Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-06
SHELTERERS WRITE
OF. ANN0YANcES
ii II
Salisbury Law Is Condemned
by Readers of The
Star. >.-.
LONG FOR FORMER PEACE

Specific cases of hardship worked
by the Salisbury act, which was
passed by Congress as an emergency
measure to protect tenants from the
buy. or quit" demands Of owners
Of houses. and which as a result of
a deadlock between House and Senate
over the adoption Of a broader and
more equitable "anti-profiteering'
bill has remained unchanged as the
governing statute in this District,
continue to be reported to The Star
through letters. One of these follows:
Who Are the ProfteersP
To the Editor Of The Star:
ANY law that discriminates against
one class of citizens in favor of an
other class is not a law but farce.
There is not a law on the statute
books today as discriminatory as this
piece of injustice. The sentiments Of
Victoria Hemenway in The Star Of
October 81 are mine to the letter.
L own two-apartment house
that is, think 1 do. Myself and fam
lily occupy the first floor and the other
floor has been rented to tenants
Some months ago our tenants took in
some roomerS and since that time life
has been miserable dread and tor
ture to US. These people tramp, laugh
and make all kinds Of noises any
where from IL o'clock until o'clock
in the morning, making it almost i'm
possible for us to get any sleep at all.
We asked the tenants to please be
more quiet and they informed us that
they could tear around all night"
and we could not do a thing. I Sc
cured house for these tenants and
offered to pay their moving expenses
II they would move out, and while
they were considering the PROPOSE
ton one of the roomers stepped up
and informed us that if they moved
out she would stay there anyway,
adding that the only thing my family
and could do was to move out if we
did not like it!
I'VE rent out one of our rooms for
SO per month and another for $14.
ing rooms on the second floor for $14
and $24, respectively, per month,
which is more rent than they are pay
ing for the entire apartment. Now
who is: 'profiteering, the tenant or the
property owner? .t
my position brings me in contact
with property owners of the District.
and it is positively distressing to hear
how law-abiding citizens are being
annoyed and the dread in which hun
feel sorry for the boys in the
trenches and they are doing their part
bravely.
One poor old lady came in few
days ago, asking if I knew where
she could get a room. said: What
you a home Of your own" She said:
Yes, but I have a woman roomer in
my home who is making life misera-
BILE for. me, and I thought if 1 could
get her a room I might possibly per-
suade her to move into it. This old
lady went out with tears in her eyes.
wondering what on earth she would
II see people most every day who.
with some inconvenience to them
selves, would gladly rent out one or
more rooms, but with this salisbury
law hanging over their heads, with
the possibility of one as bad or worse
to follow, say they would not take
a chance Of getting into mess of
this kind under any consideration.
Under this law the property owners
Of the District have their hands tied,
and unless they have positive proof
of bad conduct on the part Of the
roomer or tenant they must bear the
humility of having these people prac-
tieally the same as members OF their
own family.
1T appears to me that the law
should at least allow property own
ers of the District to eyict undesira-
BILE tenants on the regular thlrty-day
notice, as formerly, and then if the
lawmakers feel it necessary to curb
these 'proiteering' owners of property
let them compel those who evict ten
ants or roomers to again rent the
property to some one else at the same
price they have been receiving. $40
Il know that many helpless citi-
zens feel truly grateful to The Star
in opening up its columns through
which to give US an opportunity OF
expressing our opinions.
~. A. BROOKS"