Evening Star Newspaper, August 3, 1937, Page 29

WAGNER EXPLAINS IS HOUSING BILL Senator Predicts Passage of Measure This Session in Star Radio Forum. His bill for creation of a Federal | Housing Authority to eliminate slums | and spread employment was discussed | last night by Senator Wagner of New | York in the National Radio Forum | arranged by The Star and broadcast | by a coast-to-coast network of the Na- | tional Broadcasting Co. | The Wagner proposal is on the | ealendar of the present session of | Congress. It provides that loans be | made for slum clearance and construc- | tion of low-rent housing. | The speaker sketched the far-reach- | ing effects of the bill on living condi- | tions and unemployment and de- clared “there can no longer be any doubt that the housing bill will become 1aw at this session of Congress. Its passage will mark a transfer from emergency legislation to permanent | social reform.” With reference to the housing ghortage, Senator Wagner said “there is an immediate shortage in quantity of over two and a half million family | dwelling units in the United States, and in addition “there are millions of | inhabited quarters which have be- come unfit for human habitation.” As to cost, the speaker declared that “for every 850,000 human beings | moved out of the slums into decent | quarters the annual cost will be only | one-third of the cost of building a single large battleship.” Text of Address. The text of Senator Wagner's ad- | dress folows: A few days ago the front pages of all the newspapers reported the sub- mission to the President of & pains- taking study of technological unem- plovment. For & long time we had been hearing talk about this subject, with its complex name but its very simple meaning. Now we know the facts about it. We are face to face with a problem involving the future economic security of our country and the welfare of its people. The facts are that during the whole period of the depression and in the years since then the installation of machinery, the adoption of labor- gaving devices and the progress of me- chanical invention have been rush- ing along at a greater rate than ever before. In many of our major indus- tries four men today can do the work | of five in 1929. Every fifth man has | surrendered his job to a machine. | In the long run these changes | eontinue the trends which have made American standards of living higher | than those in any other part of the world. The great dynamos in our | factories, the intricate networks of gears and shafts and wheels, are a| part of our wealth and prestige which we cannot afford to lose. But the study to which I have re- ferred did not neglect the human| element in the situation. It showed that this technological change, this displacement of men by machines, has revolutionized the character of our unemployment problem. The 8,000,- | 000 men and women who cannot get | jobs in private industry today are not unemployed because there is a depression in the ordinary sense; they | are not unemployed because the aver- | age run of industries are not making | Pprofit; they are not unemployed be- | cause of international conditions. | They are unemployed chiefly because | we have not found new lines of ac- twity to absorb those displaced by machinery in existing lines of activity. New Industries Spur Growth. The all-important task of today, therefore, is to locate those areas of | enterprise which have not partici- pated in the recovery—which are still &0 undeveloped that they afford an | opportunity for the immediate invest- ment of capital and the immediate absorption of men. If we look back over our history we find that every period of prosperity has been nour- ished by the growth of some vast new ndustry. | The most recent issue of a leading | financial journal expressed a com- | monly known fact when it said: | “In the consumer goods industries business has been on the rise and | since last Fall has been plainly in a | boom era, substantially above the 1929 | peak. In the capital goods industries | €hortages created by the depression | have not been made up, and the de- mands that are coming along with | rising prosperity are making shortages eritical.” | Of all these so-called capital goods industries, home construction is the most serious victim of this lag. A | table before me indicates that during | the seven years between January, | 1923, and January, 1930, an average | of 447,000 family dwelling units were | built each year. During the seven | years between January, 1930, and | January, 1937, an average of only 74.000 dwelling units were built each year, or less than one-sixth as many 85 in the earlier period. Putting aside the question of quality, there is an immediate shortage in quantity of over two and a half million family dwelling units in the United States. In addition to this shortage in