Evening star., 1918-02-16
JOHNSON REPLIES
TO STAR EDITORIAL
Denies He Called Members of
the Real Estate Brokers'
Committee Profiteers.
EXPLAINS IN THE HOUSE

Representative johnson of Kentucky
addressing the House by unanimous con-
sent today, charged that an editorial in
The Evening Star yesterday had mis-
represented remarks alleged to have
| been made by him about the Real Estate
Brokers' Association of the District. Mr.
johnson disavowed having intended to
apply the remarks to the officers Of the
committee of the association, and, men
tioning by name Messrs. Wardman, Fair
fax and Story, said that they had always
commanded his respect and confidence
and were not classed by him as prof
iteers.
Mr.. Johnson's Statement.
Mr.. johnson charged that in the edi-
torial reference The Star had garbled
and distorted the application of his re-
marks. He said:
In The Evening Star of yesterday I
find the following:
Chairman Johnson, in his policy Of
legislation by slander, has attempted to
beat down all criticism or suggested
amendment of the details of his bill by
slurring sweepingly not only The Star,
but all Washington real estate men.
representing all local landlords. and
even his fellow representatives who had
the audacity to attempt to improve his
bill. OF the committee representing the
Real Estate Brokers' Association.
Chairman johnson says: They and
their clients are the profiteers."
Il would like to apply the ugly word
to that. Mr.. Speaker, but I decline to
do SO by simply saying that the news
paper has garbled what 1 said. and
put me in a position of saying what 1
did not say. Further along it says:
In deprecating a hearing OF the
associations committee. he says:
ing burglars and thieves a hearing
in preparing laws to stop them from
their practices"
Now, Mr.. Speaker. what did say is
contained on page 1858 of the Record,
and it is this:
but in this instance The Washington
Star is confronted by a double ques-
tion-the government clerks upon one
side, to whom it wishes to sell its
papers, and the real estate men upon
the other side, from whom it receives
hundreds of thousands of dollars every
year in the way of pay for advertise
mentS.'
No Word of Criticism.
Now. what / said referred to the
real estate men and not to the Brokers
Real Estate Association. Concerning
the gentlemen who compose the special
committee of the Real Estate Brokers'
Association, l have no word Of criti-
cism, but instead / have words of
praise. Mr.. Wardman is one Of those
gentlemen. and l never yet in any Of
the correspondence that has reached
me. or the telephone messages, or peo-
pie who have come to see me, have l
heard anybody criticise him for prof
iteering. but, on the other hand, l have
heard people say he has protested
against it and would not permit people
in his apartments to do SO. Mr.. Fair
fax have never heard any criticism upon.
Mr.. Story L never heard a word
against. but on the other hand I have
heard words of praise. If The Star or
anybody else has so distorted my re-
marks. or has so misunderstood my re-
marks as to reflect upon these gentle-
men. regret it exceedingly. If l have
been SO unfortunate as to have my re-
marks susceptible to a double construc-
tion regret that. If in the excitement
of debates / have said anything reflect
ing on these gentlemen / certainly am
most sorry for it. and apologize for it.
Colloquy With Mr.. Tinkham.
Now there is another place, on page
22S2 of the Record. The gentleman
from Massachusetts,. Mr. Tinkham, was
saying:
NOW, Mr.. Chairman, only one word
in closing, and that is this, that the
minority of the committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia are as sincerely de-
sirous of stopping unfair profiteering
in the District of Columbia, or in any
other part of the United States as the
majority, or the honorable representa- :
tive from Kentucky. Mr.. Johnson; but
they do not want to pass a bill which
they believe is not only unconstitution-
al, in at least one of its phases, but
unavoidable, and which will not produce
the results which are believed by both
sides to be desirable. / therefore be-
lieve that one of three courses should
be followed in relation to this bill: AZ
hour and half given to the consider
alton by the committee. 1t should be
referred back to the committee for
reformation. Or
Mr.. Johnson of Kentucky-Wsu
the gentleman yield just there?
Mr.. Tinkham-I will
Mr.. Johnson of Kentucky-Would
the gentleman advocate giving burg
lars and thieves hearing in prepar-
ing laws to stop them from their prac-
tees?
Il was there simply inquiring
whether or not the gentleman would be
willing to go beyond the Real Estate
Brokers' Association in the hearings,
or whether he was willing to let the
profiteers come there and take up the
time and delay the hearing on this bill.
There was nothing more than that. And
yet The Evening Star, in it's uglness,
has put me in the attitude of applying
that language to the gentlemen of the
Real Estate Brokers' Association, when
l never intended to do so. And the
writer of that article knows when he
garbled what l said that did not mean
that"