Omaha daily bee., 1919-09-03
COUNCIL Will
EXAMINE BOOKS
OF LANDLORDS
That Is, Four Commissioners
Adopt Another Resolution
in an Effort to Satisfy
the Public.

City Commissioners Butler, Ring
err, fowl and Falconer yesterday
voted in the city council meeting for
adoption Of a resolution. offered by
Mr.. Butler, authorizing the city
council to engage necessary assist
ance to examine the books of those
engaged in the rental business.
Mayor Smith and Commissioners
IRE and Zimman voted against the
resolution.
At two meetings held by the coun-
ell for the purpose of probing high
~rents. the rental men, as rule, did
not disclose their figures. They
stated that if the council wished to
investigate their books, they would
not object.
Has Been Mostly Talk.
The council has held two per
functory meetings on the rent ques-
ton, engaged in lot of talk, adopt
ed lot of resolutions, but as yet has
failed to get at the heart of the rent
situation. While the council has
been investiga ting, rents have been
going upward, and tenants who at
first looked toward the city hall in
hope of relief, are beginning to look
toward the courts of justice across
the street,from the city hall.
Mr.. Butler, who started the rent
probe in the city council, believes
/. .:atif the council will act in good
faith upon his resolution some re-
suits may be obtained. His resolu-
ton reads:
Resolved, That thorough inves-
tigation be made of the books OF the
owners and agents of all apartment
houses, fiat buildings and detacha-
bic houses, as we'll as an investlga-
ton of the tax records in the county
assessors Office and the federal
building, with a view of determining
whether the complaints made by
tenants of increase in rents. effec-
tive October |, are justihable, and,
Resolved, further. That the city
council secure such help as may be
necessary to assist in making this
investigation; that the work be
started at once and completed as
soon as possible.
Mayor Opposes Resolution.
In opposing the resolution the
mayor said:
THE city has no right to spend
money for this purpose. We could
not get anywhere with such an in
vestigation. Even if the owners
and agents are demanding an in
crease of 40 per cent or more, the
city has no authority to take any
action. ! believe that the city should
encourage new construction, rather
than discourage it.
ave need at least 5000 more
homes here right away. This investi-
cation only stirs things up and
frightens investors. An agitation
without power to act only tends to
keep rents up and does not relieve
the tenants. A man yesterday told
me that he had been contemplating
the erection of IS to 20 new homes,
but that he had changed his mind
because Of the city councils investi-
CATION. He said he was afraid he
would be elassed as prohteer if he
) built these homes"
Il believe we may as we'll try to
do something and not allow the
people to be bled by real estate
bioodsuckers," replied Commits
sioner Butler, who added that he
did not believe that the proposed
examination of books would entail
any extra expense. because he was
confident that competent men could
be obtained from the city hall to-
do the work.
Commissioner Ringers Reason.
Commissioners Falconer and
Ringer voted for the resolution on
the grounds that the real estate men
had offered to submit their books
for examination and they believed
that the city should take advantage
OF that offer.
Mayor Smith, who fought the res
oiution to investigate the books of
owners and agents, did not attend
thA rent probe hearing in the city
council chamber last Friday even
irg, although he was urged to come
BY the commissioners who called
him by telephone after the meeting
had been started.