Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-11-14
Truman Appointee
As District Palmer
Boosts Balconies
By Robert }. Lewis
Reel Estate Editor Of The Stor

BOSTON, Nov. 14.-William w.
Wurster, new chairman of Wash
ington's National Capital Park
and Planning Commission. sees
eye to eye with President Truman
on the matter of balconies, it
became evident at the convention
of the National Association Of
Housing Officials here today.
Mr. Wurster told the 1000 dele
gates, Of which about 40 are from
the District of Columbia area,
that the United States SHOULD
face the fact" that balconies are
needed in multi-families dwell
ings IF we are to make those
dwellings anything but make
shifts -
1.-The restlessness of apartment
living has much of its root in the
fact that we have never regarded
a balcony on a par with the bath
ROOM" said Mr.. Wurster, who is
dean of the School Of Architecture
and Planning of the Massachu-
sets Institute Of Technology. Mr..
Wurster has been chairman of the
planning commission since last
July.
Should Be disable.
MIR. Wurster said balconies were
not needed for "esthetic reasons"
necessarily, but that they should
be disable, well located places
with high non-climable ratings
for the safety of children.
'The need for paartment bal
comics is not new" he continued,
Holland, Scandinavia, England
and Switzerland have acted upon
this knowledge for years. The
much-used fire escape of the New
York tenements have proved the
desire for a balcony If we would
but observe it.
"But no, we are prone to follow
blindly that more modern slum.
Park avenue, where apartments
have neither view nor out OF doors.
So the only hope is to use them
for as short a period as possible. -
Angered Over Fee Schedule.
Earlier, the housing convention
learned the Nations architects
were angry over a new fee sched-
ule set up for payment Of archi-
tects, who design public housing
projects under the vast new pro-
gram authorized by Congress.
Ralph Walker, president of the
American Institute Of Architects.
vehemently told the 18th annual
session of the National Association
of Housing Officials, which opened
here yesterday. that his associa-
ton "repudiated" the PHA-estab-
lished fee schedule, and said that
Ala members had been warned
that they should accept the PHA
fees "at their own risk"
James P. Murrin, PHA deputy
assistant commissioner for deyel-
opment. defended the fee schedule
with the approval Of his superior.
Orvil Olmsted, assistant PHA
commissioner for low-rent ssess-l
ing. and declared that in Thu Bal
architects had received more than
six times the amount of their pay
roll expenses on public housing
sjobs,r A. 81 :. e
- Says Pay Is $4,000 or Zen. sd
"You are,not dealing with a
capitalist class," the head of the
Nations architects said in his
argument for a "reopening" Of
discussion with PHA over the fee
schedule.
THE net take-home pay of
three-fourths of the country's
architects is $1,000 year or less. "a
After both sides were heard.
the association session went on
record as demanding that the fee
schedule discussions be reopened,
with a committee of members Of
the housing officials group in
vited to participate as third
party"
A number of members in the
meeting questioned the right OF
certain persons in attendance to
vote. On showing of hands O,
considerable number of architects
were shown to be present. How
ever, on condition that the vote
be represented only as the senti-
ment "of those in attendance, q
ballot was taken.
After the session Mr.. Murrin
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