Evening star., 1918-02-15
VOTE ON JOHNSON
BILL IS DELAYED
Consideration Postponed Until
February Substitute
to Be Offered.
PROBLEM. FAR BEYOND D. C.

After all-day DEBATE IN the house On
the so-caued johnson anti-rent-profi-
teering bill yesterday a vote was de-
layed until adjournment automatically
put of further consideration of the
measure until February 25. the next
District day in the House
Representative George Holden Tink-
ham of Massachusetts,. who led the op-
position to the bill, and who was au-
thor of minority report which SAID
the johnson measure would not reach
the persons guilty of profteering and
that it would operate to make it ex-
tremely difficult for the government to
get living quarters for its war work
ers. announced that he will offer a sub
stitute bill.
Substitute as War Measure offered
The Tinkham bill is to be patterned
after the Poindexter measure now be-
fore the Senate He will seek first to
have it adopted as q war measure 10
apply all over the country, and. fail
ing in that, he will urge its passage to
curb profiteering in the District 1t
is proposed that this substitute bill |
would apply to hotels, boarding houses, |
dwelling houses. apartments or rented
rooms. or, in fact, any kind OF ac-
commodations. and it would be Illegal
to charge more than the recognized
rental to any one in the civil, military |
or naval service of the United States or /
engaged in any capacity in the produc- |
tion of materials used by the United
States in war.
Previous to the debate on the bill |
Chairman Johnson of the House Dis
trict committee, father of the bill, |
sought to show that the real estate |
men of Washington did not want
public hearing on the measure. Rep |
resentative Tinkham. who is opposing
the bill: Representative Mapes of
Michigan, republican described as be- /
Ing in a judicial attitude, and Repre- |
sentative Focht of Pennsylvania, all |
contended that the Johnson bill was t
rushed through the committee without !
time being given for hearing. Repre- /
sentative Focht read into the record a |
letter from Charles w. Fairfax. presi- |
dent of the Real Estate Brokers Asso- /
citation, showing that there had been a /
misunderstanding as to the date of a I
hearing for a special committee of real /
estate men.
Quotes From Article in The Star.
In answering a criticism of The Star
made by Representative Johnson. Rep
resentative Tinkham quoted from an
article in The Star of January S. He
said. in part:
The gentleman said in his remarks
that The Evening Star, which l con-
slider the most influential newspaper
in Washington. was not opposed to
prohteering. ! do not believe any
American newspaper can be defended
properly and as well defended by
member of Congress or a member of
any other public body as it can de-
fend itself. and 1 am sure l am not
audacious and bold enough to come
forward as the champion of The Star
in its defense. although 1 do think it
is fair to bring to the attention of the
House the article published in The
in which it says in large headlines:
No war eNtortion by prohteering.
whether in rentals. food. or fuel. here
or anywhere else in the United States
in the same article, in large type,
down the column. is the statement, in
discussing the bill now before the COM
mittee:
"'Of course the aim of the lesisla-
tion is not to collect any kind of tax.
but to punish and prevent profiteerins
in rentals. This purpose is sound.
wholesome and in the public interest.
Washington will welcome equitable
legislation which prevents landlords
from extortins excessive rentals from
District tenants
amendments that might be made to the
bill. / do not think that the interpre- !
tation put upon the headlines by the /
honorable representative from Ken !
l
Evening Star meant that there was !
no unfair profteering going on now
in Washington, but it meant that I
there should not be extortion here by |
profiteering, and a reading of the |
article will convince any one that that |
is so.''
Why Protest Against Bill Was Made |
Representative Tinkham read into the |
record a number of reasons why the |
minority report was drafted in protest |
against the bill and signed by Repre- |
sentatives Gould and Fairchild of New /
York. When various members, including !;
Representatives Longworth, Madden, |
Hustled, Moore, Rodgers and others, /
suggested a number of ways in which !
the bill would either fail of its purpose |!
or work a hardship Representative |
Tinkham said:
LAS l stated before. the consideration |
of the bill was limited to about an hour |
and half There We're no public hear |,
ings; there was very little discussion of |
anything but pure details and techni- |
calities. and it was reported out with /
the two amendments that you see in |
the report, when are purely textuai |!
changes. In other words, the commit /
tee did not consider any other ques- |
ton in relation to this bill. and it |
could not do SO on a bill as complicated /
as this in an hour or two.
Problem Spreads Over Country.
In emphasizing the same point ana (
showing the scope of the housing prob
lem as spreading far beyond Washing
ton, being a matter deserving careful 1
committee consideration, Representa-
tive Mapes of Michigan said, in part:
"The bill was voted out of the COM
mittee at one session of less than one
hours duration, without any ADEQUATE /
opportunity being given for amend
ment or discussion. ten days before it /
could possibly be considered under the
rules in the House. One of the apolo- /
Eies for this action was that the bill /
could be considered. discussed and
amended in the House. although that, /
of course, is the duty of a committee
and might more appropriately have +
been done for several days by the com |
mittee in this instance without losing /
any time or without delaying the pas /
sage of the bill a single hour. In fact /
it would in all probability have ex-
pedited its final passage through the
House. At any rate, it would not then /
have been necessary to convert the !
House into standing committee.
THE matter of rent is so intimately |,
connected with the shortage of houses. !
apartments and rooms to house the
people constantly coming to Washing |.
ton, and apparently in increasing num- |
bers as the war continues, that the two /!
cannot be separated in any proper con- |
sideration of the subject.
Issue Also in Shipyards Vicinity.