Evening star., 1950-12-24
u. 5. Studying Limits
On Non-Residentia|
Types Of Building
By Robert J. Lewis

The Government is studying
proposals for curtailing CONNER
cial and other non-residential con-
struction not considered essential
to the defense effort.
Industry representatives will be
called in some time after Janu-
ary by both the Federal Reserve
Board and the National Produc-
ton Authority for an exchange, of
views on the question, spokmes-
men for those agencies said.
The National Production Au-
thority this week invited nomina-
tionS for members of permanent
Construction Advisory Committee
to provide liaison with the con-
struction industry.
One informal meeting already
has been held by NPA with indus
try leaders on the subject. A
spokesman said that while no fur
ther meeting can be held until a
committee is formally organized,
this probably will be completed be-
fore the end of January.
Will Confer on Problems.
At the moment, NPA and the
Federal Reserve Board are work.
ing Independently on the problem,
with the likelihood that before the
final decisions are made the two
agencies will confer over the ex-
tent of the need, the form of the
restrictions, and how they will be
issued.
NPA's concern, primarily, is to
conserve materials and man
power for essential defense &C
tivity. while the Federal Reserve
Board is chiefly interested in any
inflationary effect that a huge
private commercial, industrial and
educational building boom might
have on the economy.
At the moment, there is some
Overlapping" in the field of
study, spokesman said. which
will be resolved later when de-
cisions are made as to the cover
age and application of the
restrictions.
Any restriction on govern
mental construction. road building
and the like, would have to be-
provided by controls issued by the
National Production Authority.
Regulations Being Drafted.
Likewise, any ban on additional
types of construction would be
NPA's responsibility, whereas the
Federal Reserve Board would deal
with mortgage credit curbs alone
NPA last October forebade certain
amusement, recreational-and en-
tertainment-type building.
The reserve board now is work.
ing on the final draft of its forth
coming new regulations to cover
apartment construction, which
will be announced along with
Housing and Home Finance
Agency companion curbs for
Governmental rental con-
struction and public housing
construction.
Announcement of these controls
is expected soon.
Up to now. mortgage credit and
other curbs on residential con-
struction are designed to hold
down all home. apartment. pub
lie housing and public defense
housing to total of about 850,000
units next year.
Of these, about $4,000 are ex-
pected to be public housing units,
and an undetermined number will
be public and private defense
housing units for which Congress
will be asked to provide legisla-
ton and funds.
What agency will handle the
public defense housing program
is as vet not known, housing
spokesmen said. The Public |
Housing Administration, which
handles the public housing pro-
gram and a large number of de-
fense housing units built in the |
World War II period, probably
will be chosen for the job.
This agency supervised con-
struction of about a billion dollars
worth of defense housing during
World War II.
A principle part of its work
now involves supervision of these
units.