Evening star., 1921-06-18

Ten conclusions drawn by property
owners from the testimony given re-
Gently before the Senate committee on
extension OF the Ball rent law and in
corporated in a brief just presented to
every member of Congress convey the
attitude of local real estate men and
the unofficial sentiment of the Wash
ington Real Estate Board with regard
to rental legislation. it is reported.
The substance of the conclusions. as
reached by the Signers of the brief.
Bates Warren, Richard a. Ford. Ed
win a. krauthoff and Abner Fergu-
son, is summarized in the statement
that there exists at the present time
no emergency war-anting the extern
sion of the Ball act beyond October.
when it is due automatically to expire.
The brief is in the form of a print
ed pamphlet outlining in detail the
history of the Ball act under the
headings. What the Law Is" what
the Supreme Court Decided" What
is Meant by Emergency" and Does
the Housing Emergency Still EXist?"
Text Of Brief.
The conclusions. in full, announced
from this review of the testimony,
follow:
First. That whatever the situa-
ton may have been in October, 1919.
there is today no emergency exist
ing in the District of Columbia justi-
flying the extension of the Ball rent
law.
Second. a declaration by Con-
greSS now that such an emergency
exists would be in direct contradic-
tion of the evidence before the COM
mittee.
Third Such a declaration would
he contrary to the testimony even
of those who favor a further extern
sion of the act, such as the MEM
testimony adduced in this behalf
consists almost entirely of opinions.
is not supported by any facts and is
generally contradicted by admissions
showing that housing conditions IN
Washington have entirely changed
since the rent law was passed. and
that no shortage now exists.
Fourth. The affirmative testimony
Of real estate owners and of men
long experienced in the business OF
renting apartment houses and other
properties in Washington. shows
Overwhelmingly that the ratio of
vacant apartments, dwellings, ana
rooms to the number of persons de-
string them is rapidly reaching the
normal; that there is today more
vacant housing looking for tenants
than there are tenants looking for
housing: that these facts are not dis
puted by any of the witnesses who
are seeking an extension of the rent
law. and that the only menace to this
return to normal conditions is the
continuance of congressional reStrlc-
tion.
Population Reduced.
Fifth. Specific facts and figures
submitted to the committee, and un-
disputed show that the population of
Washington has been greatly reduced
by reason of the departure of thou
sands of persons who were here dur
ing the war. all of which is shown
particularly by the statistics of the
government departments. street rail-
road companies, telephone company,
and from other reliable sources. The
uncontradicted testimony further
shows that the Ball act. although
passed as an emergency measure to
relieve the housing situation in
1919, has not only failed to give any
such relief, but has been the most
potent factor in preventing a re-
turn to normal conditions: that this
legislation has actually prevented the
building of rental properties in the
District of Columbia: that it is i'm
possible to interest investors in the
building of houses or apartments for
rent so long as Congress enacts that
over his investment: that it was only
because of the belief that the act
would be held invalid by the courts,
as it was by the Court of Appeals.
that building operations were begin
ming to recover, and that since the
decision of the Supreme Court up
holding the constitutionality of the
law. and particularly since the pres
ent proposal TO extend it for two
years longer. it has not only dis
couraged, but made practically i'm
possible, all enterprise OF this char
acter.
Uncertainty Deters Investor
Sixth 1t is true that in some in
sfances the rents allowed BIZ the rent