The Washington times., 1921-05-25
RENT HOGS
GRIP CITY, !.
SAYS GUIDE:
Housing Arbitsrs Unanimous In
Denouncine Conditions Here
a. Growing IntolerabIe,

There is a certain element here
which would run wild If the Rent
/, Commission were abolished" de
clared William F. GUIDE, member of
the Rent Commission, before the
Senate District Committee today.
PROFrTEERs IMPORTED.
(. 'T have discovered, during my
month on the commission that a lot
OF these profiteers are importations,"
he adde. Many of the worst ones
have been In Washington only a few
months"
Senator Ball. chairman of the
committee. said that In his opinion.
: there were rs per cent of the real
estate men here who make the sky
the limit. and they are the ones
who cause all the trouble"
The emergency today is just as
J great as II was two years ago" de-
clared James F. Oyster. District Com
missioner. Excessive rentals are be-
int asked and / don't see how the
government employees can stand any
additional expense.
DIsGlsACEFUL SAYS OYSTER.
The way that these people (refer-
ring to certain real estate interests)
are handling the situation by refus-
ing to rent property and holding IL
Tor sale is disgraceful. ! am sorry
to say this. gentlemen"
Unanimous testimony was given by
all the members OF the Rent Commits
sion that conditions now are just as
bad as they were two years. ago. and
that the expiration of the commission
next October would be the signal for
other increases.
Corprni xsionsr Ct,dH dafeuded th>
Rent Commission. saying that 1t wAs
a protection to the landlords as we'll
as to the tenant.
81 have to pay for my business
property from three 70 four hundred
per cent more than l did Ave years
ago." said Mr.. GUIDE. But there is
some justification for the landlord.
Coal, fve years ago. cost him from
three to four dollars ton. while
IL NOW costs him from twelve to
thirteen dollars ton. The janitor,
the ash man and the freshman were
all spoiled by the war. They are
more Independent now and doing less
work for double the money they were
getting before.
TOO MUCH CONGESTION.
Mys. Clara Sears Taylor, member
OF Che rent commission, testified re-
garding the congestion of Govern
She said that there were scores of
cases where four and five people were
living in one room.
There has been very little increase
in housing facilities in Washington
during the past three years." she
said. yet the permanent population
of the city has been very much in
creased
One interesting point brought out
during the testimony was that the
District Health Department had in
formed the Rent Commission more
than a year a go, that a greet many
. deaths during the influenza epidemic
had been caused by unsanitary condi-
tions in which apartment houses were
kept.
Senator Goodine, q new member Of
the Senate District Committee, in
sisted that the Rent Commission
should Commence playing ball right
away" by making a general survey of
all rental properties and fixing rentals
on a systematic basis, whether COM
plants had been made by tenants or
not.
Senators Bail and Wesley Jones OF
Washington said that their experience
was that rents are still being in
creased. although the cost of living
generally is going down.
CONDITIONS CHAOTIC.
Practically all of the testimony
given before the committee today was
to the effect that a chaotic situation
would exist IL the Rent Commission
seemed to be Strongly of the opinion
that the Rent Commission act be con-
tinued for at least two years more.
The committee will reconveae at 10
o'clock next Tuesday morning.
A number Of real estate operators
attended today's hearing and prob
ably will be heard at the next hear
ing. They attempted to get in some
testimony today, but were cut of by
Senator Ball. 4. s. Kennedy, one
of the owners OF the apartment
house at 2400 sixteenth street, arose
to deny the charge that the rentals
in his apartment house were ex-
orbitant but will be given an op-
pQrtunity to appear later.