Evening star., 1954-06-22
SIum Code Drafters
Told 10 Drop All Else.
Produce by July |
Prentiss Sets Deudline
For Three Officials
In Housing Campaign
Bv Miriam Ottenbero

Engineer Commissioner Louis
w. Prentiss today told the city's
housing code drafters to drop all
their other work and come up
with the Tonga awaited code by
July l..
Obviously impatient with the
long delay in getting a code.
Gen. Prentiss set the deadline
for action at a two-hour closed
session with the city'S legal. en-
gineering and health officials.
The housing code, on the
drafting board for the past nine
months, is aimed at bringing all
forms of housing within the
purview of District inspection.
The goal is to improve housing
and prveent further deteriora-
ton of sub-standard dwellings
on their way to becoming slumS.
Executive Session Ordered.
The housing code subcommit-
tee of the Slum Prevention and
Rehabilitation Committee is
headed by William Cary. direc-
tor of the Health Departments
Bureau of Public Health Engi-
neering. District officials serving
with him are Assistant Corpora
ton Counsel Robert F. Kneipp
and r. Donald Kinney, assistant
superintendent of inspections in
the District Department of Liz
cenSes and Inspections.
Gen. PrentiSS told the three
men to free themselves of other
duties before Thursday and go
into executive session that day to
get the code completed. He made
it clear that he wants finished
draft one week after they start
meeting.
He said the non-Government
members of the code committee
also would be invited to sit in
on these sessions, although he
could obviously not order them
to do SO.
These include Ralph j. john
son, Washington Housing Asso-
citation; William S. HarpS, Wash
ington Real Estate Brokers As
Sociation; Alvin L. Abinoe,
Washington Real Estate Board,
George r. Linkins, Building
Owners and Managers AsSocia-
tion and Herman Schmidt, Home
Builders Association of Metro
politan Washington.
Draft to Go to Committee.
The completed draft, the gen.
eral said, will be submitted to
the large housing code advisory
committee which is still in pro-
cess of appointment but is sup
posed to be completed by June
80. Then the Commissioners
will take a look at it.
Gen. PrentisS planned to en-
phaSize the forthcoming housing
code at session with Chairman
O'Hara of the House District
Judiciary subcommittee this aft
ernoon Representative O'Hara
has been holding up bill sought
by the District to put teeth into
the law for the condemnation
of insanitary building. The leg
islator wants standards for con-
demnation written into the law.
District officials, however.
want the legislation to give the
Commissioners authority to es-
tablish standards without writ
ing them into law.
Code May Serve as Guide.
Gen. Prentiss said that he felt
that once the housing code is
written it can be used as guide
for condemnation of insanitary
buildings. Gen. PrentiSS said the
board which condemns these
buildings is now using the build
ing code which applies to new
construction.
He said the board should rec
ogniZe that certain aspects of
old buildings cannot be brought
to the standards of new con-
struction, but can be made rea-
sonably safe and sanitary. That
was the attitude that he ex-
pected to take to Capitol Hill
| this afternoon.