiments of those present were
best described in the words Of
Brooke Johns, chairman of the
Board of Montgomery County Com
missioners.
I'VE have our shoulders to the
wheel" Mr.. Johns declared. 1--WE
are all behind it,"
Although District officials declined
comment, creation of the Metro
politan Area group was regarded as
meaning an end of the District
Veterans Emergency Housing Com
mittee. which served only the Dis
trict.
Various Fields Specified.
Tentative plans for the new group
call for representative from each
community in each Of the follow
ing fields: Local government, vet
erans' groups, building trades, la
bor, real estate and finance.
Whether each community should
furnish all six is left to their dis
cretion.
Gen. Young, who acted as chair
man pro tenn at the meeting, said
the new group would be an entirely
autonomous body. Approval Of COM
munities concerned is not expected
in less than two weeks, he said, be-
cause of their various governmental
time tables.
Each community will inform Gen.
Young as approval Is forthcoming.
When all have acted a second
meeting will be held to organize the
new group, elect officers and give
1t a name.
The Veterans Emergency Hous-
ing Committee, which it is expected
to supplant, was established last
spring in line with directive from
the then Federal Housing Expediter
Wilson w. Wyatt.
Lists Major Benefits.
Asked If he thought the new
group would accomplish more than
the local veterans housing body,
Gen. Young replied: I'm the last
analysis builders will always act in
their own interest But I think it
will be helpful if they know more
about the veterans housing picture
as aswhole"
Gen. Young listed these four re-
spects in which he thought the
Metropolitan Area group would be
helpful to veterans:
1. As a clearing house for in
formation on what houses are being
built, where and at what price.
2. As source of information as to
how many veterans want homes,
where, and what they can afford to
pay.
3. AS a means of getting home
less veterans together with builders
and real estate people to discuss
their wants.
4. AS a watchdog" agency for
questionable real estate practices,
such as have recently plagued local
veterans. h..
Those Attending.
Besides Gen. Young, Mr.. Johns
and Mr.. Dugan, those present at
yesterdays meeting included:
From Washington: Waldron Leon
ard. director of the Veterans Service
Center, and L. H. Neville -Thomp-
son, of the Combined Veterans
Housing Committee.
From Fairfax County, Va: r. ].
Stockton, planning engineer, and
James j.. Corbalis, assistant plan
ming engineer.
From Alexandria: G. L. Watkins,
city engineer, and r. s. Marshall,
an assistant.
From Montgomery County: Wes-
| ley I. Sauter and Oliver Young
blood, both members of the Board
Of Commissioners.
From Prince Georges County:
William A. Carson, president of the
Board of County Commissioners,
and j. H. Beall and H. w. McNamee,
both board members.