Evening star., 1921-06-07
Rate BY MaflPayable In Advance.
MARYLAND and Viryinia.
Fair Rentals-Fixing Legislation.

Fair Rentals-Fixing Legislation.
The District rents act is declared
by its terms to be made necessary by
emergencies growing out Of the war
with the imperial German govern
ment. resulting in rental condi-
tons dangerous to the pub
lie health and burdensome to public
officers and employees there
by embarrassing the federal govern
ment in the transaction of the public
business" It is also declared to be
Temporary legislation" terminating
two years from October %, 1919, un-
less sooner repealed.
Renewal of an emergency temporary
law is re-enactment- It Is agreed
that to make necessary reenactment
Of the rents law there must exist emer-
gencies growing out Of the war with
Germany which result In 1921, as in
1919. in rental conditions dangerous
to the public health, burdensome to
public officers and employees and en-
barrassing the federal government In
the transaction of the public business.
The same conflicting considerations
Of community interest and policy
which clashed when the law was en-
acted in 1919 are found in collision in
The purpose Of fair rents legislation
Is commendable. 1t attacks and aims
to prevent the wartime evl OF extor-
ton by excessive rents. In respect
to one item and In one spot In the
United States it seeks to reduce by
arbitrary methods the high cost Of hv-
ing during war and during the period
Of post-bellum reconstruction
Genuine, effective far-rents legisla-
ton would naturally be popular 10
ca1y. There are far more Washing
ton tenants than Washington land
lords. Only factian Of Washington
landlords are accused Of prof1teering.
Non-profiteertng landlords and house
owners whose property Is threatened
with increased taxes as a result of ex-
cessive rents extorted by others are
in hearty sympathy with tenants. All
good Westinghouse would check if
they could the war Of reprisals be-
tween landlords and tenants which has
ragged to the injury Of the District
They would make substantial sacri-
fices to eliminate an evil for which the
unthinhing by too broad generalia-
ton hold this whole community re-
sponsfh}e to fhe damage Of the good
repute Of the capital.
These sacrifices should, however, be
reduced by C0gress to a minimum,
only those that are absolutely essen
tial being demanded. and the period
Of their endurance being limited strict
ly to the time required to meet the
necessities Of the case.
The benefits which Washington
hoped from the equitable fixing Of
rentals by an impartial rents commits
sion have been realized only in part.
The commission, while it has worked
faithfully. has not been able to func-
constitutionahty was being tested in
the courts.
If Congress decides that the emer-
gency justifying the rents act still
exists to a sufficient extent to warrant
continuance and further trial of our
fair rentals-fdng commission, the op-
portunity in the course Of re-enacting
the law to correct inequitable features
Of it will not wisely be neglected.
When the law was enacted it was
pointed out that the scope Of its ap-
plication was unnecessarily broad, in
that it applied not merely to the real
estate involved in the nations war
housing necessities, such as dwellings
or parts of dwellings,, apartments and
rooms. but to every piece of District
real estate, whether land built upon
for business purposes or vacant,
whether mimproved lot or cultivated
garden or farm. 1t was argued that
II Congress decides that as a choice
OF evils it must, as the Districts Iesis-
lature. impair for the wartime and
after-war reconstruction period the
obligation Of certain District leasing
contracts. it should not work this i'm
pairment indiscriminately and wan
tonly. but should confine this impair
ment to the absolute minimum which
meets the nations war necessities.
Congress will wisely in re-enacting
the rents law give renewed censidera-
tion to the contention that it should
narrow the scope Of application of the
rentals-fixing law to the real estate
distinctly involved IN the war neces-
sites, thus reducing to minimum un-
avoidable discriminatory violations Of
the spirit of the Constitution and Of the
individual constitutional rights Of the
Americans Of the District.
A new fairfents law, impartial be-
tween landlord and tenant. wm be 30
framed as o. to avoid un-American
class legislation solely and unfairly in
the interest Of tenants, holding lessurs