Evening star., 1953-08-24
Prentiss 10 Get
Another Aide 10
Push SIun1 Plan
CumoIier Assistant
Also to Be Named
For Health Work
BY Colt HendIey, Jr.

engineer Commissioner Louis
w. PrentiSS today revealed that
the Army Corps of Engineers is
going to assign another assist
ant engineer commissioner to
provide full time direction for
an attack On slums here.
Gen. PrentiSs now has two as
siStant engineer commissioners,
Col. Giles Evans and Col. Harry
Hansen.
He said he expected the new
man to be assigned within a
month. After the Army officer,
probably colonel, assumes mis-
duties one of the three will be
made full-time co-ordinator of
the anti-slum campaign.
At the same time Commissioner
Renah F. Camalier revealed he
was going to get a new assistant
to coordinate all health activi-
ties in the city. Mr.. Camalier
has responsibility for this work.
From Another Department.
He said his new assistant
would be transferred from some
other District department. In
addition to co-ordinating health
activities, this man would be re-
sponSible for a breakdown on
violatorS of health regulations in
slum areas.
These developments came to-
day as the Commissioner met
with civic leaders and various
District department heads to
continue mapping a plan of at
tack on slums here.
Gen. Prentiss three weeks ago
assigned Col. Evans to co-ordi-
nate this work. He said he had
not decided whether Col. Evans
would be the assistant engineer
commissioner given the task on
full-time basis.
/ Pending the assignment of the
! new man, Gen. Prentiss told
Col. Evans to start to work i'm
mediately on mapping city slum
areas which could be helped by
health and housing regulations.
Several Groups to Assist.
Various agencies such as the
Redevelopment Land Agency
and the National Capital Plan
ming Commission will work with
Col. Evans on the project. Other
private organizations such as the
Washington Housing Associa-
ton and the Washington Home
Builders Association will be in
vited to participate.
Gen. Prentiss said he wanted
the campaign against slums to
begin Immediately even though
the District lacks an overall
housing code and other laws
needed to guarantee success. He
asked civic leaders present to
assist in getting neighborhood
citizen groups interested in
starting a voluntary movement
to clean up.
Joseph Kaufman, president of
the Federation of Citizens AS
sociations, and DR.. G. Herbert
Marshall, president of the Fed
Grafton of Civic Associations,
both pledged their cooperation.
Depends on Commissioners.
Gen. Prentiss said the leader
ship, the responsibility and the
initiative of the slum attack
must remain with the Commis-
Sioners. He said he was not
going to throw the responsibility
to the citizen groups, but did
want them to cooperate,
The new interest in getting rid
of slums began earlier this
month. Gen. Prentiss pulled out
of the files a program for ameli-
Grating slurn conditions here.
adopted by the Commissioners
three years ago. 1t was drawn
by the then Engineer Commits
sioner Gordon R. Young.
Five city agencies then were
--ated as an informal COM
mittee to draw up a plan of &C
ton to put into effect the DOR
mant Young plan.
These agencies - fire, police,
health, inspection and the COR
poration counSelS Office - cur
rently are working with Col.
Evans to draw up stronger regu-
lationS. In addition the feasi-
bility of an overall housing code
is being studied.