The Washington times., 1919-08-26

would give him a bonus Of 1920 in ad-
dition to the rent.
Mr.. Mcbride also said IL was quite
evident that owners of property
were trying to shift their taxes and
additional expenses upon the tenants.
Tells War workers Lives.
Miss Henangham. who resides az
1416 Chaplin street northwest. but who
came here from Oklahoma, gave much
information regarding the life Of some
women war workers. For a while
she lived at 1410 Eleventh street
northwest where she said the twenty
five young women, for SIS a month
each, were permitted the use of one
bath tub and to sleep two in a bed
and five and six in a room.
That was some place" she said
1T was so crowded and so noisy ]
couldn't sleep, especially with the
piano going at o'clock in the morn
ing"
She said that she is sub-leasing her
apartment back in Oklahoma" fve
rooms, kitchen and bath, for $3.50 a
month.
"And I wish could tie It to an
airplane, and bring 1t here with me, !"
she said, when asked to compare liv-
ing costs in Oklahoma with Washing
ton.
Owner Tells His side.
J. W. staggers, owner Of the No
hawk apartment, told the committee
that there was another side to the
rent story.
Property owners are not the rent
burglars Of Washington" he protest
ed but the people who lease and sub
lease apartments are the ones who
- AlNv - ,aaANIaaNA,~
getting more than the owners for the
same apartments. He cited the case
Of a house he owns at 163 Keefer
street, which he rents at S36 a month.
His tenant has sub-leased it at $76 q
month, he says, and he Is unable, un-
der the Salisbury act, to get posses
sion Of his property.
Between 20 nd so per centof the
profiteering done in Washington, he
claimed, Is done by such persons.
Some real estate firms are leasing
houses and then sub-leasing them for
this very purpose, he declared, while
hundreds OF persons make their liv-
ing that way.
"Dc you really think there is a real
estate organization that Is engaging
in that practiceT inquired Senator
Ball.
mot that. exactly" replied Mr..
Staggers," but off-shoots OF real es-
tate firms"
Says Tenants Volunteered Raises.
That's just it," said Senator Ball.
The people we want to reach are those
who are now making a business Of
this thing and doing nothing else"
Mr.. Staggers said he had made nc
demand last year upon his tenants for
an increase in rents, although he was
losing money. Seeing his predica-
ment, he said six OF his tenants came
90 him voluntarily and offered to pay
slight increases on account of his own
increased expenses. Under cross-eX-
animation, however, he later admit
Ted that he had demanded increases
from all his tenants ranging from Is
to 35 per cent.
The committee showed keen sym
pathy for Mrs. K. c. Rain, who is
almost an invalid and lives in the
nue. northwest. AS a result Of her
Of the apartment, probably will be
summoned before the committee to
answer charges of persecution and
threats that brought Mrs. Rain to the
verge of a serious illness.
AnNO AAAnG8Aa SAG 6Ages
Mrs. Rain said she had just re-
covered from a serious illness when
DR.. CobIentz persisted in demanding
another increase in her rent. Hav-
ing previously paid $50 for her apart
ment, she sought refuge under the
Salisbury law when he demanded $45
a month in June, 1918, she said. Be
cause she refused to pay she said DR..
CoblentZ never gave her any rest.
THE way DR.. CoblentZ talked to
me every month just made me ILL.,"
she told the committee. FINALLY
appealed to a policeman and now he
takes the rent money to DR.. CoblentZ
every month. In June he told the
policeman that as soon as the Sauls-
bury law expired he wanted my
apartment and he has told other ten
ants he IS going to set ST5 a month
for their apartments as soon as he
can get possession"
iii have to move as soon as DR..
Coblentz learns l have testified" Mrs.
Rain said.
Charges Furniture HOId-Up.
Mrs. w. l. McCauley, who rents Of
Harry r. Carroll, of ia Twelfth
street, the premises at 1876 7 street.
is paying $65 monthly for rooms she
previously paid $31 for. she said. In
order to get the apartment she said
she had to pay $50 for furniture which
was worthless.
when l told the owner the fur
niture> was worthless" she testified.
"he simply said: Madam, you have
eyes"
All the tenants OF the Ashley apart
ments who haven't paid the demanded
increases are going to be eviCted
when the Salisbury law lapses, Mrs.
Clara V. Simonson. who has resided
there since 1912, informed the COM
mittee. Her rent Is to be increased
from $47.5O to $50 or $62 a month.
she said.
II the Senate District subcommittee
investigating rent profiteering in
Washington has its way, Chairman
Ball announced today, the Senate will
put through drastic legislation to
stamp out such profteering in the
District by October I, at the latest
Senator Ball announced that the
will begin planning an
anti-rent profiteering law as soon as
the present hearings on the rent sit
uation are concluded. This will be
some time during the week.
He declares that the testimony of
tenants given yesterday shows con-
that the rent situation Is
the most critical Of the conditions
"a afTertinp the high cost of living in