The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-09-26
Reds Hunted
In Calf.
Housing
BY HOWARD AEYN

LOS ANGELES LR-AgentS of the
California Department of Justice
are hunting Reds in the attic of
this city'S SO million dollar housing
project.
This is the latest development IN
a municipal light opera which has
kept the City Council in a tiny for
10 months.
What ordinarily would be a roH-
tine administrative procedure in
Slum clearance has produced such
sensation incidents as these:
Mayor Fletcher Bowron engaged
in brief fiSticuffS with a heckler.
Nothing but dignity was damaged.
Councilman Ed Davenport acc
cused another councilman of try
ing TO draw a knife on him.
Having once approved the pro-
gram. the council suddenly re-
versed itself.
Voters also turned down the pro.
iect in a subsequent city election,
but court rulings held the City was
obligated TO proceed.
AS the controversy now stands,
no one knows whether Los Angeles
will get 1000 new housing units
or will have TO dig down to repay
the federal government IS million
dollars already spent for such pre-
liminarieS as landsites.
Another ruling by the California
Supreme Court scheduled for Sept.
% may provide the answer.
Nobody anticipated all this hull
labaloo when, like other cities, Los
Angeles set up a housing authority
under federal law back in 194S.
The housing shortage then was
acute. With little public reaction
of any kind, the authority pro-
ceeded to build II temporary and
10 permanent low-rent structures
which now house about 5000
persons.
Then. in 1850. the authority
launched its biggest project, TO
cost about 100 million dollars. Con-
gress was to provide the money,
over q period of years.
Suddenly, last December. loud
protests were voiced by citizens
group against condemnation of a
certain piece of land. Opponents
Of the program claimed that slums
weren't being cleared at all, that
wide open sites were being ae-
CURED for some Of the "a proposed
history apartment buildings.
They argued that, instead OF a
government gift. the program ul-
timately would cost the city about
200 million dollars in lost taxes
and expenses.
II was at this point that the
council, by 3 one vote margin, re-
sclnded its sanction Mayor Bow
ron. however, stayed on the side
Of the housing authority, which inn
mediately carried the matter 70
the cOurtes.
In series Of seo-saw legal ma
neuvers the state courts held 10
the opinion that, having made a
contract With the government, the
city would have 10 go through with
It. a committee against socialized
housing. set up under Chamber OF
| Commerce auspices, thereupon put
the issue up TO the voters, on last
June's municipal ballot.
The voters turned thumbs down
on the program.
Despite repeated court orders
/ and contempt proceedings. the
| council continued 10 block site ae-
! uuisblons Mayor BOwTOn finally
/ went to Washington IN an effort
I 10 break the deadlock lie returned
with the announcement that the
| program had been cot from 100
million 20 So 347 .457 and the num-
i Der q units from 10 900 to 900.
Three projects we're revised 70 pro-
| vide three story Instead Of i3story
units.
This revision failed 70 mOllify
+ the committee against socialixed
I housing and other opponents. The
next step f. UP % the State Sd
preme Court.