The Washington herald., 1921-06-16
COMMITTEE VOTES
TO ADD MONTHS
TORRENT ACT'SLFE
Garages and Businesses
Exempted Under the
Amendment.

An amendment prolonging the
life of the rent law seven months
from October % next was agreed
upon yesterday by the Senate Dis
trict Committee.
Garages and other business con-
Germs will be exempted from it's
provisions and an attorney will be
employed. his salary to be decided
following another conference or
members Of the committee.
Senator l.. Heisler Ball. cs~,irman
of the committee. had contemplated
asking Congress to extend the law
two years on the ground that the
emergency under which the Rent
Commission was created during the
war had not passed and that ex-
orbitant rents are still being
charged.
brokers Deny II.
Real estate brokers and landlords
protested that rates are not ex-
orbitant: that the public could solve
the problem. and that the law was
creating unrest and falling short of
justice. Some of them held IL
should be repealed. Members Of
the Senate committee were not all
agreed that the law should be con-
tinued after October %. but the
compromise was reached on the be-
lief that the period OF nearly a year
in which IL would be in force will
bring adjustments.
II was pointed out that spring is
the moving time for many; that the
government forces will be greatly
reduced by next May and that thou
sands of washingtonians will be
leaving the city for the summer.
thus enabling tenants and owners
to get their bearings following the
long wrangIe that resulted from
wartime conditions.
Senator King, OF Utah. who has
been outspoken in his objection TO
the law as a transgression of pri-
vate affairs and was against any
extension, agreed to the amend
ment to prolong the law seven
months. but gave no indication that
he would vote for IL.
Action Next Week.
Eight members OF the committee
Of sixteen were present. Senator
Ball being in charge. The report is
to be made to the Senate as soon
as the amendment is drawn. II may
be ready tomorrow. The Senate
will act on the bill when IL is
reached on the calendar, probably
within the coming week.
Scores of suggestions were re-
ceIved in the pile of letters and petit
tions which the committee found be-
/ fore IT yesterday. Many tenants were
among those demanding a continue
| ton OF the law, some declaring the
public Is q prey for a system of rent
| prohteering that. has no bounds ex-
cept what may be placed by the
rent commission in behalf of those
courageous enough to complain.
Some OF the tenants letters declared
there were thousands of vacant
rooms. apartments and houses. and
expressed the belief that IL rents
were reduced the landlords as well
as the tenants would pront
| Complaint also was made against
the practice OF placing apartments
refusing to rent them, thus shutting
people out who needed shelter.
Owners Present Plants
Owners complained of their in
ability to get possession when leases
expired; OF the refusal of tenants to
pay necessary increases and of the
constant costs for material and labor
The problem of building houses and
obtaining fair returns on invest
ments was also advanced, white
others declared building has been
largely held up because of the in
reference with the normal trend OF