Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-04
Senate Bill Based on British
Precedents-No Income Tax
CamoufIage-No Retroact-
i've AppIication-No Punish
ment of Landlord for Sins Of
Profiteering Tenant.
BILLS SCOPE TOO BROAD
Editorial Correspondence Of The star)
THEODORE w. MOVES.

ure which shall be simple and direct
plfcated and cnmounaginE; which shall
ON the plea of vital necessity impair
the obligation Of the fewest possible
leasing cOntracts, instead of voidinE
the maximum like the House bill,
which shall measure all fair rents with
the same yard stick and not n under
the House bill with one that In huc-
tuatfnE in length, now contracting.
now expanding; which shall hx the fair
which the law applies at a percentage
return upon the actual present value of
the leased property, calculated under
equitable rules. uniformly applied, by
nm impartial court. to which either
lessee or lessor may appeal; which in
compelling obedience to the law by in
dieting penalties for it's violation shall
punish by fine only the guilty after
conviction, and shall not. like the
as the guilty without trial by imp0s-
ing q nne that is disguised as tax,
which shall, in short, cure or minimize
"a conceded evil without breeding q
multitude Of greater evils.
In editorial discussion Of the House
anti-profiteering bill under considera-
tion by the Senate District committee
The Star made the foregoing sugges-
tions concerning the form that fair
rents legislation would wisely take.
The purpose of the proposed legfsla-
tion is to compel the lessons Of dwell
ing houses or Of rooms or parts of
dwelling houses to charge non-exces-
sive rents to lessees. especially. but not
solely, to the new civilian army OF
wartime government employees. This
end is accomplished in direct, simple
and effective fashion G) by enacting
rules for the determination by an i'm,
s. rsyns1 sy arsdns 81 1sn1
charge, directly or indirectly, in excess
Of these rates and (3) BY enforcing
obedience to the law by imposing pen
alties for its violation.
Simple, Direct, Effective.
The Senate District committee has
framed a fair-rents bill. which is
simple, direct and effective. II some
Of its provisions may be modified to
advantage. it is. nevertheless. vast
improvement upon the House bill.
What IL the reasonable rental rate
| under thi. bills 1) The standard rent
is that Of October /. 1917. or. If not
rented then. the rate at which the
property was last let before that date.
or. II not rented at all on or prior to
October !, 1917. then the rate is per
cent net of the assessment of the
property for taxation. plus so per cent
thereof. 1t is thus assumed that the
assessment for taxation is in every case
two thirds of the full valuation. (2) AS
an alternative standard I'm all cases Z
per cent net may be charged as a
minimum rental.
rental rate allowance Is made for taxes
and assessments, cost of reasonable re-
pairs and maintenance and of light, heat
and elevator or other service. where
furnished, as well as all proper allow
ances for depreciation.
In cases where the October /, 1917,
rental standard is employed. increases
over that rental rate are allowed: a.
Of per cent OF expenditures on i'm
provements or structural alteration of
the property, (2) Of an amount corre-
spending to increases Of rates taxes.
water rents. etc.) paid by the landlord,
and 60 in rentals Of furnished real es-
tate
British precedents are wisely utilized
in these provisions. New Zealand fur
nishes the hint Of an alternative min
imum rental rate Of fixed percentage
of the capital value of the property.
coupled with a standard rental rate
of a date in the past.
able rental rate in every instance to be
measured, IL desired. by the same three
foot yardstick.
What are the District fair-rents
courtsf A rent administrator. resi-
dent Of the District. appointed by
and representing the President, and the
| board Of District assessors as a court
| Of appeals.
Enforcing Obedience to Law.
How is obedience to the fair-rents law
to be enforcedf Rents in excess of the
rates herein provided are against pub
lie policy and void, and IL paid such
excess may be recovered by the lessee
in an action begun within six months
after expiration of his tenure. Any per-
son who knowingly pays or receives
rents in excess Of those permitted by
] this act or VINO shall by any sale or
transfer or by any act or subterfuge
evade or attempt to evade its provisions
shall be guilty Of misdemeanor and
| be subject to fine not exceeding 81 900
Tor to imprisonment not exceeding six
months, or to both.
| To protect tenants in possession from
unfair custer or from extortion in rents
under threat of custer the New Zealand
provisions with judicious strengthening
alterations are utilized. No tenant who
pays his rent Is to be dispossessed ex-
cept on the ground that he has failed
to take reasonable care Of the prem
ises. or has committed waste, or has
been guilty Of conduct which Is nui-
sance or amounts to disturbance of
the peace of adjoining or neighboring
occupiers or violation of law, or that
the premises are reasonably required
by the landlord for the occupation of
himself or some other person in his
employ. or that an agreement for the
sale of the premises has been in good
faith entered into and not for the pur-
pose Of defeating this act. and that the
purchaser needs the property for his
| own personal use.
Senate Bill Too Broad in Scope.
| The Senate rentals fixing bill applies
like the House bill not only to every
dwelling house. small or large, in the Dis
trict. but to every piece Of District real
estate, whether land built upon for busi-
ness purposes or vacant. whether unim-
proved lot or cultivated garden or farm.
l The British and colonial DrAcAdNnts =