Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-23
D. c. FOOD AND RENT
COST HOUSE TOPIC
Representative Hudd|eston
Condemns Prices Charged
for Quarters.
SPECIFIC CASES CITED

SfEClftC GASES CIIEU
Rent profteering in Washington
was vigorously attacked again on the
eral members while the amendments
to the food control act were under
discussion. While the House by a
strict republican vote discarded an
amendment offered by Representative
include rents, both in the National
Capital and throughout the coun-
try. under the anti-profiteering pro-
visions, there was general sentiment
that the House will welcome a re-
publican sponsored measure to curD
rent proffteering.
Additional assurances were given
yesterday by Chairman Mapes of the
House District committee that a
strict anti-rent profteering bill Will
soon be urged upon Congress by his
committee.
Mr.. Huddleston' Remarks.
Insisting that Congress has the
power to curb excessive charges for
rent as well as for food, Repre-
sentative Huddleston said in part:
Rents are being ballooned to the
sky. Every member of Congress has
suffered from extortionate rentals IN
Washington. We are suffering from
it here in Washington and our con
stituents are suffering at home; ,u Ine
Very little, If any, building. except
the most absolutely necessary, has been
done for the past three or four years.
Practically all of our cities are over
populated. Avaricious Landlords are
taking advantage of this situaaion IL. 10
wiring the very last penny tney cai
out of their tenants.
Rents have gone up until the man
who works for modest salary OF
for small wages can hardly ma a
decent place to lay his head read, IL e esna
could get a habitation for from $12
to SIS a month. but now the same
kind of houses and rooms that e e
used to be able to get for IRON ~
to $25 have gone up to from SSv 9; 70
81 The t nsop is peing practiced
them. Congress has it in its power
to remedy this situation. We can
limit rents just as well as prices Oh
food" o,,,,
,amp Called the attention of the
House to a specific instance OF rent
profiteering. He said that his secre-
tary and her mother paid $40 a mon.n
for an unfurnished apartment IN tne
Newport. 2164 Florida avenue. from
which L. r. Meredith was ousted on
Nav i. He put into the recoSd the let
ter which Percy H. Russell sent 70
Mr.. Meredith ordering him to vacate.
and an affidavit by Mr.. Meredltn that
from october 1, 1911. until November
/, 1917. he had paid $25 q monIn rsn.
for this apartment. and from Novem ,
har 1917 until Nav l, 1919. he had
Describing this case. Representative
Howard said:
'sThere is no class of prof1teering in
this country from when wage eaa1 10
ers and people who are unfortunate
enough not to own their own homes
are suffering, as the action of the rent
hogs in the matter of renting dwell
ing places to those who are forced 70
rent. That thing is going on rlghI
want to call the attention of the Con-
gress and of the people to concrete
case of rent profiteering which has
come to my knowledge. l brought
with me when came to washington
a young woman from Oklahoma to be
my secretary. She was young woman
who had been bereft of her father,
and had her mother to care for.
after having been in the city OF
Washington for about three weeks,
although she had lived in a country
where commercial conditions were
was high, she was amazed when the
only apartment that she could find in
which to live with her mother in the
city Of Washington was little three
room fat, with a kitchenette and a
bathroom, for which she was charged
the sum Of $75 a month. She accepted
it-she had to. She had to have a
place to live. A few days ago she
met the people who had occupied that
apartment for six years previous to
that time. and have here the papers
showing the methods by which the
rent hogs in the city of Washington
impose on the government employees.
by reason of necessity, because she
lad to have some place to live. Sne
government employe was compelled
to pay a rental of SIS month.
"I do not know to what extent that
condition prevails in Washington. I
would not even apply to these people
the word 'proiteers.' because l have
not made an investigation of the con-
ditions surrounding the apartment in
question. I do know, however, that
we have been criticised for raising
the salaries of government employees.
I do know that we have been criti-
cised for passing bonus bills. and I do
know that a government employe or
any other is entitled to more than
even food, rent and clothing; and if
these rent hogs are to continue. such
as this case evidences. no doubt we
will be called upon to care for our
employees again. I do not say that
these people are profiteers. but I SUBJ
NIT to this Congress that they were
either philanthropists on May / and
the six years before or are profiteers
todov"