Evening star., 1919-08-26

an active part in the management OF
the London Post, one of the most in
fluential conservative papers in Eng
land. She is one Of Lord Northcliffe's s
chief competitors.
1916 for $3.50. He was notified YER
bally August / that the rent was to
be raised to $45. The apartment he
said belongs to the Alonzo Bliss prop
critics.
Mr.. Bride insisted that the bonus Of
$40 a month allowed by Congress to
the government employees to aid in
meeting the high cost of living was
all being absorbed by increases In
erty, he charged, are trying to shift
the burden of the war tax from them
selves to their tenants.
One Bath for IS Girls.
Miss Mary E. Henangham of 1415
Chaplin street testified that her rent
was to be raised. She told the COM
mittee of the case of house at 14lO
11th street, where twenty-five girls
have been housed, and where there is
only one bath. From four to six girls,
she said, occupied one room.
She said that she had been kept
awake night after night because the
girls in the place where she lived
came home about midnight, opened
the piano. and lit was just like day
time"
Miss Henangham said she was from
Oklahoma and that she owned house
out there with five rooms and oatn
which she rented for SIT month. y
wish I could tie it to an airshlp ana
bring it here" she said.
Mrs. Nina L. Druilhet of 1872 Chaplin
street, the Berkshire apartment, said
she had rented an apartment there
furnished. two rooms and bath, Tor
$40 a month. She did not object to
the rent, but to the furniture. She
said it was dirty and Inadequate and
that she had been forced to purchase
a mattress for bed herself.
Furniture Forced Upon Her
Mrs. w. I. McCauley of 1876 T street
said she had leased an apartment
there in July. paying $65 month for
1t, and that she was abe only TO get
of furniture for $50. She said that
she did not want the furniture. and
that 1t was not worth $50 in any
event. Before she leased it. she said,
the apartment rented for $3l a month.
She had been promised that repairs
would be made. but the promise had
not been kept. she said. and she had
refused to pay any more rent until
they were made. Now, she said, she
has been served with a notice to quit.
She gave the owners name as Harry
r. Carroll.
master Corps. said that he. too, lived
at 1885 street. He said that he
bath. The apartment had previously
rented for $3.50 a month, he said.
The house in which he had been liv-
| ing was sold over his head. His wife
L 10 hoI f0 fol IN ia
could get He also said that the re-
pairs promised had not been made.
Big Raises Claimed.
David McClelland of 1910 Fairmont
street, said that he had rented an
| apartment there three years ago for
| $3.50. He said that he had been told
! informally that the rent was to be in
! creased to $75 a month. He said he
was an architectural craftsman and
| with few exceptions he considered the
| apartment houses in this city inferior
to those in New York. where it is
figured the return per month should
| be SO or 81 per room. He said that
| his sister paid $26 a month for an
| apartment consisting of three rooms
and a bath. nice apartment.
Mr.. McClelland said that another
tenant had been raised from $32.50
| to SOS a month, and that when she
asked that she be allowed to sublet
during her vacation. she was told she
| could If she would agree to pay $3.50
| . month.
Mrs. K. c. Rain of the Coblenz
| apartment, said she had rented an
| apartment for $40 in 1916. She said
she had been informed that the rent
J was to be raised to SIS for all apart
ments there. She said she had had no
| hot water since last summer, no jani-
| tor service since last year. and that
| the heat had been shut off in Febru-
ary She said the owner was doing
| everything he could to get out all
| those who would not agree to pay
| more rent.
| F. G. Hays Of 1887 G street, owner
of the building, urged that an
| amendment be made to the Salisbury
| act exempting from its operation
| business property. He said he need
| ed the rest of his building for his
| tenants out, though their lease had
| expired.
| John w. Staggers, owner of the
Mohawk apartment house, attacked
| the Salisbury act, which he said had
1 deprived him of his own property for
| months. He said that he had operated
! the apartment house at loss of 81 900
because he was not allowed to make
any increase in rents under it, and
| offered the committee his books to
| show this was so. He said he had
| talked the matter over with his ten
| ants and some of them had offered to
pay an increase in rent when he ex-
| planned the situation.
Says Owners Are Not Burglars.
/ "The property owners here are not
the rent burglars" he said. THE sub
letters are those who are profiteer-
Ing" He said that he rented 613 Kei-
fer place for $30.50 month and the
tenant sublet 1t for SIS.
1.-THE property owners of the Dis
| trict would have been glad to have
had a commission appointed to adjust
rents on an equitable basis" said Mr..
Staggers. IT believe that 70 to 80 per
cent Of the profiteering in rents here
is due to excessive charges by tenants
who sublet the property"
| He said that a number of wealthy
persons had come to Washington to
| do war work and had offered high
| rents to get houses they wanted. This
L hDn