The Washington times., 1919-09-23
NID,GITY CITIZENS
OPPOSE Rent bill
Declare Ball Anti-ProfiteeFing
Measure Unjust to Owners
go Of Property.

RESOLUTIONS. protesting the Ban
antl-rent ..pEofteering bill as It is at
present drafted, were adopted By the
Mid-city ciuSsa's Assoeiatioa Al lts
September meeting last night at 1909
Seventh street northwest The assO-
eiation went on recondFas OPPOSED TO
the Ball bill Which thduEH Il aims
to prevent rent .brodteefiuF in the
District gives the tehants al tbs say
while proHeFty owners and lanelorda
may ''be, seen bat not sheafd, im the
opinion 1of the association.
The resolution was introduced BY
Charles ShreVe, q real estate dealer.
who denounced the present draft as
uncOnstitutional and unfair. 'This
BILL" said Mr.. ,ShFeVe, IN addressing
the meeting, sBiFes tenant ali the
power in adjusting the rents e. he
should see iG IL provides that q
commission should adjust al matters
Of rent controversy, with regards 70
exorbitRnt charges, and that Al owner
OF property cannot sit on that cOm-
mission; also that the three members
must be familiar with property, but.
they must not own Il. This means
that All the members must be ten
ants and not owners.
RIEht to EpbeaI
at also provides that the tenant
has e right TO appeal to the court OF
qppeals, II he does not see ht to
abide BY the decision OF the COM
mission. And in the meautlme, the
tenant can not be compelled to pay
the rent and, 81 Ia the end the court
OF appeals decides against him even
then the landlord can have no redress.
IT does not provide that the landlord
can take his case to the court Of ap-
peals; but says that the tenant can
not be forced 30 give bonds, while no
provision IS made that the landlord
may not give bonds, No mention Of
trial BY jury, as is provided in our
constitution, Is made.
This bill viii retard our building
actiYitiesztH Washington and will do
harm in thousands Of ways, whereas
Il might be amended to do what it
aims to accomplish. Ny suggestion Is
that the commission to Judge the
complaints OF the tenants be COM
posed OF a tenant, q landlord, and an
outsider who does not know the diff
ferent tangles.
The lack OF a vote here in the Dis
trict was deprecated BY A. J. Dris-
coll, who presided.
THE reason that this city is ac-
cused Of being the center Of profit
eering Is because we have no man
in Congress 10 defend US" said SIR.
DriscOlL Il have Travelled in cities
all over the country and ] say that
there is more profiteering IN any OF
the big cities than there is here. The
reason that nothing Is heard from
them. though, is because OF their !
Congressman. who will defend them
Ha
that the persons who are charging /
eXorbitant prices for rooms in Wash /
ingt6n are .subletters, who came here |
from out OF town"
Would Cheek Auto Thieves.
Resolutions were offered approving /
Of a bill in Congress to protect auto /
mobile owners from theft.
A special membership committee. to ]
make a drive for association members, !
Is to be appointed by Mr.. Drisoon |
some time this week. William Thorne /
was appointed chairman at last nights I
session. Mr.. Thorne introduced a res
olution asking that the street clean 4
ing department be notified Of the pOo- I
way in which streets in the neighbor-
hood OF Seventh. Ninth, X and L
streets are being cleaned. 1t was re-
solved that the association send a
ieLleF 70 the uSpaTLmeuL catAlu8 Lne
attention to the. streets there.
Report of~what the association COLI
.ected for the beneht or the widows
of the men killed In the race riots j
here was read. II was resolved that a \
letter OF thanks be sent TO n. o. n
Chance, District postmaster. faF his n
OF the station at Fourteenth 4
md y streets. making il carrier sta
lien. enabling the mid-city merchants
10 get their mail earlier. This was
lone on recommendation OF the assoc
station.