quan- tity, there are millions of inhabited quarters which have become unfit for human habitation. And despite all this, home building is limping along | 8t only one-third the rate of 10 years | ago. | Already reports are flowing into Washington about a critical housing thortage. Public officials, mayors, | governors, are issuing warnings of an | impending crisis. Headlines in all| Parts of the country tell the story of | rising rentals, of evictions, of people by the thousands living in tents, Cites Own Experience. Many years ago I had occasion as 8 Supreme Court judge in New York to write the first opinion sustaining the emergency rent laws. At that time I reviewed all the facts connected with a housing shortage. I noted the rapid rise in rentals, which was mak- ing it necessary for poor families to stint upon food and clothing, thus driving them further and further be- low the poverty line. I observed the multiplication of slum areas and the accentuation of the horrible evils con- nected with the slums. I determined that no civilized community could permit these evils to endure forever. Since then there have been other studies, showing the effect of bad housing upon the health and safety of our people. It must be emphasized that the condition is Nation-wide and Dot localized. It exists in city and town and on the farm. Some time #%0 I saw an official report coming from one of the predominantly rural Etates of the Middle West. It said: *“Although our slums are not charas- farized by jungles of congested tene- 'y THE EVENING Promises Federal Housing Aid Senator Wagner of New York at the microphone last night as he described his housing bill for a National Radio Forum audience. —Star Staff Photo. STAR, WASHINGTON, ground for every species of crime and juvenile delinquency. Little if any supervised recreation is provided for the children who reside there. The street is their only playground and sometimes their only school. This unhealthful environment provides the | background for many of the so-called | big-shot racketeers — the criminals | who have obtained the designation | of public enemies. | We find frequently that the open- | ing chapter in the career of one of | these notorious gangsters is the com- | mission of a minor offense, such as | breaking into an empty building. Thus his anti-social education begins, and thereafter his success in the un- | derworld depends upon his wits. If, according to the distorted standards of his associates, he succeeds, he be- comes the leader of his gang. If he falls, he rapidly becomes a strong-arm | thug. In either case, however, he levies toll upon society so long as he is at | large, and his maintenance is at the expense of law-abiding citizens when be is in custody. Each of us pays the cost of ad- ministering justice to the victims of slum areas when they come into con- | tact with the law. Each of us pays | the cost of police protection against the rising flood of crime. Each of us pays the cost of hospitalization or correction and of the other evil re- sults of our own social neglect. The overwhelming majority of slum | privileged poor. children have the same fine poten- ments, and perhaps not as impressflve! 30 times as great. in their magnitude or appearance as the slums of the larger Eastern cities, some of the social and physical con- ing and doubling up which occur in | Chicago investigation found that juve the miserable shacks of our slums | nile delinquency was over 300 time. are beyond description.” are indeed beyond description. n! Cleveland, for example, the tubercu- losis death rate is five times as high in the slum areas as in the rest of the city, while the danger of con- islum regions as in other sections. Street Only Playground. It is not hard to understand w! During the last two years in the city of New York | six times as many people were burned | to death in the old-law tenements as | | ditions resulting from the overcrowd- | in the better regions of the city. A | as great in the Loop area as upon the The hardships of the slum dwellers | prosperous North Shore. Major crimes committed by children under 21 years has been shown that in the city of | of age were 20 times as high in the | tialities as other people. Statistically the overwhelming majority of them grow, despite their hardships, to a rich and fruitful citizenship. It is the special pride of America that | many of them rise to positions of spiritual and material leadership. But | these are all the more reasons why | the children of the slums are entitled to be liberated from the horribly re- | pressive conditions under which they live, Reflects Income Disparity. Fundamentally the slum is a prod- | y | uct of economic maladjustment. It ! these blighted areas of ramshackle | does not reflect a difference in in- D. C., TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1937 & disparity in