Evening star., 1921-06-01
COOPERATIVE SALE
|. METHOD DEFENDED
Plan for Disposal Of Apart
nent Houses Discussed at
-
Ball Rent Law Hearing.

The cooperative sale and purchase
OF apartment houses was defended
before the Senate District COMMITTEES
at hearing today on the proposal to
extend the. life Of the Ball rent act
bsypnd nsxt October. william =.
Browning Of Allan q. Walker 4 Co,
called attention to statement at
srihuted to Capt. James r. Oyster.
Csstrtct Commissioner, that the sale
s.n Vas f.ke On ana .se mercy e s.s
hikher Prices and rents"
Such q statement" said Mr..
Browning. could eng nate only from
ese1sd or prejudiced mind, or from
the facts in regard to the co-oper.
atiye purchase Of apartment houses"
William e. Richards, who has also
soid APARTMENTS on the cooperative
plan. told the committee that the plan
should be encouraged and not discour-
Judge Isaac Gates. connected with
the FEDERAL Trade Commission. ap.
peared. as an owner Of an apartment,
sold on the co-opef9tive plan and gave
hts Endorsement to the plan also.
Dt1s1 % Laws Exte.sisn.
Edwin 4. Krauthon an owner Of
apartmant houses In Washington. con-
cluded histestimony begun yesterday.
Declaring that no present emergency
n the housing situation in Washing
ton, warrants a continuance OF the
Hail rent set. Other witnesses were
Mrs. p. =. MoreAeld Of the valois
apartment house, Mrs A Hart Of l84
Sth street. and Charles Davis Of l1l7
Euclid street all tenantA who pre-
ssntsd reasons Tor continuing the rent
Al the conclusion Of today's hearing
Senator Ball. chairman Of the cen,-
mittee.: announced that the hearings
would be continued at 10 an. tomoP-
row; and that thsy would be con-
Mr. Krauthon was the Arst witness
today. and he arHusd that tenants who
based their contentious that the rent
act should be continued on the
ground that they could not afford the
something not contained in the Bail
act He said that the owners Of prop
erty were entitled to get . fair re-
turn on thsir investment.
Objects t. Iatesfereace.
The witness said that he. and the
people he represented had desired to
buhd . hetei In Washington some
ms se ees tss sa' baannF Gos
terials, and the capital issues COM
mittee. regulating what money should
be loaned. had prevented this opera
tion. Now the rent commission was
processing, to tell them what terms
He said that when they could not
build the hotel they had traded the
lot for aA apartment housa.
We do not say that the rent COM
R,:.i.n TI.n;sa !. .,y, Sn,.ir =. ,ensingsd $ NJ:
. living. 1t Is not In the interest Of
the community to. extend the life Of
He said that At present . tenant
can lease an apartment, and, siSning
the lease. 70 Immediately to the rent
commission aad ask for : reduction in
the rent He also criticised the law
because It called upon the owners Of
property to make all kinda of de-
tailed reports to the rent commission.
causing them = great deal Of trouble,
He argnsd that II the government
see that they get apartments. It will
result in dfscouraging the building
of homes by these people.
Testify 01 Rent Raises.
Mrs. Morefeld testified that she had
rented IN apartment for $55 and IL
had been raised to $s5 and again to
$40. She said she had appealed to
the rent commission and had been
immediately notified by the owner OF
the apartment TO move out. on the
ground that he wanted the apartment
for his own use.
She said she continued to pay the
rent of SO until last month"; and the
owner seemed to be glad to have her
continue. but the rent commission.
she said. had fixed the rent At $s2.5
and last month she only paid that
amount. whereupon she received an
other notice to quit, the owner say
ing he wanted it for his own use. Mrs.
Noreheld said she had q yearly lease.
Mrs. A. Hart told the committee
that she occupied a small house which
originally rented at $50 month,
which was increased to $40 and then
to $50. The rent commission, she
said. had fixed the rent at $50. The
owner of the house, she said, was
seeking to get her out. Mrs. Hart
told the committee that her husband
Is employed by the government at
$1,000 year. They have six chill