The Washington herald., 1918-05-08
RENT STATUS
BPRESENTED
BY new LAW
Salisbury Resolution Post
+. poning Changes IN Rent
Passes Senate.

Opposition TO the salisbury Reso-
luton to preserve the present
status of landlord and tenant in the
District until Congress has time
to enact the full bill, dwindled to
practically nothing yesterday after
noon and the resolution passed the
Senate without q dissenting vote.
To overcome the objections of
Senator Reed. Of Missouri. who, in
Mondays debate characterized the
resolution as unconstitutional, Sem
ator Salisbury. of Delaware, origin
ator of the resolution. offered two
amendments which were accepted.
Amendments softening.
These; two amendments. while
they do not give the landlord any
more leeway. take away the blunt
aspect of the measure and make 1t
read Q little smoother.
Line eleven on page two of the
resolution which read: Provided
that any provision In any oral or
written lease that the same shall
be determined or forfeited IL the
premises shall be sold Is hereby de-
clared to be void while this resolu-
tion 10 in force ." Is amended
to read: PROVIDED that all judicial
remedies of the lessor based on any
provision OF any oral or written
lease that the same shall be determ-
ined or forfeited II the premises
shall be sold are hereby suspended
while this resolution is N force
-"
Senator Calder was the only man
TO rise and voice the same obJec-
tions to the resolution as Senator
Reed had done. II am fearful of
the outcome of this measure" he
said. because I think IL will stop
building operations altogether"
Why can We not allow the law OF
supply and demand to regulate the
fixing OF rentals?"
Senator Pomerene. author OF the
redrafed bill which Congress is to
act on soon. while. he did not at
tempt to belittle the work of the
dollar-a-year men in the govern
ment employ, did openly accuZe
Offering such high prices for homes
that other deserving people were
incommoded and in some cases
ousted.
Senator Salisbury cited an in
stance In which he told of one
dolIar-s-year man who was paying
S15.oO0-a-year rent for a home. This
mans landlord, Senator Salisbury
recited. raised the rent to 100000,
and the man moved away from
Washington.
Many employees of the govern
ment and of private concerns have,
according to Senator Salisbury,
voiced their hope that their land
lords would not find out that their
salaries had been increased and
thereby raise their rents.
Would Extend Measure.
Senator McCumber expressed the
hope that when the Senate was
ready to act upon the Pomerene-
johnson measure, II would include
the whole United States and not
simply the District OF Columbia.
Senator Sherman warned the
I Senate that unless steps were taken
immediately to relieve the situation
many thousands of government
employees would be forced to return
to their homes.
The resolution as it passed the
Senate does not put u stop to bona
ide sales of property where the
buyer of the property intends to
reside in the house that he has
bought
No leases are permitted to be
cancelled. no oral or written agree
ments can be violated or broken;
in fact, the same status as now
exists between landlords and ten
ants is to be in force, at least until
Congress adjourns sine die. or
until a more adequate measure is
passed, thereby repealing the
Salisbury resolution