family incomes. Peo- ple live in the slums because they cannot afford to live elsewhere. To- day about 40 per cent of the families in America have incomes of less than $1,000 & year. Perhaps 9,000,000 fami- lies have incomes of less than $800 & year, and of these maybe 4,000,000 have incomes of less than $400 s year. Private enterprise alone cannot afford and does not claim the ability to provide safe and sanitary homes for people in these very low income groups. The housing bill meets this issue squarely. It provides Government loans at low rates of interest to States and localities to clear slums and to construct decent homes for fdmilies of very low income. It pro- vides annual Federal subsidies in the | amounts necessary to make these new quarters available for the under- It will be worth while to examine very simply how this financial plan works. Let us suppose that a locality makes application to the United States Housing Authority for a $100,- 000 low-rent housing project. The authority advances the loan, cover- ing the whole, or more likely only part, of the cost of buliding the project. This loan is repayable in full. It bears interest at a rate not less than the cost of money to the Govern- ment. For these reasons the loan in the long run will cost the Federal | Government and the taxpayer noth- | ing. When the loan is made and the | project built, the locality makes n" simple computation of all annual | charges against the housing project. | S0 much must be set aside each year | for repaying the principal and inter- | est on the Federal loan and on other loans. So much must be set aside each year for local taxes. So much must be set aside each year for op- | erating expenses, vacancies, main- tenance and repairs. All these charges represent the sum to be cov- ered by the rentals, and on the basis tracting the great white plague is | tenements are the favorite sporting | trinsic human capacities, but rather ' of these charges the rentals are fixed. Then the United States Housing Authority looks at these rentals and makes an annusal contribution in an amount necessary to get these rentals down to the level of the very low in- come groups. These annual contri- butions represent the total cost of the program to the Federal Government. The unique feature of the bill is that it contains adequate safeguards to assure that only slum dwellers and people of very low income groups will be able to benefit by this public aid. The annual contribution is suf- ficient to get the rentals low enough. It can be stopped in any year when the proper groups are not served. A provision is included for co-ordinat- ing the building of new homes for slum dwellers, with the destruction of the cld and unhealthful quarters in which they now live. For these rea- sons, and because it protects private enterprise from competition, the bill has received widespread support from business men. They realize that the general social benefits far outweigh the cost. In fact the entire cost of this pro- gram is slight compared with other expenditures of the Government and trivial compared with the obvious gains to be achieved. During the | next three years the total cost of the B—9 the credit of the Government was im- periled by the depression, it can cer- tainly afford to grant an even more necessary assistance today, when pros- perity is increasing and tax revenues are rising. Cannot Permit Needless Suffering. The basic issue is that America is too proud and too wealthy a country to allow one-third of iis population to be ill clothed, ill fed and ill housed. We cannot permit unnecessary sick- ness, crime and suffering to be gen- erated by the evils of the slums. We have the same responsibility toward the child crippled by a barren en- vironment as we have toward a child crippled by traffic accident. Moreover. we do not want the child to be crippled at all. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Instead of building more hospitals and more prisons and more reforma- tories, we propose to remedy the con- ditions which made these institutions % largely necessary. America has the intelligence, the imagination and the social conscience to create the | material environment for an inspir- | ing whole life. The housing measure will carry on the reabsorption of the unemployed on & long-rage, businesslike basis. It program to the Federal Government | Will stimulate the private home-build- | will average less than $9,000,000 a ing industry. It will be economical, | year. After that this annual cost will | because removing the slums costs less ' ATHLETE’S FOOT SUFFERERS! not exceed $20,000,000 a year. For every 850,000 human beings moved out of the slums into decent quar- ters, the annual cost will be only one- third of the cost of building a single | large battleship. ‘Why has our Government this prime responsibillity? Since 1933 we