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The CHAIRMAN. Are there any questions?

Mr. PATMAN. I would like to ask a question or two, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Patman.

Mr. PATMAN. Mr. Hughes, I believe you are from the Congressional District that is ably represented by Mr. Walter Rogers.

Mr. HUGHES. Pampa.

Mr. PATMAN. Does he live in Pampa.

Mr. HUGHES. Yes.

Mr. PATMAN. He used to be district attorney in Burnham, didn't he?

Mr. HUGHES. Yes, sir.

Mr. PATMAN. Are you familiar with the housing starts as proposed for February?

Mr. HUGHES. As I understand it, they are down about 4 percent, but the trend on an annual basis is up.

Mr. PATMAN. Let's compare it now. That same question came up the other day and practically the same answer was given. But since that time I have gotten the figures for preceding years, and for 1950 there were 83,000 new starts; 1951, 81,000; 1952, 78,000; 1953, 79,000; 1954, 73,000.

In other words, it is down 6,000 from the preceding year and it is down 10,000 from 5 years ago. So that doesn't bear out your statement that on an annual basis it looks all right, would it, Mr. Hughes?

Mr. HUGHES. It is lower than it was in the last year, but it is starting up from the low point, which indicates, I presume, that if the increase continues, then as projected here we would come up with 1,180,000. However, I don't know whether those figures are true or not.

Mr. PATMAN. The figures are more disturbing when you consider January and February for 1953, there were 151.000 new housing starts for the 2 months, and for the same 2 months, 1954, there were 139,000, or 12,000 fewer.

Mr. HUGHES. That is correct.

Mr. MUMMA. Mr. Patman, would you yield?

Mr. PATMAN. Yes.

Mr. MUMMA. Is there a differentiation between commitments and starts? I think there are some figures here that show a remarkable number of commitments. The actual starts depend upon the weather. Being in that business I can see it has been tough.

Mr. Hughes, am I correct in that statement that the number of commitments was way up, 40,000, I think, more?

Mr. PATMAN. If you are going to bring that up, you should bring up comparable figures for preceding years.

Mr. MUMMA. I am not disputing that. I am going to the fact that you are talking about actual starts.

Mr. PATMAN. That is right.

Mr. MUMMA. That has been handicapped terrifically this winter. I just asked that question.

Mr. PATMAN. Over a 5-year period I believe we should be able to establish a reliable pattern. This has been the lowest February in that time.

Mr. MUMMA. Thank you for the time. I wanted to bring in that angle.

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