Evening star., 1919-09-27

court OF AppealS-anQ tnere Is no re-
striction upon his 30 doing-it would
pending upon the congested condition OF
the docket Of the Court Of Appeals.
Rent Need Not Be Paid.
There is nothing to require the ten
ant. I say. to pay the rent flxed by his
lease or any rent during the tendency
Z Of the bill expressly provides that no
proceeding to evict or dispossess any
person from any hotel accommodation
or apartment or any rental property
shall be commenced or prosecuted IN
any court Of the District Of Columbia
of controversy involving the rights OF
such person who occupies such accom-
modatien, apartment or property.
Therefore, can see that it is pos
sible for a tenant to raise a contro-
versy over some of the many terms
or contract, and occupy the premises
for months and decline to make pay
ment Of any rent whatsoever during
such time, AMI should the landlord
getting a favorable decision. the
tenant may remove from the premises
and escape payment Of any rent
whatsoever, leaving to the landlord
or owner the remedy ct obtaining a
instances would be worthless.
mo one claims that all tenants or
even the greater proportion Thereon
would take advantage OF such sit
uation. but there are numbers OF ten.
such a situation. Be that as it may
it is q wrong against any community
to have a law that will permit such
a thing.
hotel or other rental property can,
under the proposed bill, be required
by any one Of the tenants or guests
to go through the form OF showing
the fairness and reasonableness OF
conditions COZ Of his rental contract in.
yolving the conduct and management
of his hotel or apartment, every montn
in the year. Each and every one OF
these tenants or guests on eaen eae Ian, ahd
to take their complaint to the Court
of Appeals and block the records OF
that court with the most trivial con-
troversies of which the human mind
could conceive.
Powers Should Be Limited.
"I have suggested and do now sug-
eest that the powers of this COM
mission be limited to the fixing OF
proper rentals, eliminating from the
bill the right of the commission 70
pass upon the other terms ana con-
ditions of the agreement The otneI
conditions are constantly changing
and are more or less personal mat
ters and should be left entirely to the
contracting parties themselves
''There should be some pSs.Iaaa provlsSlso.nI IA
upon all parties who unsuccessfully
Complain to the rent commission.
Either Of the unsuccessful parties ar,
pealing to the Court OF Appeals snouIo q
be required to give security 1os the
cost of such an appeal: snontd w ane ne
neaIs he should be required to pay
his rent or give security for his rent
in addition to the security for the
cost. :.
the effect that after the the rent m, Is onGe eere
tain length Of time or for at least
durinr the term of the lease.
!. "Section of the bill declares that
every lease, suitcase or other con-
tract Of hiring Of any apartment,
hotel or other rental properly. OF OF any Ga
i,1mbia- entered into after September
is, 1919, shall be voidable at the op-
tion of the lessee or sublessee to the
extent that the rent or charges or
other terms and conditions thereol
Iare unfair or unreasonable. The ef-
feet of this section is to practically
make null and void every contract
of letting entered into after the
above date. It will be useless thing
to execute q lease after that date
Any lessee or sublessee after dei1b-
erately entering into q lease may Inn
mediately after entering the premises
leased complain to the rent commits
sion and have the rent and all terms
and conditions thereof inquired into
and fixed by the rent commission tS
reasonable, and disregard in toto a
solemn agreement Of the parties
thereto.
No Custer Pending Appeal.
"while this investigation is going