Evening star., 1918-03-28

BlIDV|N DEFENDS
PRICES Of ROOMS;
RAPS JOHNSON BILL
Defense Council Chairman As
serts Rents Char j Here
Are Reasonable.
DECLARES PROFITEERING
MEASURE WOULD HANDICAP

DECLARES PROFlTEERlNG
MEASURE WOULD HANDICAP
1kakzie4 Council of Defense. which has
established 4 registration system for
rooms to rent in Washington. today told
the Senate District subcommittee han
ding the johnson bill to prevent prof
iteering in rents that the people renting
rooms had been found to be very rea-
sonahle in the prices charged for rooms.
A great many people who never rented
rooms before. he said, have been per-
stances, they have said they knew moth
ing of what prices to charge. and have
left It to the Council of Defense.
TT is their way of doing their bit
to help house the government employees
who are coming to the city in such
numbers" said Mr.. Baldwin.
Demand Exceeds Supply.
He testified that several thousand
rooms have been listed and are avail
able for renting now, but that the de-
mand for rooms is far surprising the
number being listed. He estimated
that by May Tire rooms here would be
exhausted at the rate they are going
now. The only help will then be for
the government to provide more hous-
ing facilities.
In regard to the johnson bill. Mr.
Baldwin said he feared if it were en-
acted into law it would have the effect
of causing many persons to withhold
from rent rooms which otherwise they
might rent
Not because they desire to make
profits" he said, but because they do
not wish to be put to the Inconvenience
nor to have some one tell them just
what they may charge etc"
Sure to Get Rooms.
. young woman coming to Washington
today to work for the government
could obtain a suitable room He re-
piled he was sure she could. and that
tho past by applying either to the
7. W. C. A. the Chamber Of Commerce,
or more lately to the Council Of De-
fense 1t 1891 New York avenue. The
work for the government. though he
:, would have applied to the Y. N. c. A.
He said that the council Of defense
had been allotted some money from the
the President By Congress. to open up
and conduct its room registration bu-
reau-
He eaid INT the prices for a room
for . room. depending upon location
and tho character Of the room, and that
roem and board could be obtained for
Ao0 $Ss 70 so . month.
LAFys Number Leased.
M Na,dvh asd that the police can
- Of unoec1pSed houses In the District
had shown that very large number
hayo 6een leased since the war began.
June % hast showed there were 1900
vacant hou.ee here. This had dropped
March J. Only about 244 Of the va
can't houses ON March Z he said. were
for white people and In fair state of
repair.
Evan h Tucker, president Of the
Northeast Washington Citizens Asso-
citation. opposed the johnson bill, de-
caArang that his association had de-
clared 1t to be impracticable. in
impossible to lay down. as this bill pro-
poses to do. . general basis Of rent for
all the different kinds Of property and
rooms in Washington.
He satd he believed it would be better
not to have any restrictive legislation
Of the kind in the Johnson bill, and
that the citizens be left alone to take
ernment employees coming here by the
thousand.
Would Hurt Hotel
D. R Midyette of Richmond, Va,
president of the PoWahatan Hotel Com
pAny, and e. c. Owen, manager. testified
that the johnson bill would work a
great injustice to them, since In 1916
the rates at the hotel had been made
very low to draw patronage, and it is
now proposed to allow only 10 per cent
over those rates, although the COST of
labor and all materials has increased
enormously since that time. They told
the committee that the charges in the
hotal had increased from 1916 to the
present only about 80 per cent They
asked that hotels be excluded from the
operation OF the bill
Should Make Distinction.
II. A Kause. an attorney in the Post
once Department and chairman Of the
legislative committee of the Rhode Is
land Avenue Northeast Suburban Cfti-
Gems Association, declared the bill
should make some distinction between
the property in the suburbs and the
property in the downtown districts. He
criticised the bill. too, because 1t would
work to the advantage Of the man who
has rented his house in the past as
against the man who has never before
rented his house.
Harry Wardman said he advocated
some legislation to restrict profiteer-
ing. but that he believed the johnson
bill impracticable. He attributed most
Of the proflteering here to women
and widows" Many Of them, he said,
had taken the opportunity to make
themselves some money. and he did
not blame them.
Few Desire to Boost.
Harry wardman, continuing his testi-
Hofly said very few Of the apartment
house owners desired to raise their rents
10 per cent, but they are very desirious
Of putting q stop to proiteering by ten
ants through subleaGng. He declared
that he will not have anybody In his
apartments who engages in pro6teering.
Speaking for himself. he said that he
does not intend next fall to take advan-
taxe Of even q 10 per cent increase au-
thorized by the Johnson bill, should 1t
become a law.
He said Congress should not do any,
thing to discourage building. for tie
building conditions are bad enough al
ready. He is putting up one building
which will cost him 100000 more than
was estimated, and he said that an
other large apartment will cost him
half million dollars more than 1t
hox