Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-10-23

UrboH renewed is beeemiaa Wosh-
lnstcn's most controversial psoerom.
Increasingly, il Is eommsadlne ths
ottentiOn Of Federal, city end civic
leaders. A. stoke is tie phvsieoI
and fi"oneioI future Of the city.
This IS the third Of several orticIe,
examining mejor problems Of he
proerom.
OF the lucky ones because his
landlord happens to be his
father, who will help him start
afresh. Still. he cannot under
stand why the Government
could not look at his income
over the last five years and ar
rive at some figure Of worth
for his business. IN have to
pay somebody else for their
business If I buy another
restaurant" he said. why
shouldn't the Government nav
me?" '
The man in Washington re-
Sponsible for sending in the
wrecking crew to knock down
the quarters of small business
men-John r. Searles, tr.-ad-
mlts he does not have the
answer for Mr.. Bacas and his
colleagues.
Mr.. Searles. executive direct
or OF the Redevelopment Land
Agency, said this inability of
the Government to. pay for a
mans business as opposed to
his building presents "a ma
tional problem" Paying for
good will is fraught with legal
complications.
Urges Trying II
Il am one of those" he
added, who believe we should
try to work out a method for
paying for good will. But I'm
In the minority. Most of the
redevelopment officials in the
country think good will is an
intangible. They contend pay
ing for it would open I'D a Pan.
dora's Box. But 1 don't see why
we shouldn't take the bull by
the horns and try to do it
right"
In contrast to several other
cities undergoing redevelop-
ment, Washington's small busi-
nesSmen are not organized to
lobby through Congress or the
District Building some kind of
special help. The waterfront
fish dealers did get some assist
ance on Capitol Hill, but no
clty-wide effort has been
launched to help the small bust
nessmen specifically.
Morris Engle, proprietor of
H arrigan's Restaurant in
Southwest. said he tried to get
the small businessmen together
when urban renewal first
started there. The effort failed
ana his own pleadinoS nm
Capitol Hill and elsewhere
brought little action. NOBODY
realizes the anxiety you 70
through when urban renewal
threatens your business until
II happens to him." Mr.. Engle
said.
But in New Haven, Conn.
for example. the plight of the
displaced businessmen prompted
the city fathers to construct a
$4,000 temporary building for
the merchants. The city will
pay half and. the merchants,
through rent, the other half of
the cost. The plan is to move
these same businessmen back
into the redeveloped area after
the urban renewal process is
completed.
Disaster Loans?
In Philadelphia, the East
wick BuSineSSmen's Association
prodded several Pennsylvania
lawmakers to sponsor legisla.
ton to help businessmen in
urban renewal areas. One pro-
poSal was to give displaced
businessmen low-interest dis
aSter loans through the Small
Business Administration.
Senator Clark, Democrat of
Pennsylvania. introduced such
a bill in the last Congress,
declaring: 1T seems logical that
businesses displaced by urban
renewal should be given the
same treatment as those dis
placed by flood or other dis
aSter. e. In either case, his
business is washed out and he
must start over again."
similarly, Representative
Granular, Democrat of Penn
sylvania, said. $4,000 is hardly
a munif1cent sum to hand over
to a businessman who is liter
ally wiped out by redevelon-
ment after a lifetime of build
ing up his business in a stable
and profitable location"
Chairman Rains of the
House Housing Subcommittee
in the last Congress promised
to study the whole problem of
the displaced businessman
stating: Cost and good will
and whether or not they dds
placed businessmen should be
able to move back on the place
:. are matters that we should
know more about" A subcom-
mittee spokesman Sid the
study will get underway early
next year.
The plight of Washington
businessmen specifically will
come in for special attention
during the Senate District
Committees study of the
city's urban renewal program.
The District Commissioners
and the RIA officials will be
nlleStioned about their met 81