Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-12
DISTRICT RENT BILL
s. UP FOR CONFERENCE
Senate Passes Substitute for
House Anti-Profiteering
Measure.
LONG CONTEST EXPECTED

afternoon and will be sent to the House
tomorrow, where, it is expected, the
Senate amendments will be disagreed
to and the bill sent to conference.
In fact. before adjournment yesterday
Senator Pomerene obtained a vote OF
the Senate to insist upon its amend
ments and directing the appointment
of conferees on the part of the Senate.
! The Senate conferees, who were inn
mediately appointed. are Senators
Smith of Maryland. Pomerene. Hollis,
lDillingham and Jones of Washington.
| long contest over the measure is
expected in conference. The Senate
struck out the entire Johnson bill and
substituted one of its own of entirely
different design. The Johnson bill as
lit passed the House struck at rent
profiteerine through the taxing power
of the government. The measure
passed by the Senate establishes as a
standard the rents charged for prop
erty October l, 1917, and provides for
a rent administrators.
| Debate Centers on Section 13.
The debate yesterday centered around
section 13 of the Senate bill. which
not occupied by owner or tenant for
three months Immediately preceding
| the passage of this act, or for period
Of Ave months thereafter. may be COM
| mandeered by the President for the
period of the war and six months there
| after
| The section finally was retained in
| the bill after an amendment was adopt
| ed providing that il a representative of
| the owner or tenant, a caretaker, re-
main in the house, it shall not be sub
ject to this Communicating feature of
| the act. An amendment to that effect
was offered by Senator Lodge and was
adopted.
The text of the bill follows:
THAT by reason of the existence OF
q state Of war, it is essential to the
national security and defense. and Tor
i the successful prosecution of the war,
assure adequate regulation Of real
estate in the District Of Columbia for
and during the period hereinafter set
forth. and the President, through the
rent administrator. is authorized to
make and promulgate such rules. regu-
lations and orders, not inconsistent
herewith, as are essential effectively to
carry out the provisions OF this act:
Provided, that nothing herein contain
ed shall be construed to affect or bring
within the -ecope Of this act properties
wherein during the period Of its limita-
| tions, the character of the same has
been changed or converted from dwell
| ing to business use.
| Rates Of Rent Prescribed.
SECTION 2. That the rent for real
estate within the District of Columbia
shall not be in excess Of the following
rates herein provided for:
| "(a) The rent, whether by the day,
tate was let on October /, 1917. or (b)
If not rented on that date, the rent,
whether by the day. week, month or
year at which 1t was thus last let be-
fore that date. or (c) II real estate was
not rented on or prior to October l.,
1917. then it may be rented for an
amount equal to Z per cent net on a
valuation equal to the assessed valua-
| tion of said property for taxation plus
so per centum thereof. Said rents above
prescribed shall be the standard rents
| for said several classes of property. and
| prima facie shall be reasonable rents
! therefor. Elevator and other service as
furnished on said date shall continue.
Sec 3. (a) That where the landlord
or lessor incurs expenditures on the
Improvement or structural alteration OF
such real estate mot including expendi-
lures for decoration or repairs). an in
| crease Of rent at the rate Of not ex-
ceeding per centum per annum on the
amount so expended shall not be DEEM
| ed to be an increase OF rent for the
purposes of this act
Regarding Transfer Of Burden"
| "(b) Any transfer to a tenant Of any
burden or liability previously borne
by the landlord or lessor shall be
treated as an alteration Of rent. and
where. as q result OF such transfer. the
terms on which such real estate is held
are. on the whole, less favorable to the
tenant than the previous terms. the
rent shall be deemed to be increased.
] hat 1v
payable BIZ way Of rent charge is in
creased; I'D any increase Of rent as
a result of any transfer to a landlord
or lessor of any burden or liability
previously borne by the tenant, where.
as the result Of such transfer. the terms
on which real estate is held are. on the
whole, more favorable to the tenant
than the previous terms. shall be
deemed not to be an increase OF rent
for the purposes OF this act.
! "(c) Wherever any increase Of rent is
by this act permitted no such increase shall
be due or recoverable until thirty days
after the landlord or lessor has served
upon the tenant a notice In writing Of his
intention to make said increase, accom-
panied by Q) a statement Of the i'm
provements or alterations effected and
| their cost. where the increase is on ac-
count Of such expenditures; or by (2) q
statement showing particulars Of the in
creased amount charged. where the in
crease Of rent Is on account of such in
crease In rates.
Earnings Under Leases.
1.-The landlord or lessor and lessee NAV
make contracts or leases for daily, week
ly, monthly or yearly rental Of real estate
SO as to net the landlord or lessor not ex-
ceeding I per centum per annum for
the use or occupancy thereof on the value
of the property as fixed by it's assessment
for taxation. Such value for the purposes
Of this act shall be one and one-half times
said assessment. SO long as the present
| basis for taxation continues; but il such
basis 10 changed the value for the pur-
poses Of this act shall be changed accord
tngly, SO that the rent shall in such casa
not exceed Z per centum per annuuI on
the actual value OF the property
Section 4. That no person shall in con-
sideration Of a grant. renewal or con
ltinuance of any contract or lease REQUIRE
lor receive tho payment of any fee. nne.
premium. bonus or other consideration
in addition to the rental stipulated In
said grant, renewal or continuance.
Regulates Recoveries Of Possession.
Section S. That no judicial order for
the recovery of possession Of any real
estate, now or hereafter held or acquired
by oral agreement or written lease, or
for the ejectment or dispossession Of q
tenant therefrom, shall be made, and all
leases thereof shall continue SO long as