Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-07
Congress
Continued From First Page

undertake or be able to agree on SO
elaborate a program on the eve OF
presidential election.
The President mentioned Federal
aid to education, broader social
security coverage, a higher mini
mum wage law, the civil rights pro-
gram and more Federal appropria-
tons for public power development.
The Republicans, having brought
the civil rights bill out of Senate
committees before they went home
in June, devoted one week of the
special session to futile effort to
get action on one-the antipoll tax
measure.
After encountering the usual
Southern Democratic fiilibuster,
the COP leaders, threw in the
sponge and announced plans to
tighten Senate rules against fill
clustering in January.
Housing Bill Highlights.
High lights of the housing bill as
it goes to the White House are:
l. Low and middle income fam
lilies would be allowed IS per cent
insured mortgages on houses cost
ing $4,000 or less.
2. Construction loans would be
provided for builders of low-cost
homes, with an 80 per cent insured
mortgage for builders of Is or more
units priced under $500 each.
3. Owner-occupied homes would
be eligible for more liberal loans
such as 80 per cent insured mort
gage for single-family units costing
up to $500 instead of the present
$5,40O.
4. Large-scale rental projects
would be allowed 80 per cent in
sured mortgages. The $3.50 cost
limitation per room would be re-
moved and a family Unit maximum
Of $500 substituted.
S. A minimum return of 234 per
cent a year on investment, plus 2
per cent for amortization would be
guaranteed by the Government to
those making investments In con-
struction of rental property for
lower and middle income groups.
6. Prefabricated housing manufac-
turers would be allowed more lib
eral loans
7. An additional s35, 100000 would
be provided for insuring loans for
home moderniZation and improve
ment.
.. g. A new division in the housing
and home finance agency would be
set up to work toward the standard
i ization of building codes and meas
: urements.
:. Yesterdays housing battle in the
y, Senate was the climax of the Ses-
sion. The stage was set for it wher
a group of New England Republi-
/ cans rebelled against their leaders il
an effort to retain the public hous-
ing subsidy features of the Taft
Ellender- Wagner bill.
| The Senate had approved public
housing in April, and the New Eng
landers. led by Chairman Tobey OF
/ the Banking Committee, resented
the action of House leaders in re-
fusing to consider the Taft-Ellender-
Wagner bill.
Taft Accepts Substitute.
They lost their night, however
when Senator Taft of Ohio, one OF
the authors of the public housing
program, took the floor against his
own bill Several other Republicans
who previously had voted for 1t
went along with Senator Taft on the
ground that they faced a practical
problem of taking half a loaf OF
run the risk of getting no housing
bill at this session. Senator Taft
and his associates insisted they
were not abandoning the principle
Of Federal financing for slum clear
ance. but only putting it off until
January.
Although IL Republicans joined
administration Democrats in sup
port of public housing, their defec-
ton was offset by II Democrats
who rallied behind the modified bill
of the Republican leadership.