The Washington herald., 1921-04-19
Action of Supreme Court
. Starts Rush of Business
At Commission Office.
5000 LANDLORDS ARE
MADE RESPONSIBLE
Sen. Ball Says Effort to
Perpetuate Law Will
Be Made at Once.

Tens of thousands OF dollars VIII
be returned to pockets Of District
tenants through the decision Of the
Unied States Supreme Court uphold
ing the aconstitutionality Of the Ball
rent act yesterday. in postponed
awards Of Rent Commission deci-
sion.. The decree Of the highest
tribunal was passed by a vote Of
Ave to. four.
At the same time scores Of land
lords who have disreEarded the de-
eisions Of the Rent Commission are
subject to prosecution and fines
Defeated in this skirmish, realty
forces are now gathering for the
battle on the issue Of the prolonga-
tion of the life of the Ball rent act
after next October, when. according
to- provisions. II becomes Inactive.
Senator L. H. Ball, of Delaware,
author Of the act, and present CHAIR
man of the Senate District Commit
tee.decIared yesterday. following the
decision of the Supreme Court that
he would move at once to extend
the life Of the act. In the outcome
of this encounter the real enect OF
the decision yesterday will be felt.
Comris.ion Findings Ignored.
In approximately 5000 instances
landlords have ignored the findings
of the Rent Commission since the
constitutionality of the act was
Questioned last June by the Dis
trict Court Of Appeals, according to
Mrs Clara Sears Taylor, of the Rent
Commission. In many instances,
Mrs. Taylor says, tenants have con-
tinued to pay the higher rent de-
manded by landlords, after hling a
protest with the commission. The
tenants are now entitled to. and
the landlords will be compelled to
pay, the total difference between the
rent now paid and the sum set by
the Rent Commission at the time
Of the hiing Of the tenants COM
plaint- -s =
Increases In rents in the District
since the war have averaged more
than 40 per cent for the ordinary
small house. and for apartment
buildings the average is higher, ac-
cording to the commission. Many
Of these increases have been put in
effect since June'2.
landlords who have been prohteer-
ing will now come to terms, A.
Leftwich Sinclair, of the Rent Com
mission, declared yesterday after
noon. Many of these landlords
merit drastic punishment" The
commissioner cited two fragrant
cases in which the commission had
hxed fair rentals on apartments
several months ago, and the land
lords had more than doubled their
rents on the occasion Of occupancy
by new tenants
Realty Dealers UnaIarned.
Realty dealers received the de-
cision of the court with no alarm
yesterday, basing their hopes on the
death of the act in October How
ever, Maj. William L. Browning,
vice president OF the Allan E.
Walker Company, Inc. declared:
The building progress Of Wash
inEton will be wrecked IL the Bah
rent act Is re-enacted by Congress.
It will mean the instability Of in
comes for owners Of houses. because
of the power of the commission to
break contracts between owners and
, tenants. This would break down
the building program Of contrac-
tors"
Charles W. Fairfax. of Stone and
Fairfax. expressed the opinion the
Effects of the law would not be seri-
Gus as he believed most of the land
lords of the District had followed
he DEGREES Of the Rent Commission.
He does not expect the act to be re-
enacted by Congress.
Would FIJI Vacancy.
Commissioner James F. Oyster,
chairman of the rem commission
, until his appointment as District
commissioner. expressed the hope
yesterday that the law would be
strictly enforced against landlords
who have violated the provisions of
the act. Commissioner Oyster is in
favor Of the immediate appointment
Of the existing vacancy in the COM
Emission so that the intent of the
Ball rent act, now sustained by the
Emitted States Supreme Court. may
BE carried out.
The ATTITUDE of the Rent Com
mission from the beginning was
that the landlords for the most
oart were entitled to a reasonable
increase OF from IS to 80 per cent
over pre-war rentals" Capt Oyster
said. For the most part the attf-
/ .ude Of the landlords was reason
able until the adverse decision OF
.he District Court Of Appeals. One
81 the regrettable results OF that
fecisfon was 10 change the attitude
" the Municipal Courts to put the
burden of an appeal upon the ten
int. who was frequently too poor
% AFFORD the cost OF an appeal"
All tenants who entered protests
with the Rent Commission when de-
,isions were disregarded by land
ords and later appealed to the
sourts may now gain the difference
n rents paid and assessed by ,the
commission. rent commissioners be-
ieved yesterday.
Tenants crowded the ofices of the
Rent Commission and kept the
ohones busy until a late hour last
night. endeayoring to get prompt
Iction on their pleas. It Is expected
he Rent Commission will now be
iooded with appeals for reviews Of
.ent prices. held in check since the
iecisfon Of the District Court Of
Appeals las. June.
War EnerEency Measure.
The Ball rent act was designed. as
4 war emergency measure to pro
ect Washington tenants and has
seen treated. more or less. as a
scrap of paper" since June 2. 1920.
-..-~.sx--,<a.x $50