Public Buildings and Grounds (Volume 1-2); Hearings Before the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, House of Representatives, on S.J. Res. 194, Directing the United States Housing Corporation to Suspend Work Upon All Buildings Where Construction Is (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1919. Excerpt: ... STATEMENT OF HON. EDWARD E. HOLLAND, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. Mr. Holland. The two projects at Portsmouth, Va., are projects solely for the use of Government employees. I do not care to be heard extensively myself, but I am going to ask you to hear Mr. Bates, city manager of the city of Portsmouth, and then Mr. Lamson. who represents the Norfolk navy yard employees. STATEMENT OF MR. W. B. BATES, CITY MANAGER OF THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH. The Chairman. Give your full name. Mr. Bates.. Mr. Bates. W. B. Bates. The Chairman. And business. Mr. Bates. City manager of the city of Portsmouth. The Chairman. You may proceed. Mr. Bates. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, Portsmouth is strictly a residential town. It is one of the first towns settled on the costs. The houses there are not modern houses: the majority of them have not the modern improvements in them. The area of the town is only 2 square miles. We have the most densely populated city of any city in the south. It is almost impossible to properly house the people. In fact, we have no rich people to promote an industry in suburban development for ourselves or for the I Government. The navy yard is practically the backbone of the town; anywhere from 65 per cent to 75 per cent of the people in the town are employees of the Norfolk Navy Yard. They have made wonderful improvements there'in may ways; we will have six dry docks and the other program includes machine shops and other large improvements by the Government, which I hope the Secretary of the Navy will furnish you gentlemen with so far as Portsmouth is concerned and he can give it to you better than I can. There are two housing projects there; one at Truxton and the other at Craddock. The one is white and the other is for th...