Evening star., 1947-11-18
FoIeyExpects Building
OF Homes Will Break
All Records Next Year
sv Robert }. Lewis
Stnr Stnff CnrrAxnnndent

NEW YORK, Nov. 18.-Na-
tional Housing Administrator
Raymond M. Foley. addressing
the National Association of
Housing Officials in convention
here today, indicated the Nation
may break all records in housing
production next year
The Governments top housing
offlcial also said he believed unit
prices probably would be lower
though he offered no estimate.
One of the most encouraging fac
tors in the fight for lower costs, Mr.
Foley said, was "a strong and grow
ing realization in the building indus
try that decent housing at lower
prices must be offered soon"
Mr.. Foley called on city and State
public housing officials to support
not only public housing but to be
heavily interested in whatever can
be done to increase the effectiveness
of private enterprise"
State Offieial Speaks.
Herman T. Stichman, New York
State housing commissioner, warned
that Government should not be
doing what private enterprise can
do" to provide housing.
But Gov. Dewey's housing chief
made clear he believed that private
enterprise cannot clear slums and
bnghted areas
Nowhere in this country has
private enterprise, unaided, ever
cleared a slum and replaced the
substandard buildings with livable
housing for the former lowincome
occupants at rents which they could
afford to pay" he said.
A group of experts who addressed
the convention yesterday agreed
that any decline in the cost of hous-
ing in the next several years will be
slight.
Curt c. Mack of Washington, FHA
assistant commissioner for under
writing. said the current cost picture
Is one of confusion" with some
prices going up, others going down,
and no discernible overall trend
evident to StatiStlclanS.
Sees Cost plateau"
He said, however, it was his con-
viction costs had reached some
thing of a plateau" beyond which
they could not rise appreciably. He
said he doubted, likewise, there
would be a sharp decline In the
foreSeeab BILE future
Mr.. Mack's statement on costs
was echoed by John P. Riley, in
charge of the New York City
Housing Authority's huge public
housing program.
Mr.. Riley said his organization
had let contracts since the war for
$100,000,0o0 in public housing here
and expected to contract for an
additional $100,000,0O0 worth within
the next II months.
People who are waiting to build
In the hope that prices will fall Is
to 30 per cent are deluding them
selves" he said. Il can't see any
thing that will happen in the next
few years which will reduce costs
uloiC IIIdI ~ pei CCIU-ol IL d
miracle happens-by more than IS
per cent, at most"
No Single One to Blame.
Mr.. Riley said that. judging from
his experience, there is no single
culprit or group to blame for higher
building costs.
I'VE recently analyzed about $30,-
100000 in construction and found
that labor costs. since the war, have
averaged Al per cent of the total
cost. in contrast to the approx
mately similar figure of 80 per cent
for the 1939-40 prewar period" he
declared. Labor costs have gone
UP, but so have the other costs and
in about the same proportion"
Harry H. Steidle of Washington,
manager of the Prefabricated Home
Manufacturers Institute, told the
group "application of engineering
principles" to home building, elimi-
nation of building code restrictions
and fabrication of a greater
number of building elements would
help lower costs