 It's time for the Lawn Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important issues of the hour brought to you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, a presentation of the Lawn Jean Wittner Watch Company, maker of Lawn Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Wittner, distinguished companion to the world-honored Lawn Jean. Good evening. This is Frank Knight. May I introduce our co-editors for this edition of the Lawn Jean Chronoscope? From the CBS, television news staff, Larry Lusser and Walter Cronkite. Our distinguished guest for this evening is Albert M. Cole, Federal Administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency. Mr. Housing Administrator in President Eisenhower's State of the Union message, he said that the public housing program should be continued, must be continued until further notice or until more effective programs are ready. Now, can you tell us just what shape the public housing program is in right now? Well, the present public housing program now provides for the construction of 20,000 units in the present fiscal year. However, the future of the public housing program is yet in the balance. That is to be determined by what the administration will recommend and what Congress will pass this year for the following year of 1954 and 55. On the basis of the President's statement, it would appear, however, that the President believes that there is a continuing need for public housing, pending the demonstrated progress of other programs to meet the need of people in low incomes and their desire to obtain decent housing. Do you anticipate an increase in the 20,000 figure in the President's new recommendations to come? I think that's an interesting question. In my judgment, it is quite possible that the administration will ask for some increase in the present program. Yes. Mr. Housing Administrator, you've conducted a survey of the nation's housing problems. Now, has the administration formulated any new approach to the subject of public housing? I think the Chairman of the Senate Banking Commission had a few words to say about that today. Well, I was present when Senator Capehart made his statement in Washington today. May I go back a few months and say to you that President Eisenhower, when I was appointed Administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency, said to me, I want to develop a sound, progressive and aggressive attack upon the problem of obtaining decent housing for the people of America. I want you to study all of the ramifications of this complex and controversial problem, and I mean it is very complex and quite controversial. So we began to study it. We set up in Washington a committee called Shursley Conferences. And to that committee, we do that those conferences we call people of all walks of life. Labor, lenders, home builders, manufacturers, bankers, architects, people with all different sorts of background, and we secured their advice. Then I went to the country and visited 12 representative cities, and there I asked the people to tell me what they thought about housing. Following that, the president appointed an advisory committee on housing, and that committee was composed of top-level people in lending, in home building, architects again, labor, public interest groups, public housing officials, and they then have recently presented to the president a report on the government housing policies and programs. It is my judgment that this report contains a sound and a progressive program which will provide the people of America good housing in fine neighborhoods and well-planned communities. Mr. Toll, I can always speak as a tenant, and I'm sure there is a shortage of housing in many of our big cities, but I'm also told that neither the cities nor the private industry can afford to build projects. Now, how about that? No, I don't agree with that. Do you mean that the cities cannot build low-rate housing, public housing? Without federal assistance, nor can builders get the money through? Under the present tax structure, if you're speaking now of public housing projects, that is subsidized public housing projects for people in low incomes. I am of the opinion that federal assistance is necessary in those instances. It is quite possible that as a result of the so-called Manion Committee, the study on federal, state, and local taxation, that some change may possibly be determined. But at the present time, it is my opinion that federal assistance is necessary in this field. That's rather hefty volume that you gave birth to after all that laborious business you mentioned over the years work. But what is Congress going to do to that, Mr. Cole? You say that the president probably recommends something more than 20,000 units. Do you think Congress will go along with that? May I say this? I do not believe, Mr. Conn, that housing for people in America is based solely upon public housing, or the housing provided through the program of subsidized housing through federal assistance. Many sound, well-informed, well-intentioned people who have an interest in the human needs of the people of America believe that the problem is getting good houses for people, good houses. And therefore we envision a plan, a program, legislation, which will do that. It can't be done through one program, through public housing, through slum clearance, through rehabilitation, through expansion of federal housing insurance programs. It must be done through all of the tools available to the people. It must be done in a partnership by government with the people, with the communities, and no one of these tools will provide all of the housing that all of the people need. Let me say it again. The piecemeal approach, the approach which says that you can solve the problem of housing by using one tool, let's say FHA insurance for housing. That won't accomplish it, Mr. Conn. Some people say we can get housing through slum clearance. That won't accomplish it. Some people say we can get housing through rehabilitation of old structures. That won't accomplish it, in my opinion. Some people say we can get better housing through public housing. That won't accomplish it in my judgment. My opinion is that we need all of the tools, all of the implements, all of the activity, all of the productivity, all of the vigor, all of the enthusiasm of the people to get the job done. Should those be directed through a central agency? I think that the government can channel the activities. I don't believe the government, however, should supplant the vigor, the enthusiasm, the initiative of the people in the local communities, because I'm quite sure that the people in the local communities have a great deal of enthusiasm and a great deal of interest if they're only stimulated. You see the difference between me and some other people is this. I believe the government has a responsibility. I believe the government can support, but I don't believe the government should control or supplant. We can help. We can stimulate. We can activate, but not take control of all of the activities. Mr. Colwell, as Mr. Conkai said before, it's one thing to offer a program. Well, will Congress accept a package program? Now, Senator Capehart said today that he would, he wanted a program providing a billion dollars, I think, for assistance in building small houses by low-income groups. Now, that doesn't get around slum clearing, but will Congress accept a package plan? I think that Congress will accept a package plan. I believe Congress will realize that housing is not just one piecemeal segment of either our economy or our desires on the part of our people or on the needs of the people. When finally Congress has studied the problem as was studied by the advisory committee, they will realize that the attack on this problem, the approach to the problem, is an overall approach. You cannot do it with one implement, with one tool. It requires all of the tools, and I am quite sure that the Congress of the United States will be very interested in providing the people with good homes or assisting the people in obtaining the good homes which they need. The Truman administration is going to provide, I think, 75,000 low-cost housing units in the next fiscal year, and your administration has cut it back now. Will this new program equal the former Democratic housing program? I think the new program will far exceed the former program. May I say to you that it may not far exceed the program in number of units in one specific area, but in my judgment, this program will far exceed the program of the Truman administration in providing low-cost housing for people in low incomes. May I ask you a final question, Mr. Cole? What impact do you think your program is going to have on the nation's economy? It is my judgment that as so goes the housing, goes the economy of our country. As we provide good housing, as we expand our housing for our people, thus we provide better living conditions for our people, more employment for our people, higher wages for our people, greater savings for our people, and finally, better living for all of the people of America and thus obtain for our people finer conditions to continue our democratic way of life. Thank you very much, Mr. Cole, for being with us here tonight. The opinions that you've heard our speakers express tonight have been entirely their own. The editorial board for this edition of the Laun Jean Chronoscope was Larry Lesser and Walter Cronkite. Our distinguished guest was Albert M. Cole, Federal Administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency. Since the days of its infancy, the record flights of the airplane have been timed almost exclusively by Laun Jean, the first watch of aviation and a visual watch for the National Aeronautic Association. And now, Laun Jean salutes a new record maker and a new record. Colonel Willard M. Millicombe, the National Guard Officer who flew an F-86 Sabrejet from Los Angeles to New York in four hours, eight minutes, and five seconds. Breaking by some five minutes, the old record established in 1946, which was also Laun Jean timed. 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We invite you to join us every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening at this same time for the Laun Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important issues of the hour, broadcast on behalf of Laun Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Wittner, distinguished companion to the world-honored Laun Jean. This is Frank Knight, reminding you that Laun Jean and Wittner watches are sold and serviced from coast to coast by more than 4,000 leading jurors who proudly display this emblem. Agency for Laun Jean Wittner Watches.