Evening star., 1919-08-30
RENT HEARINGS END
BILL TO BE DRAWN
Senate Subcommittee to
Plan Measure Tuesday to
Curb Profiteering.
WILL RESUME INQUIRY
WILL RESUME INQUIRY

Hearings before the Senate sub
committee investigating profteering
in rents in the National Capital have
been completed. and the committee
on Tuesday will meet in executive
session to draft a bill to curb prof
iteering in rents. The bill will be a
model. il is said. for the states if
they have rent porfiteering problems
to deal with. Also il will be legis-
lation of more or less permanent
character. 1t will seek to limit the
profits which may be legally derived
from the renting of dwellings, it is
expected. The members of the COM
mittee, however. realize that the
limit must not be made too low, or
it will discourage the construction
of houses, so much desired at this
time.
After the committee has framed its
anti-prOf1tecring rent bill it will re-
sumo its investigation of alleged
porfiteering in clothing and other
neceSSaries.
Could Not Get Home She Bought.
Miss Henrietta Hartshorn of 1921
Iowa avenue told the committee of
the trouble she had had over a home
which she had purchased here in
June, 1918. possession of which she
has never been able to get. She said
that she and her sister had purchased
2430 10th street. and intended to use
it as home for themselves and their
mother; that they had paid $4,000 on
the $1,000 price of the house.
She testified that the house was oc-
cupied by A. H. Marsh, assistant
manager of the National City Com
pany. His lease expired in March,
1918, she said, but he continued to live
in the house under the provisions of
the salisbury resolution. Miss Harts-
horn said that after she purchased
the house, she brought suit to get
possession She said that before she
made the purchase she had been as
sured that possession could be given.
She and her sister are working for
the government
The case. she said came before
Judge Terrell, who decided that it
was merely a matter of convenience
to her and her mother and sister.
since they had two rooms in which
they were then living, and the case
was decided against her.
The Judge quoted some Shake
speare. which 1 did not think had
anything to do with the matter. and
horn.
She told the committee that Mr..
Marsh owns a house of his own on
Garfield street which he is renting
for SIS a month. the rent being fixed
by the court. Yet he only pays her
s4S month for her house, which he
refuses to give up.
Testifies to Loss in 1918.
DR.. J. D. Cobientz. a druggist and
owner of the Coblentz apartment
house at 10 Florida avenue, testified
he had owned the apartment for fif-
teen years, and that in 1917 his total
receipts form the apartment had
been S4.362 and expenses $3.S63, Ieav-
ing profit of s499; in 1918 his re-
ceipts had been s4.734 and his ex-
penses s6,5S2. causing loss of
$1.797.
He discussed the case of a Mrs.
Stern whom he tried to dispossess.
but failed. claiming that she had had
eight or nine subtenants. Under
cross-examination he admitted that
when ne brought the suit ii was
found she had only one young wom-
an. a war worker. living with her.
The suit was dismissed He insist
ed that he had not notified his ten
that their rents are TO be raised for
next year. He admitted that he
would have to increase rents, how
ever. to make his property pay. and
that where apartments have become
vacant he has made increases to the
new tenants.
John O'Hagan, agent for the Hen
rietta apartment. and John R Gal
loway, owner. testified that notices
had been sent to tenants that the
rents in the Henrietta apartment
would be raised. They said it would
be necessary to raise the rents about
20 per cent in order to give a return
of about per cent on the invest :
ment.
Plans 6 Per Cent Returns.
Allen E. Walker. owner. with his
firm, of the Parkwood apartment
house at 1916 K street. told the COM
mittee that he had become the owner
of the apartment this year. He said
that the rental value when the prop
erty changed hands was s25,39S, and
that they proposed to increase rents.
if they could. so that the rental value
would be $3S.S20. giving about a per
cent profit on the investment. He
said that he had figured the expenses
of operating and maintaining the
apartment, etc. would be about $34,-
600. He said IL was proposed to put
the apartments in the best repair,
Iecessitating a considerable outlay
The proposed increases in rents were
figured at so per cent. he said, but
that the rents in the Parkwood had
been low. from $3.50 to $3.50 for a
seven-room apartment. He proposed
they should rent from SIPS to $3.50.
J. f. Powell, president of the F. H.
Smith Company. in reply to a question
as to what he believed the increase in
rents should be the coming year in
apartments handled by his firm. said
that the increase should be % per
cent over last year. and that last year
they had made an increase of from j
to 10 per cent. Even with such an in
crease. he said. the profit would only
he from to per cent, which did not
take into effect depreciation. Sena-
tor Ball suggested that under present