Evening star., 1921-08-11
SENATE DISCUSSES
BALL RENT BILL
Brought Up on Floor for Con-
sideration After Several
Delays.

The bill extending for seven
months the District rent act was
brought up in the Senate today by
Senator Ball. But immediate consid-
GRAFTON was deferred for some time
while Senator King of Utah addressed
the Senate on the situation in Rus
sia.
Senator King, a member of the Dis
trict committee, opposed to the ex-
tension of the rent act, made it clear
today that he would not attempt to
obstruct action on the bill, although
he would vote against it. AS mat
ter OF fact, he has aided Senator Ball
to get the bill before the Senate for
consideration. and it is now the un-
nnished business of the Senate. SEN
ator King was followed by Senator
Pltman of Nevada, who discussed the
suggested recess of the Senate
Measure Discussed.
1t was late in the afternoon before
the Ball bill was allowed to come in
Tor discussion. Senator Lenroot. argu-
Ing in support of the constitutionality
of the act, said that throughout the
debate opponents of the measure had
assumed that this bill, if constitutional
at all. must rest on the proper eXer-
else OF the war powers of Congress-
Ihe friends of the measure, Senator
Lenroot said, do not rest on the war
powers; if this legislation is constitu-
tlonal it is not under the war powers,
put through the provisions of the Con-
stltutlon. which delegate to Congress
the right to legislate for the District
OF Columbia and the question whether
lnis is rlghtfql exercise of the police
powers of Congress.
only one question can arise and
that Is. whether it is in violation of
otner provisions of the Constitution
!eiatlhs 10 the rights of property. 1t
is question whether the police
power or Congress over the District
OF Columbia in behalf of the general
public can infringe upon properly
rights. Congress has limited property
owners rights as to the height of build
ings and to usuary.
The Supreme Court in this case de-
claea that whenever an exigency ex-
istsu creating menace to public
welfare the renting of buildings be.
came of public interest. but that if
the same conditions had arisen from
causes other than the war the iuris-
olctlon OF Congress was the same
over the District
Went Over Yesterday,
For few minutes yesterday after
noon 1t looked as If Senator Bali
might get an early vote on the Dis
trict rent bill, but the fair prosnect
faded and the bill went over until to-
Gay: Late in the afternoon Senator
Ball called up the rent bill. for con-
sideration. and then out of courtesy
yielded to Senator Hef1in of Aha
bama to call up private bill which
was supposed to entail no discussion.
But Senator Hef1in became engaged in
a controversy with Senator La Fol-
iette, which ended by the Alabamian
declaring his intention Of talking all
afternoon on general subjects in re-
taliation for not being able to pass
his private bill. Senator Ball and the
rent bill suffered the fate Of the inno-
cent bystander in this melee
The Senate frustrated this purpose
by going into executive session for
three hours to consider a nomination,
and. when the doors were opened, ad-
journed.
PasAage Seen.
The Senate will pass the Ball bill,
according to Senator Knox of Penn
sylvania- who was in conference with
the President at the White House to-
day.
Senator Knox said he is heartily in
favor of the regulation of the hous-
ing situation in the capital. and he
has been lending his personal sup
port to the passage of the Ball bill.
He said he feels confident that it will
pass with good majority. He ex-
planned that he has lived in Wash
ington quite number of years, and
he therefore is in a position to Judge
fairly the renting problems From
his observations, the Ball act has been
highly satisfactory thus far, and
there is no question about the neces-
sity for an extension of the act