Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-04

and parts Of dwellings. Dwellings and
parts Of dwellings are the subject OF
nearly all of today's rentals profteering IN
care in enacting this law applicable to the
District alone to interiors with the ir-
dfvidual right Of contract only to the ex-
tent that the war necessities OF the ma
tion absolutely demand.
Tho Communicating provisions OF the
housing bill. now in conference. give to
the government powers to protect itself
and its employees, which are wisely ap-
plicable to the whole United States, in
cluding the District Of Columbia; me
nation wide powers thus granted happily
reduce the need Of drastic, discriminating
provisions applicable to the District alone.
In this kind Of legislation Congress acts
as the state legislature Of the District.
state legislature will supplement the ma
tion-wide communicating powers OF the
national housing bill by granting by state
enactment other powers to the national
government affecting only the people OF
the state who have elected 1t.
Nationwide Regulation.
Washington cheerfully and patriot
ically acquiesces in the nationwide
housing bill and in aEy essential war
measure, however drastic. which ap-
plies to all A.ssricasSssssywhess. and
which strikes at an evil crippling
war preparedness and war efficiency.
wherever it exists. Whatever sewers
restrictions in the national interest
their constituents washingtonians are
willing to have applied to themselves.
But when Congress is acting as the Dis
tricts state legislature and is making
patriotic sacrifices In behalf OF WASH.
Artemas Wards. offer to sacrifice cheer
fully on the altar of his country all his
wtfe's relations), then this commu-
nifty urges that Congress in equity
subject proposed legislation OF tnis
Congress will not apply solely to this
|unrepresented community any unsound
and unequitable principles OF legisla-
tion which the state legislatures would
never dream of applying to their own
constituencies.
Impairing Obligation Of Contracts.
The Senate bill makes void certain
leasing contracts and Furnishes with
fine or Imprisonment both lessor and
lessee in such contracts.
The statute will thus impair the obli-
CATION of voluntary, hitherto lawful
contracts an ac. in general abhorrent:
to be justified only on the score of
some vital necessity. and to be per-
mitted only to the absolute minimum de-
gree which will meet this necessity.
Governmental war communicating
or rentals fixing should be rigidly linn
tied to the absolute minimum of in
reference with private rights that Is
compelled by war necessities. The
yoiding of leases and arbitrary rentals
fixing should be confined in application
to the real estate which the govern
ment while at war war, absolutely ~ needs. 1,
CATION of contracts and will void con-
tracts as contrary to public policy only
when 1t must. to meet it's own vital
neces.ities and to S wiz a. tae war; how HOW
rental rate two Washingtontans, as
lessor and lessee, have agreed upon as
fair, il the rented property is a naked
Kind Kin Of property not needed by the
government for the war housing of It
SELF or it's employees?
Following the British and colonial
andy in America or in the District only
to the real estate involved i'm the war
reeesstties, which In the District seems
to consist Of certain dweMings or parts
to house . portion Of it's mu!titude Of
additional war employees without dis
n0ssessing other Warrington tenants.
Fair Play for the District.
Congress will not apply in the Dis
trict a different Constitution or differ
ent rules of equity or principles Of
American fair play from those which it
annlies elsewhere in the United States.
For example:
A law that impairs the obligation Of
contracts, that In 1918 voids existing
Ia wful leases, even in cases where both
narties to the contract are content. can
not without violating the Constitution
be enacted by state legislature: Such
a law, though not specifically forbidden
by the Constitution to the national leg
islature, is in general so inherently in
equitable and abhorrent that only In
extreme cases to overcome greater
evil will Congress resort to 1T.
| IF Congress cannot bring itself to
void this class of leases in the states 1t
ought not to void them wantonly in the
District. In legislating for the District
alone under the Ten Miles Square pro-
serves the District as the substitute Of
a state legislatures. state legislature
is forbidden by the Constitution to i'm
pair the obligation of contracts.
| what the home state legislatures may
mot constitutionaIIy enact I'm application
to the people OF the states will not be
enacted except for most urgent reasons
by COngress, acting as the Dlstrict's
people Of WashingtOn.
II C0ngress decides (as 1t will and
should I'm this easel that M q choice Of
evils 1T must ~ the Districts legis@-
tion Of certain District leasing c0n.
tracts, 1t will not work this iapaiFment
Enthusiastically, vvantonly and un3uUt.
IL, but win oonAAe this impairment 10
M -. AZ
nation's war necessities.