have been able to save home owners from eviction. Since 1933 we have rescued the investor in real estate from a state of complete ruin. If the Gov- ernment has been able to help the person of moderate means overcome temporarily by the depression, it is certainly obligated to the underprivi- leged who live in darkness even in relatively good times. If it could afford to extend its help even when than maintaining the slums. No pro- posal for moderate public aid carries with it the assurance of 50 large a yield for every dollar spent. ‘There can no longer be any doubt that the housing bill will become law at this session of Congress. Its pas- sage will mark a transfer from emer- gency legislation to permanent social reform. It will be znother milestone in Lumanitarian endeavor. It will brighten the lives of millions who dwell in the dreariness of the and it will hold forth to all th prospect of homes consistent with the American ideal of life. On Diamonds, Watehes, Jewelry, Guns, . Musical ments, ete, L west Rates Posaible Unredeemed Pledges for Sale Cam Instru- Take Any Bus Leaving 11th and Pa, Ave, Estadlished 1890 . HORNING’S Afv‘f) Opp. Washington Alrport Quick, Complete Relief or Money Back Red blotches, cracks, blisters, or soft corn or callous infections that itch—all may be the same dan- gerous, fast-spreading Athlete’s Foot. Don't ignore it. And don't waste time and money on make-shift reme- dies. Get this professional-type treat- ment that stops pain and itching in- stantly—and then destroys the whole infection in 7 to 15 days. Thoucands who suffered tortures Know that 3XB works like magic when countless other remedies (in- cluding_ X-ray _treatment<) have SHOP EARLY THIS WEEK! STORE CLOSED SATURDAY e’re Remodeling and Enlarging our Mens’ Shops . . . Carpenters and painters are working at top speed . . . BUT they need more space to work in ... so we are going to clean house for them and at the same time give you men who appreciate quality an opportunity to purchase really splendid furnishings at MAN SIZE SAVINGS! A few of Hundreds of August Specials 27 Sale! 20,000 Shirts or Shorts Famous Manhattan Brand Shorts, made with elastic backs, tie sides and French backs. Fine quality woven fabrics tailored the way men like them. Sizes 34 to 46. Fine quality cotton shirts in sizes 30 to 44. Famous Manhattan Shirts or Shorts, made by Robert Rels . . . the shorts are of quality broad- cloth in white and fancy patterns with elastic and tle sides. Sizes 30 to 44. The shirts are of fine combed cotton. Sizes 34 to 46. Fine Broadcloth Shorts in a host of novelty patterns . . . full cut with plenty of room to move in . . . they're well tailored and neatly finished. Sizes 28 to 44. Combed cotton Shirts that really fit snug, in sizes 34 to 46. 55¢, 79¢ & $1 SUMMER TIES Crepes . . . Foulards and 39 SUM Cords in a grand assortment terns and of patterns to choose from. 1000 pleces to sell at this price! you'll find anklets. choose from. 27¢ to 35c MER SOCKS 19c A large assortment of pat- solid shades to In the group socks and Bizes 10 to 12, Lansdurgh’s—Air-Coolsd Men's Shops—Street Floor. A 3 3.95 McGregor Swim - 1.95 Sizes 30 to 42. 2.95 1.65 and 2.50 1525 and 1.65 2.50 Small, medium and Fine quality Shirts e f— e 1.95 1.95 1.00 50c¢ Sizes 14 to 17. 55¢ 2.50 and 3.00 Sizes 14 to 16. Summer Silk Neckwear Cool lightweight materials. 1.50 1.00 Shantung All-Silk Imported Robes Medium and large sizes. (i 8izes 38, 40, 42 and 44. McGregor Swim Shorts Puritan Swim Suits Sizes 38, 40, 42 and 44. Varsity Summer Robes S Men'’s Crepe Pajamas Sizes B, C and D. B — Men'’s Crepe Shirts Rockinchair Union Suits Sizes 36 to 46. — Famous Make Summer Hose 10, 10%, 11, 11% and 12. Beach Tone Wash Ties Many gay patterns. Quality Novelty Shirts Tie and Handkerchief Sets Many smart combinations. Suits 2.95 1.69 1.95 1.59 large. ports Medium and large. —— Bona-Fit White Shirts Sizes 15 and 16. 1.59 1.59 1.59 75¢ 39¢ 27c 4 for 8t 1.79 difierent from antiwp- 1XB is endorwd by ‘doctors hospitals i - where, Costs $1.00 at a st « by maii—a low price for sure relief. GUARANTFE! Tf not ahen) The 3XB Corpe ratinn 370 Lexington Aseniie, New York Our Exclusive 19 Aldine Shirts Reduced to 1. 3 9 Here’s quality . . . style and workmanship not usually found in shirts at this price! Excellent quality broadcloth (white only) collar attached or neckband shirts with pleated front . . . shirts that sell regularly for 1.95 . . . tomorrow they’re only 1.39. Sizes 13! to 17. 75¢ 69¢ 4.69 group. Notch collar, A,B,CandD. Lansburgh’s—Air-Cooled Men's Men’s 1.65 and 1.95 PAJAMAS You'll have to be here early for these pajamas because we have only 600 to sell and they will not last very long at this price. Most of them are light colors although you'll find some printed broadcloth and woven madras in the , surplus neck and middy styles. Sizes 1.39 Shops—Street Floor.