Pueblo chieftain., 1921-09-12
BY Frederic j. Haskin.


Washington, D. c.. Sept. 9.-The life
of the famous Ball Rent Law enacted
by congress for regulating rentals IN
the District of Columbia, has been ex-
tended by another Act of Congress un-
til next May, and we'll informed per-
sons assert that its life will have to
be prolonged again, for at least two
years more in all.
The Ball Rent Law is of wide inter
est for several reasons. In the first
place. of all the rent laws passed dur
Ing the war. this one alone represents
the wisdom of our national congress
and not merely that of some local leg
islature. In the second place 1t is an
excellent example of the sort OF
emergency legislation the war brought
into being. Theoretically all of this
emergency legislation was TO expire
soon after the war was over A GOOD
deal of it has expired or has been
killed. but good deal of it also sur
wives. of which this law is "A sample.
OF course, 1t is anticipated that all of
this legislation will eventually perish.
In theory, we go back to 1913. In prac-
tice. obviously. We never can. The ut
tie fellow" who has been rescued from
profiteering landlord by the rent
commission, will not forget the fact,
any more than a dog Will forget the
hand that fed him. This man has
gained a new conception OF govern
ment as a thlng whlCn can step IN anu
save him in spite of the Constitution,
tho law of supply and demand, the
rights of eminent domain and private
property. and all the other gods OF. ms
fathers, in the names OF which he has
long been nceccd without a whimper.
In word. n demand for such lesisla-
tion has been created. and the pillars
of conservatism will have to shout
| "Bolshevism'' with all their lungs to
i keep II down.
Tho Ball Rent Act. In brief. appoint
cd a commission which was empow-
cred to hear disputes between land
lords and tenants, and to determine,
with the help OF the tax assessor. what
| was "A reasonable rent. An appeal from
! it's decision may bc taken to tho court
/ OF appeals. but the court can modit!
| thc decisions of the commission only
| for error In law. Tho act further pro-
hibits tho eviction OF n tenant. even
| tho his lease has expired. provided he
pays tho usual rent or tho rent fixed
by the commission. Tho landlord can
| ovict the tenant only II he wishes TO
live In tho promises himself or to raze
tho building.
WAIT a YEAR
| Soon after this law had bccn pnsHod
ono Of tho incredible absurditics of
government was illustrated. Was the
| law constitutional or was II mott That
i was tho matter for tho courts to do
| eide. Rut tho courts move slowly. \
tost case was brought and tho lower
court held the act unconstitutional In
January. 1920 An appeal was taken II
the supreme court Tho question thcr
was whether tho supreme court would
uphold tho lower court or reverse H.
II II upheld the lower court tho law
| was Ms dead as doornall. II II did
not. tho law was effective.
| For over u ycsr-until April. 1871
this state Of suspense continued. Rent
crs and landlords alike were In a
state of confusion which greatly com
plicntcd the emergency that tho law
was created to meet. Some tenants
gambling tho law would he held valid
refused to movc when tho landlord
raised tho rcnt, or to pay tho advanced
rent Landlords made petty warfare
In some cases. cutting off EaH nnd
i water and otherwise seeking to make
the tenant miserable. Nobody know
WIN, was going to happen next. No
body could know except tho supreme
cour, and Il wouldn't tell. Tho tcnan,
who took his stand upon tn" law wn'
uneasy in his boots n II were not
upheld he could h. thrown out In the
street and sued for back rent. Th'
landlord. betting tho law would not
he upheld. was equally uncomfortable
II 1, wore upheld. all his calculation
wcrc upset.
Finally. after the war was over
! whom tho emergency in housing vaf
beginning to subsidr. when all ima.in,
able cruci,icr and inJusticcH had beer
suffered. the supreme court In tis In
nni,e majesty and incredible slown"ss
handed down a decision. Five To foui
It upheld tho law.
why couldn't tho supreme ccur'
pass on tho conEtitutionaiity of the Law
before IL was pu, into effect" sEk.t
some incredibly ignorant person. HI