Evening star., 1947-01-22
Appeal
For Retention Of
Rent Controls
Conference Also
Indorses Bill for
SIum Clearance

The United States Conference Of
Mayors today adopted a resolution
Congress to continue
adequate and fair rent control until
the housing emergency is over"
The resolution stated that rent
control during the last year had
saved hundreds of thousands of
families from being evicted from
their homes and that, without it,
housing in many sections would 60
to the highest bidders, forcing rents
above the ability of veterans and
persons of modest means to pay.
In another resolution on housing,
the Mayors urgently petitioned"
Congress to pass the Wagner Ellen
der-Taft bill which provides for slum
clearance.
Welsh Named President.
The Mayors also voted a recon-
mendation that Congress provide
additional funds to complete the
Governments program of providing
temporary dwellings. This program
has become stalled in many cities
because of lack of Federal funds
with temporary emergency housing
half built.
On the problem Of labor relations,
the conference instructed the execu-
tive staff to promote a study to de-
termine whether local labor-man-
agement departments should not be
established in municipalities.
AS officers for the next year, the
Mayors elected George w. Welsh of
Grand Rapids, Mich, president, and
w. Cooper Green of Birmingham,
Ala, vice president.
A. P. Kaufman of st. Louis was
named chairman of the Advisory
Board. The following were named
trustees: Harvey w. Balls of Fort
Wayne, Ind; Fletcher Bowron Of
Los Angeles, John j. Burns of Bur-
lington, VT; Thomas Burke Of
Cleveland, Edward j. Jeffries of De-
troit, David L. Lawrence Of Pitts
burgh, William ODwyer of New
York and Earl Riley of Portland,
Greg.
Property Fee Urged.
The Mayors adopted a resolution
calling on Congress to pass legis-
lation for the annual payment to
municipalities of fee for Federally
owned property not devoted to local
government purposes. The fee, the
resolution .said, should equal the
taxes which would be payable on
such property if privately owned.
Property such as post Offices, court
houses and other buildings used for
the benefit of the locality would
be exempt from this provision.
In a resolution on airports, the
Mayors asked that facilities rented
to the Government for war purposes
should now be returned and that
Federal agencies should make
prompt payment of the just claims
of cities for reimbursement on &C
count of damages.
The Mayors also recommended
that Congress continue the present
Federal policy of floor control and
public power with adequate appro-
priations.
DR.. James A. Crabtree, acting
surgeon general of the United States
Public Health Service, told the
Mayors the Nation was more health
conscious today than it had ever
been in it's history. He said 10
health bills already have been intro
duced before the Eightieth Congress.
Airport Program Ready.
William A. M Burden, Assistant
Secretary of Commerce, told the
Mayors at session yesterday after
noon the Federal airport program
was ready to be put in operation.
Under it, he said, some 4,400 airports
of the Nation will receive develop
ment or improvement within the
next three years.
The revised regulations provide
that the Federal Government pay
so per cent of the first $5,000,00 spent
on an airport project, he said. For
each additional 81 600, 900 the United
States share would decrease by 5
per cent to a minimum of 20 per
cent
The rules governing disposal Of
surplus property, especially airfelds,
were discussed by War Assets Ad-
ministrator Robert M. Littlejohn.