Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-03

ser, Q. NJ. r. c.. who is in charge Of the
Investigation of these reports, said yes
| terday that the practice has affected
not only civilian residents Of Washing
ton. but men who are now in the mill
tary service Of the government. some of
them who have but recently been sent
abroad. and even the families of some
who have already felt the shock of bat
tie and are being sent home for hos
pttal treatment.
Many Given Notice to Quit.
widow. with an only son and support,
and. indeed, her only relative in the
world. Capt. Peyser said. received a no.
tice to quit two days after her son had
of a sergeant of infantry, received a no.
tfce to pay an increased rent or move
before her husband had sailed for the
war zone.
A Mrs; Scott of 1911 X street north
west. whose son is now on his way
nome suffering from shell shock and
who Is expected to arrive very soon, al
ready has been forced out Of her home.
These are but a few Of the instances
In which soldiers families have been
hit by this war speculation in real
estate
AT the United States navy yard, Capt.
Peyser said, is technical worker in
the steel foundry, who was notified to
quit three days after he had moved
his family to Washington. On Sd street
| northwest there is an entire row of
houses. all rented to war workers. who
have received notice to quit.
Other Cases Of Hardship.
Capt. Peyser called special attention
70 the case OF widow with a child
-FOUR and half years old who has
oeen endeavoring to do her bit for her
child by caring for employees of the Ma
t1onal Council of Defense, and to an
otner case where a patriotic woman,
and not a profiteer in any sense of the
word, rented an entire house and has
been running it solely in the interest
Of war workers. Both have received
| the buy or quit" demand. Another
landlord has evicted every tenant he
mas FOR renting rooms to war workers,
alleging that it is a breach of their
agreement not to sublet.
With reference to the terms of some
OF these buy or quit" propositions
Capt: Peyser said. the plan is ITO de-
mand a substantial cash payment, for
which receipt is given and the prom
Use OF deed later. when the major por-
ton OF the purchase money has been
pald. In many instances. he explained
the purchaser will never obtain a deed
| 70 the property he thinks he is buying,
| because he will not live long enough
PROBABLY. to pay the sum necessary to
secure the deed. This. he explained, is
true OF the higher priced houses, where
| thousand or more dollars have beer
| added to the legitimate value of the
house.
As to Rooms and Houses.
To the Editor Of The Star:
| A certain line Of articles in The Star
and other newspapers puzzle me great
! ~. Why all this talk about scarcity
OF rooms when the advertising columns
are full Of lists Of attractive and mod
erate-priced rooms? 1 wonder if you
| good newspaper men are being hood
| Winked by people who either want the
| government to erect houses or desire
to initiate prices artificially. l suggest
that before you give more space tc
these tales you verify them by sending
| q reporter on the rounds Of your own
advertising columns to see IL he can
not secure any number of nice rooms
at unpretentious prices. 1 know OF
two attractive front rooms at moderate
| rental in fine neighborhood that have
been offered many advertisers without
| securing single call.
And as for the profiteering in sales
OF houses, speaking from personal sx
W
extensive as the news column reports
| Because I want to buy more liberty
bonds l recently advertised for sale
two-family house bringing in gooi
for it. and 1 received only one answe err
On the face of 1t my advertisement
would have appealed as a good bust
ness proposition to one forced to buy
home at a profiteers price," 80
infer there cannot be the dearth o.
| reasonably priced houses SO CONSTANT,
reported. So again I ask, do these
persistent reports spring from a de.
| sire to force the government to inves
In BODYBUILDING operations here?
JOHN CHRISTIAN.
Suggests Rights of Landlords.
To the Editor of The Star:
May 1 ask that you give the rights o
landlords some consideration in you
very valuable paper, instead Of conhn
ing yourself to the contemplation solel,
OF the rights Of tenants? II measure!
such as are spoken Of are taken it viii
be impossible for people to sell theil
property when 1t is perhaps absolutel!
necessary. for more than one reason, t.
do SO. II such q sale take place I Sc,
by The Star landlord will be obliged
to retain his tenant If said tenan
| wishes to remain at the same rent h,
Now it is a well known fact tina
Washington rents are much lower thar
in most cities, and properties nov
leased cannot be put at a more jus
rental until such leases expire. At thu
Ipresent cost OF all improvements M
landlord can keep his property IL
proper shape without increasing thu
rent Of said property.
My idea is to require moderation II
all dealings between landlord and ten
liant; to allow a moderate increase IL
rent to meet requirements made b!
tenants and to allow property to b.
sold at a proper price, giving due ant
lproper notice when sold II the property
IL required by purchaser for a home. a,
lis done in normal times.
sse no reason why the rights o.
tenants should be given more favor
than the rights of landlords.
G. l. GARRIOTT.
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