Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-08
RENT SHARK SCORED.
BY Mr.. bR0WNL0W
District Commissioner Puts
Profiteers in Class With
Traitors.
RESOLUTION IS INDoRsED

CHASING rent pTOIlteeTS Win oliei ia
ors who attempt to hinder or betray the
government in it's efforts to obtain max
imum efficiency in war work. Commission
er Brownlow today expressed the hope
that the House will waste no time in con-
curling In the -1Senato-fesolution intro
duced by Senator Salisbury and adopted
yesterday to estop eviction of paying ten
ants pending action by both houses on
rent profiteering legislation.
1.-THE rent profiteer is false to the city in
which he lives and owns property" de-
clared Commissioner Brownlow, land he
is false to the government. which is doing
its best to man the war machine it has
built here
Referring to the Salisbury resolution
adopted in the Senate he said:
"I hope the House will adopt the
Salisbury Jol1t resolution at once. to
govern the situation until both houses
may reaci: an agreement and enact
legislation to make impossible the
shameful attempt by many to profiteer
and to exploit the necessities of others
in these days OF stress.
Fears Delay in Agreeing.
"Delay will be likely If the Senate
passes the pomerene bill. for it will
necessarily require some time to settle
the differences between the two houses
the johnson bill. which has passed the
House. being entirely different in it's
method OF dealing with what is ad-
mttediy an evil. Whatever plan is
rent nrohtecring in the District. it is
my belief that it will enact a measure
that may be administered easily. and
enough to prevent evasions of the law
"In my opinion the Commissioner
said rent increases are not justified
There may be exceptions to this, and
instances where law preventing such
things would work hardShips Pro-
vision should be made for such cases.
but no general rent increases should be
tolerated"
Discussing statements of owners of
apartment properties that increased
cost of fuel. service, etc, made
rent increases necessary. Commissioner
BrownloW said:
"It is doubtless true that coal and
service cost more now than formerly
hut in every apartment house of which
I know this increased operating cost
has been more than compensated by
the fact that every apartment is filled
all of the time. whereas in former
years when operating expense was
lower. there were always a number Of
vacant apartments. This elimination of
what property owners know as the
percentage of vacancy is certainly suf-
iicient to take care of increased OPP
Grating COSTS
Gougers "Lower Than Slackers."
Placing emphasis on his words. Com
missioner Rrownlow said:
..Rent profteers in the District at this
time are one grade. in their despicable
nature. below the Stacker. and not far
above the actual traitor. In one
sense they are traitors to the city in
which they live and own property. Rent
nrofiteering is shameful and is to be
condemned in unmeasured terms. am
Convinced trat if this manifestation of
greed is not stopped Washington will
have "A bad reputation in the opinion
of the entire country from which it
will not recover in a generation.
therefore, l call on all persons who
have facts showing attempted rent
profiteering to write out 4 statement
of such facts and send them to the
District Council of Defense. room 5O2
the District building. And I call on all
patriotic persons in Washington to
make plain in their relations with
others their utter condemnation Of the
rent profiteer and all his works"