The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-07-22
RENTS TO Be
PROBED WITH
FOOD PRICES
Members of Committee Con.
WINGED Costs in District Are
Boosted Through Combine.

With a mass Of facts and figure.
before them. members OF the Senate
District subcommittee that is inves.
tigating the living cost IN Washing.
ton gave study today question OIL
procedure in conducting the public
inquiry.
The general key note sounded at yes
terday's initial hearing was the ur.
gent need Of legislation to eliminate
as far as possible in the local field
the profits which are going to the
middleman and the retailer.
Coupled with this was the predic-
ton of Senator Sherman, chairman
Of the District Committee, that a joint
resolution would be introduced In
both Houses in the near future call
ing for a nationwide investigation
OF the general cost OF living, as a re-
suit of growing pressure from out
side that Is being brought upon Con-
gress.
Members OF the subcommittee ex-
pressed themselves as convinced that
legislation fostering cooperative
selling and buying OF food stuffs is
the first corrective step to be taken
as a legislative remedy for the high
cost OF living.
Rent Question Up.
Glaring facts bearing on the rent
question stirred the committee to de-
termine that this question Is to be-
come one of prime importance in
dealing with the living costs here.
Senator Sherman and Senator Ball. OF
Delaware, chairman OF the investigat-
ing committee, both were Of the
opinion hiatt a combination OF real
estate firms, acting in conjunction
with property owners, are responsible
for excessively high rents here.
These direct charges were made by
witnesses before the committee:
That a general agreement has been
reached among real estate firms to in
crease rents Of apartments and houses
in Washington at least 80 per cent in
October.
That many firms have resolved not
to rent unfurnished houses or apart
ments at all.
That there are on record with the
building committee about $1,000 cases
Of attempted rent profteering.
That as soon as the Salisbury anti
eviction law passes out OF existence
a general increase in rents all over
the city is imminent.
Mosher Before PrObers.
DR.. w. E. Mosher. OF New York, who
has been assisting the joint Congress
sionaI committee on the reclassifica-
ton OF Federal employees salaries.
placed obese facts concerning the
rent question before the committee
when he appeared before it at the re-
quest OF the chairman.
He declared, furthermore, that In
many instances he understood real
estate firms were furnishing houses
themselves and are renting them at
exorbitant charges. He suggested to
the committee that II should ascertain
from the building committee what
real estate firms are supporting clients
in rent extortion IL it hoped to deal
effectively with the situation
AS a result OF this information.
Capt. Julius Peyser, OF the building
committee. will be summoned before
the committee and asked to place be-
fore the Senators all the available in
formation he has In regard TO the rent
question.
Broad lines OF inquiry were laid out
by DR.. Mosher in pointing out to the
committee a suggested method OF pro-
cedure.
Urges Open-MindedneEs.
He suggested, first, the necessity Of
approaching the subject with open
mindedness." The fundamental causes
for high prices. he emphasized as fol-
lows: The increase in the amount Of
money in general circulation; the in
creased cost Of production and the
scarcity Of labor. These factors, he
claimed, are more responsible for the
increased cost OF living than mere
profteering and should be given irst
consideration.
Herbert c. Marshall. assistant chief
Of the Bureau Of Markets, told the
committee that paper money issued
during the war was the greatest fac
tor in boosting prices. He declared
the war has created a great expan-
sion in money. which has also caused
an increase in prices in proportion.
France has issued paper money
which equals two fifths OF the en-
tire amount Of money in the world
at the beginning of the war. he told
the committee, and Germany has is
sued a like amount
In the United States there has been
an increase in the paper money out
put from S34 to $50 per capita, he
said. or almost twice as much as be
fore the war. with a result that prices
are Just about twice as high.
Profits Question Big job.
Dr. Mosher informed the committee
that IL was confronted with an al
most unsolvable problem in tackling
the profit" phase Of the question.
for II would be necessary to go into
the total profits of all concerns. re-
curing the employment OF expert &C
who would have to eX
anime the books of the pre-war pc
Rod to ascertain the true condit on
Of prices. This would require a
great deal OF time. he explained. for
the committee could not reach def
mite conclusion merely by investigat-
ing certain articles.
He suggested that the committee
could well employ its time In exam
ming the books of the Old Dutch Mar
ket and the chain of Sanitary
groceries in operation here, as their
system OF bookkeeping makes 1t pos
sibIe to reach a very fair conclusion
Of the general range OF prices border
Ing upon a reasonable profit made
possible by their cooperative sys-