Evening star., 1921-06-02
BALL ACT REPEAL
URGED AT HEARING
Advocated as Remedy to
Housing Situation in D. c.
by ReaItor.

the housing situation in the District
Of Columbia may get back to normal
as quickly as possible. was advo-
Gated by Bates Warren. builder and
real estate broker. before the Senate
District committee today.
Mr. Warren also recommended that
Congress increase the salaries Of all
federal and municipal employees in
the District. including the school
teacher1 % that these people may
be put into . position to pay . fair
rent. A third recommendation made
by Mr. Warren was that the intangible
tax on real estate mortgages be elm
mated This tax is three-tenths Of
! per cent Its elimination. Mr.. War
rem said. would have the effect Of
investors and would encourage build
ing.
Reaches These Csnelusions.
Mr.. Warren told the committee that
he had made an investigation Of con-
ditions in the District, and that he
had reached the following con-
clusions:
Il md an adequate number of
which are newly built and unoccupied
and possession can be given imme-
diately to purchasers.
I find that the owners of newly
built houses will not rent them. but
are holding them etric4ly for sale. I
also find that as old houses are va
Gated many Of them are withdrawn
from the rental market and held for
sale.
Il ind that there il m apparent
shortage in housing facilities for
rental purposes This condition ape
plies to apartments as wen as to
more noticeable In classes of prop
erty renting for less than 800 per
month.
Little Space for Cheap Rates.
Il find that there is practically no
vacant available space for rent or
sale at cheap rates-that is, pre-war
prices. Therefore it is beyond the
means, Of vast proportion of the
population of the District of Colum-
bia to hire suitable living quarters"
Mr.. Warren said that the supply
tanned because no law fixing the price
for which real estate should be sold
had been enacted. Many houses have
been built for sale. but few for rental
purposes. Few builders will rent
houses that they have for sale. Mr..
house so rented. under the Ball rent
act. would Immediately pass out of
their control.
Even though the rent for such q
building be fixed at what the parties
considered an adequate price by SOL
and tenant. such rent may be cut
down the next day by the rent COM
mission upon the application of the
tenant" the witness said.
Building Costs Increase.
Mr.. Warren said that he had found
the cost Of buildings has been increas-
ed since 1914 more than 100 per cent,
and that the money to finance any
building operation will cost about 8
per cent. For these reasons. he said,
it is out of the question to produce
cheap rental property.
'One of two things must happen,
said Mr.. Warren. Somebody will
have to house such people as are un-
able to pay a fair rent at a loss-this
estate to door. the income of these
people will have to be substantially
Increased. so that they can pay fair
rents"
Mr. Warren said that every indi-
vidual in private business and every
corporation has recognised the fair
ness and the necessity Of increasing
wages and salaries OF their employees
and have done 80 to the extent OF
about 100 per cent over the pre-war
argued that the shortage Of rental
property would keep rents high.
He was asked II per cent net in
come would attract builders OF apart
ment houses.
He replied that it was dificult to
that the rent law should have de-
fined more clearly rent income. He
said that he was strongly opposed to
any extension OF the rent act. and that
II it was extended there would be no
building for rental purposes.
Sees New Attempt to Raise.
In reply to a question by Senator
Ball as to whether rents would go
up after the expiration Of the Ball
law in October. Mr.. Warren said.
"I have no doubt that an attempt
win be made to increase rents when
the act expires. This would be. true
two years from October just as well
as in October. The quicker we get
back to normal. the sooner rents win
come down." -. ~
In reply to other questions Mr.. War
rem said that some of the tenants in
his apartment houses had appealed
to the rent commission, though COM
paratiyely few of them, and that tho
commission had reduced the rent.
Tells Of DiMeulty.
Mrs. Mabel A. Butler Of Dumbarton
Court testified regarding the dfficuity
OF obtaining possession Of apartments
purchased In cooperative buildings.
she said that she had bought an
apartment, but had been unable to
get possession because the tenant re-
fused to give 1t up.
Mrs Glars Sears Taylor. member Of
the rent commission, said that the
commission would imsnediateiy take
up and pass upon one OF these cases
involving possession OF an apartment
purchased In one OF the cooperative
apartment houses.
Senator Ball submitted to the com.
mittee . letter written him by Mrs.
Hoyt Chamberlain Of 1885 ! street
northwest, complaining that inequaii-
ties in rent in apartments similar In
construction and location now exist.
she mentioned an apartment Of two
rooms and bath renting TOR SIS to $50
Ii one anartment house. while two
larrer rooms and bath rented for $45
= month sinF IN even more desirable
Apartment hc0ee: CemmenftnG lnon
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