Evening star., 1947-02-10
City PWA Share
Put utat28hiIIion,
Held Too Small
Fleming Says Capitol
Needs More Building
Than Program Allows

The Federal public works program
In the District calls for sac, ,000, 5000
in Federal buildings, streets and
highways 10 be started in 1947,
Maj. Gen. Philip B. Fleming, ad-
ministrator of the Federal Works
Agency and the Office of Temporary
Controls, said today.
Speaking before the Washington
Building Congress at luncheon
meeting at the Mayflower Hotel,
Gen. Fleming said the program,
which may reasonably be expected
to start" this year, was far less than
the minimum needs Of the National
Capital.
For the Nation, the General said,
the outlook in terms Of 1946 prices,
els for a construction dollar volume
Of around $13,300, ,000, ,oo0-an in
crease of about 80 per cent over last
year. A million new housing starts,
and nearly that many competitions,
seem wholly possible"
Nearly 6 Billions in Dwellings.
The housing construction would
account for $500, 600, 900 with all
non-residential construction total
ing $780, 000,0 900.
There may be some further In
creases In wages and building ma
terials this year, but on the other
hand we look for smoother flow
Of materials and better labor pro-
ductivity," he said. THUS we could
get no increase-and even an actual
decline-in costs per unit Of con-
struction."
He indicated a cut in building
costs was necessary II the construc-
ton industry sis not eventually to
price itself out of the market"
In addition to the $13, SOC, 900 900
of actual construction predicted for
1947, plans have been completed or
are being made for public works
worth $10,269, ,021 600. Gen. Fleming
announced earlier today. This flg-
ure includes planning done with
Federal aid and that done by local
governments themselves.
Federal aid covers $4,563, ,752 900 Of
this amount, he said.
$4,000, 900 Program This Year.
The Federal building program for
District this year "conceivably can
be around $1o,000,000 which Is a
good deal less than the work that
urgently needs doing" In addition,
81 miles Of highway projects in the
Capital area to cost SIS, 9,000, 900 are
planned.
This years planned projects in
clude: Buildings to accommodate
shops, warehouse and laundry at st.
Elizabeth's Hospital; an X-radiation
Laboratory and cafeteria for the Bu-
reau Of Standards; a radio labora-
tory for the Federal Communica-
tions Commission at Laurel; conver-
sion Of two Arlington Farms resi-
dence halls into 158 apartments;
five hangers and heating plant at
the National Airport and the four
lane underpass and street car tunnel
at Dupont circle.
Also, the K street elevated struc-
lures from Rock Creek to Key
Bridge, the superstructures for the
South Capitol Street Bridge over the
Anacostia River, the substructure
for the first Of the two bridges to
replace the present Fourteenth
street Highway Bridge; a 14-mile
extension of the Shirley Highway in
Virginia to connect with Highway
No. l near Occoquan.
Supply Of Materials Factor.
Availability of materials, especial
lily steel, will determine the speed
with which the various jobs get
underway, Gen. Fleming said. Three
of the District projects are under
contract and work has been started
on them. he said.
He said Washington, almost alone
among the great cities of the United
States, has increased in population
since 1910, but warned 1t too would
lose residents to the suburbs and
decay at the center" unless the
danger were recognized and dealt
with.
"I am convinced" he said, "that
the controlled-access expressway Is
the key to the solution of the prob
lem. With the city divided into
neighborhoods bounded by express
highways, zoned, functionally de-
signed and built up. each neighbor-
hood would have good promise OF
permanence because Of the protec-
ton afforded by its express highway