Evening star., 1951-06-26

OUnylGSS WUvE ~
Cut Public Housing
Labor leaders at the National
Housing Conference yesterday
Joined in blasting probable con-
gressional cutbacks in the public
housing program for the coming
fiscal year.
Thomas Murphy. treasurer Of
the BricklayerS, Masons and PlaS-
tererS' International Union (AFL) i,
told the conference in the Hotel
Statler his union will fight for the
minimum $4,000 units year
provided under the National Hous-
ing Act of 1949.
James B. Carey, secretary-treas-
urer Of the CIO. ridiculed the ac-
ton of the Senate last week in
restoring the number of units to
$4,000, after the House had slashed
it to 5000.
'Maneuyer Engineered"
Mr.. Carey said the "House
crowd that engineered that ma
neuver" knew the Senate would
not uphold it. He said he felt
they expected the Senate to vote
at least $4,000 units, as the Presi-
dent had requested.
The CIO representative said
the job now was to influence
House members to vote the latter
figure to prevent impeding of the
defense mobilization effort.
Mr.. Carey lashed out at op-
ponents of rent controls and credit
controls over old houses.
a'The blunt fact is that, WHITING
ly or unwittingly, the National
Association of Manufacturers and
the United States Chamber Of
Commerce (the alleged opponents)
today are virtual allies of Com
munism," Mr.. Carey declared. He
said the two groups are doing
an even more effective job than
the Communist Party could to-
day in sabotaging national soli-t
darity and an all-out defense
effort"
Scores Housing Census.
Charging that the American
press has underplayed the hous-I
ing census of 1850, Mr.. Carey said
it showed that, of 35 million nom
farm dwellings checked, 10 mill
lion were substandard. He said
40 per cent of non-white. city
dwellers lacked installed bathing
facilities.
Mr.. Carey added that low-in-
come families living in sub-stand-
ard dwellings pay upward Of 35
per cent Of their income for rent.
In attacking regulation X-es-
tablishment of minimum down
payments on new houses-Mr.
Murphy said it has resulted in an
increase from 81 to "a per cent
in the number of'houses sold cost
ing over $4,000.
In another address yesterday.
Ralph r. Kaul of the Defense
Production Administration said
that, of 800 cities applying for
critical defense area" designa-
tions, only % have been cited as
such. He said they chiefly are
cities of $4,000 to 100000 popu-
lation.
Douglas Warns Of Costs.
Senator Douglas. Democrat. of
Illinois warned the public housing
authorities that high costs would
kill the program. He said public
housing must be simple In style
and economic in design.
"If you have public housing atI
costs in excess of what the aver
age American taxpayer pays for
his own home" he explained, "he's
going to reject the program
The Senator urged construction
of more two and three bedroom
dwellings for families with chill
dren.
Housing primarily. is built for
kids" he said, land kids cannot
be helped in crowded one and two |
bedroom apartments"
Cites 3 Main Problems
At an earlier session yesterday,
Senator Sparkman, Democrat, of l
Alabama, said the three main
problems facing housing author
tiles are: l. cutbacks in number \
of units; 2. finding adequate f.
nances, and 8. getting enough 1
houses in communities that have
felt the impact of defense mobili-
cation.
Admitting that cutbacks were |
necessary because of the defense
effort, he declared however, that
IF we are going to have public |
housing program, we ought to |
program a sufficient number OF
units each year to make it con-
tinuing program"
The Senator said he felt the
cutback to $4,000 units would be
a sufficient sacrifice to the de-
fense effort by housing groups.
The conference was to continue
throughout today. It viii. wind
up with banquet tonight att
which Chairman Spence of the
House Banking and Currency
Committee and Sanator Taft Do