Evening star., 1948-05-05
Excess HOUSING
Prices Doubted
lin Viers Mill
Probers Leon to View
Homes Worth Cost
In Todoy's Market
By Robert J. Lewis

BY Robert }. Lewis
A House Expenditures Subcom-
mittee investigating the Viers Mill
Village housing development now
seems to be leaning toward the view
that homes in the project, near
Wheaton, Md, are not overpriced
on today's market.
This became apparent at a hear
ing yesterday from off the record
comments of a committee member
after the builders had been given
an opportunity to reply to critics
and after an American Legion rep
resentative said this low-cost
project was Just what veterans
needed"
1T was great news to us when
this project became available" Syl-
van King, chairman OF the Housing
Committee of the Legion's District
Department, told the investigating
body.
Service to Veterans Seen.
THE committee will be doing a
great service if it tells Washington
veterans whether the charges
against this development are true.
false or political" Mr. King said
emphaticaly. At another point,
the Legion spokesman said projects
OF this kind with FILA and VA ap-
proval should be encouraged. =.
Asked by Representative Lanham.
Democrat, of Georgia, a committee
member. whether any other homes
are being offered in the District
area for as low as S8,700-price of
the Vlers Mill house-Mr King said:
Practically no houses-one here
and there-and no other large
projects"
Chairman Snyder of the COM
mittee said he will call one final
session later to conclude the in
quiry.
Legal Work Questioned.
Hearings opened with the COM
mlttee's scrutiny directed toward
legal services connected with the
project. James w. Gill; a member
OF the law firm of Duckett, Gill and
Anderson, told the committee he
had been retained to search title to
the land and that his law firm has
been serving in a consultant capacitv
10 the Viers Mill Village Corp. since
the congressional inquiry opened.
L. Howard Duckett, another MEM
Der OF the law firm and general
counsel for the Washington SUBJ
urban Sanitary Commission, was
questioned on whether he had given
legaE assistance to the Harris Con-
struction Co., general contractor of
the project.
Mr.. Duckett denied he had been
retained by the firm, and said. "I
never did any more for them than
I've done for 100 or 200 other
builders" who had asked his advic,
on water and sewer matters.
Had Asked for Conference.
The attorney said Harris COMPANY
officials had asked for a conference
with him last October on whether
the Sanitary Commission had indi-
Gated it had made a firm commit
ment to install water and sewer
facilities at the project.
He said he advised them to 90
before the commission for a clearer
understanding of the commissions
intentions, which they did, and that
later the commission agreed to 20
ahead with the work.
Chairman Snyder asked whether
the law firm had represented Viers
Mill Village in obtaining loan in
surance from FHA. Both Mr..
Duckett and Mr.. Gill said none of
the members of their law firms had
done so.
J. Darby Bowman, secretary
treasurer of the Sanitary Commits
sion, told the committee advertise
ments for bids for sewer and water
installation will be placed soon.
He said the estimated cost for water
is S233,55l, and that sewer extern
sions are estimated to cost 1855 ,020.
Denies manipulation"
H. A. Badt, president of the Sell
fridge Land Co., which sold $50 acres
Of land for the development, denied
that there was any manipulation"
of land prices in connection with
the tract, as charged at an earlier
hearing.
Max E. Greenberg, attorney for
the builders. provided the committee
with a detailed breakdown of actual
costs. This showed the profit per
house was $4l0. No profit was taken
on the land, he said.
"As to price and value" said Mr..
Greenberg, I'VE defy any Of our
critics to produce our house for the
price. We are producing and SELL
ing product which canot be dupli-
Gated for this price"
Mr.. Greenberg said the motive
for the attack" on the project was
the desire to stop this type of low
cost development in Montgomery
County. 1t is an attempt to divert
low-cost housing to less desirable
locations, he charged.