Evening star., 1955-01-23
Spencer Calls
District Eager
ToEnd SIurns

~ 6hsS SsUsst
Denies choree City
Lacks Will to Push
Mojor Foce-Lifting
Commissioner Samuel Spencer
last night hit back at a charge
that the city is lacking in de-
termination to carry through a
major face-lifting Of WASH
ington.
The charge was made recently
by James w. Rouse, co-author
with Nathaniel s. Keith of a
blueprint for wiping out slums
here within 10 years.
Declaring that zeal, vigor and
determination in and out Of
Government must be developed
to get the job DONE" Mr.. Rouse
contended that there seems to
be a lack of enthusiasm for get
ting rid Of slun1s in Washing
ton"
Cites Gains in SIums Fight.
Last night, speaking over "Re-
port to the People" on radio
station aWWDC. Commissioner
Spencer declared:
"I would like to say, and say
emphatically, that as far as the
Commissioners are concerned
such enthusiasm and determina-
ton does exist, will continue to
exist and has existed for some
time. I believe the record shows
It,"
He cited gains in the war on
slulns made last year by the
Commissioners, and admitted
that I'VE will have to go con-
siderably further"
1--WE are prepared and anxious
to do So" he said. THAT Is
why we hired Messrs. Rouse and
Keith"
Calls Report Outstanding.
Mr.. Spencer called the Rouse
Keith report one that may well
become a landmark in the his
tory of the District" and labeled
1t. Outstanding"
He declared himself confident
that the citizens of the District
will put their shoulders to the
wheel and assist us in this en-
deavor. With Government and
private citizens working together,
this program will work and will
ultimately make Washington a
slum-free city"
Commenting that "a modern
housing code is needed" as part
of the overall program, Mr..
Spencer continued:
1--WE are far along the road
toward the adoption of such a
code and an overhaul of related
regulations. Our objective is
simple workable set of standards
which can be readily understood
and administered.
Calls for Larger Staff.
He agreed with the Rouse
Keith report that more employees
are needed on the staff of the
assistant engineer commissioner
In charge of the overall face
lifting job.
Also. he said. the Districts
tight budgetary situation should
not delay work on the program.
He said the report recommended
staff increases costing $500. 900
q year, but declared it also fore
cast boosts in assessed property
valuations which would increase
tax revenues enough to cover the
cost of the program.
AS for plans to develop new
taxes to cover anticipated pay
increases costing from 50 mil
lion to 81 million a year, Mr..
Spencer said they are very
much in the preliminary stages"
Study Proposed Taxes.
He disclosed that a commit
tee of District government Off
cials is now studying possible
taxes and the amounts they
would yield. On the committee,
he said, are Director Schuyler
Lowe of the Department of Gen.
eral Administration, Budget Of
ficer Walter l.. Fowler, Corpora
tion Counsel Vernon E. West and
Finance Offlcer James l.. Martin.
Before asking Congress to i'm
pose such new taxes, MIR. Spencer
said, I'VE would want to get lot
Of advice from various citizens
groups to the farthest extent
possible"
In event Congress does ap-
prove pay raises at this session,
he conceded. the need for tax
boosts appears to be inevitable"