Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-10
Truman Signs
Housing Bi||,Hits
COP. Neglect
New BIost Charges
House Leaders With
Blocking Taft Plan
By Joseph A. Fox

President Truman today
signed the Republican housing
bill passed by the special session
of Congress with an attack on
House leadership for refusing to
give members an opportunity to
vote on the full-scale Taft
Ellender Wagner bill which
cleared the Senate in April.
The President described the meas
ure as IAN emasculated housing
bill" and declared that in its pas
sage Congress had deliberately neg
lectedn the large group OF people
whose need for adequate housing is
greatest--"the people who are forced
to live in disgraceful urban and
rural Sums"
The record shows clearly where
the responsibility lies for this denial
of the democratic process" the
President said in statement aSsall-
ing the House leaders.
Will Give Limited Federal Aid.
The new legislation provides linn
tied Federal aid for low-cost hous-
ing and large rental projects, but
makes no provision for subsidized
public housing and slum clearance
which the President had stressed
as outstanding needs.
AS M. Truman acted on the
housing measure. White House
Press Secretary Charles G. Ross
said the modified anti-inf1ation bill,
which Congress likewise passed,
would be handled by the President
well in advance" of August 20,
which is the deadline for action
This measure also falls far short
OF the Presidents proposals and is
expected to be signed with another
attack on Congress.
Text of Truman Statement.
The text of the Presidents hous-
ing statement follows:
Il have today given my approval
to H. R. $3.50, the so-called Housing
Act of 1913
When l addressed the special
session on July 27, 1948. I strongly
urged the Congress to complete
action on S. 866. the comprehensive
Taft Ellender-Wagne housing bill.
which had passed the Senate on
April %, 1913. The Congress has
instead passed an emasculated
housing BILL which fails to include
several of the most important pro-
visions of the Taft Ellender-W Wagner
bill.
The new bill fails to make any
provision for low-rent public hous-
ing. 1t fails to make any provi-
sion for slum clearance and urban
redevelopment. 1t fails to include
any provision for special aids for
farm housing. 1t includes only lin
tied provision for research to bring
down building costs.
Deplores Lack Of Action.
In short, the Congress In enact
ing this bill has deliberately neg
lected those large groups of our
people most in need of adequate
housing-the people who are forced
to live in disgraceful urban and
| rural slums.
/ The most astonishing part OF
the process by which this result
was achieved is that the members
of the House of Representatives
were never permitted to consider
and to vote on the Taft llender-
j Wagner bill. Even though all the
main provisions of that bill were
favorably reported by the House
Committee on Banking and Cur
rency. the Republican leaders re-
fused to let the full membership
| of the House consider it.
The record shows clearly where
the responsibility lies for this denial
of the democratic process. AS the
Republican chairman of the Senate
Banking and Currency Committee
Senator Tobey Of New Hampshirel
stated on the floor of the Senate last
Friday, the members of the House
of Representatives have been denied
by their House leadership the right
to vote on the Taft-Ellender-W ag-
ner bill
1T is matter of great regret to
me, as it will be to millions of ILL
housed families, that a measure
which would have helped to- provide
them with decent housing has been
blocked by the Republican leader
ship in the House of Representa-