Evening star., 1952-03-12
Arlington Board
Housing
Plan
Citizens Present
Views on Proposal
At Public Herring

~ EuDiIS USUISH9
The strong views Of more than
80 Arlington citizens and organi.
zations on creation Of a housing
authority are being weighed by
the County Board.
After q public hearing on the
proposal attended by nearly 400
citizens at the Courthouse last
alight, Board Chairman Robert
w. Cox said the board viii study
the statements made at the hear
ing and also letters which have
been sent in, and may vote on
the issue March %.
The action being considered was
suggested by Board Member Alan
L Dean, who did not attend the
hearing because of illness. The
five-member housing authority
would survey substandard housing
In the county and could recon-
mend clearance and redevelop.
ment projects.
Slum Issues Denied.
Persons supporting creation Of
the authority cited financial aid
which could be obtained from the
Federal Government and said that
slum areas are a health menace
and a breeding place for crime.
Some critics asserted that there
are no slums in Arlington, that the
issue at stake is not slum clear.
ance but public housing, and they
called the authority plan . part
of the Communist state.
There was disagreement as to
whether the county and private
builders could eliminate SUBJ
standard conditions, without Fed.
eral assistance.
Two Virginia housing officials
who spoke near the close of the
meeting said many of the speakers
did not understand the proposal to
create an authority. Frederick
Fay. executive director of the
Richmond authority. said there
had been "a considerable amount
of Misrepresentation. possibly on
both sides" John Kerr. assistant
director Of the Alexandria Hous-
ing Authority, said there was "tre-
mendous misunderstanding among
the people here"
Four-Hour Session.
During the four-hour session.
there were speakers from these
organizations favoring creation Of
the authority to make q study Of
housing conditions and report to
the county board: County Civic
Federation, Courtland Civic Asso.
citation, Community Council for
Social Progress. John M. Langston
Citizens Association. Bellevue For
lest Citizens Association. Catholic
War Veterans. American Associa-
ton of University Women and
Arlington Council Of Church
Women.
Opposing establishment Of the
Authority were the County Cham
ber Of Commerce. the Arlington
Ridge Citizens Association, the
National Association of Real Es-
tate Boards, the Waycroft- Wood
lawn Citizens Association, the Ar
lington Republican Executive
Committee. the Northern Virginia
Builders Association, and the Ar
lington- Alexandria Fairfax Real
Estate Board.
The Rev. Ross Allen Weston Of
the Unitarian Church, showed
slides Of redevelopment work in
other communities and said that
such work in Arlington would be
under control of the County Board.
The Rev. Paul r. Hunter Of Rock
Spring Congregational Church.
recalled that 5 years ago a SINH
lar proposal had been turned down
oy the board "and nothing has
been done by anybody in the s
years that have elapsed"
Mrs. Shirley Wheeler of the
Civic Federation said that rede-
velopment work would be carried
out by private builders and she
said the projects would Increase
property values in surrounding
areas.
Plan Called Socialistic.
Robert j. johnson. manao;ro
director Of the county Chamber
OF Commerce, termed the proposal
soclalistic and said there are no
slums in Arlington that can't be
eliminated through local effort.
j. Wesley Buchanan, president
OF the Alexandria -Arlington-Fair-
TAX Real Estate Board, called tho
proposal "a politicians paradise.
q breeding ground Of corruption
and intrigue" He read from a
copy OF the Russian constitution
provisions regarding public owner
ship OF housing and said that hav.
ing government take over housing
Is q move toward having the
government take over in other
fields.
Mr.. Cox peered at the cover Of
the book held by Mr.. Buchanan
and said he wouldn't be caught
dead with a copy of it."
Mr.. Buchanan replied that IL
ought to be required reading In
the schools to show students the
true picture Of q Communist
nation.
Alexandria Wants