Evening star., 1921-06-04
SOON T0kNOW FATE
OF BALL rent LAW
Senate Committee in Execu-
tive Session to Hasten
Action on Extension.

begin consideration in executive ses-
life of the Ball rent act at it's meet
ing next Wednesday. it was said to-
day.
Senator Ball, chairman of the COM
mittee. is anxious to dispose of this
matter as soon as possible. 1t is the
inclination of members of the COM
mittee who favor the extension of the
rent act beyond next October to
amend it not at all. or as little as
possible. They feel that amendments
TO the act might more readily open
the way to further attacks upon the
act in the courts.
Favorable to Rent Law.
Before the hearings were closed
yesterday Chairman A. Leftwich Sin
clair of the rent commission read to
| the committee a letter written by
Henry B. Davis to James l.. Carrick
/ in reply to a suggestion by Mr.. Car
rick that Mr.. Davis help to prevent
| the continuance of the Ball rent act.
| In this letter Mr.. Davis said that, in his
| opinion. if the Ball act is allowed to
| die. there is hardly. a tenant who has
appea led tor the rent commission who
would not be put out either for spite
! or because the landlord wanted higher
| rent.
estate agents and landlords before the
| committee tending to show that the
housing emerge ency no longer exists in
! Washington. Mrs. Clara Sears Taylor
member of the rent commission.
charged that there is still great lack
| of apartments for rent at prices that
can be paid by the government em-
pioyes; that intimidation of tenants is
INDUCED in by some agents and owners
! to force them TO pay high rents. and
| that many of the rental properties are
| left in Iamentable condition because
repairs.
Replies to Statements.
Discussing the testimony of Edwin
| ments. and William NJ. Linkins. real
| estate broker, Mrs. Taylor said:
MIR. krauthoff states that labor,
materials. etc. have increased great
ly. Mr.. Einkins testifies that it costs
three times as much to put on SpigotS.
My answer to this is that labor and
materials have gone up, but they are
| not being used in the apartment
| houses. which come bofer the rent
commission. The price of spigots can
! because spigots are not replaced and
have not been in the majority of
cases before the rent commission in
the past two years.
"In regard to intimidation, it is not
4 true that intimidation does not exist
| 1t exists in black list which Mr.
4 Linkins intimated that he would pu,
into operation even though he testi-
! fies that he has not done SO up 10
date. 1t has been in many other ways
>! too numerous to mention. which have
arrassed tenants to such an exten,
that some office managers have testi-
ned that the work of their offices has
been ruined by the mental condition
of the workers"
High Rent Rates Discussed.
Referring to testimony indicating
a great supply of houses as shown by
advertisements. Mrs. Taylor said
Piease let me say that it does moi
make any difference how many inche.
{of advertisements there are if the
rents are SO high as to make the
houses advertised impossible to the
clerks of Washington.
Il would like to say that the testi
mony before the rent commission
number of vacant apartments at rea.
soma Bile rentals in Washington.
May l suggest that if as Mr.
krauthon says. conditions are out o,
Joint does this not prove that con.
dittons are abnormal and that the
lexistence of the rent commission i:
imperative?
! Concerning the cessation of build
ing. may l suggest that it is tru.
that profiteers will refrain from
building?
In respect to building in the fu.
ture. may 1 say that many builder!
jhave come before US asking fol
lprivate audiences concerning oul
work. SO that they may put up larg,
|, apartment houses; that they have no
in any case told US that they wer,
not going to carry out their plans. ant
THAT we have acted in fhe mast ueAl
on several cases involving the tear
Ing down of rental property for tn.
purpose of rebuilding? This shows nj
refusal on the part of builders t.
construct property because of the rem
lact.
u Basis for Determinations.
Tn answer to Mr.. Krauthoff'
statements that the owner of al
apartment house should not suffer be
cause of the small salaries of tn
government employees: No determine
tion has ever been based on the sal
ary of the tenant since 1 have been
member of the rent commission
Usually when the salary is demande
of the witness, it is demanded by tn
defense in an attempt to show tha
enough under the present wage seal
tot pay an eXorbitant rental Thi
has been particularly noted in case
where the tenant witness happened t
be either a plumber or bricklayer
"Mr. Krauthoff speaks of the bolshe
vism of the tenants and makes tn
statement that the rent commission
creates bolshevism. 1 believe tha
the creation of bolshevism may b
laid at the door of the profiteer, VIII
forces q tenant to be suicide.
, conditions under which the tenan
SUFFERS