Evening star., 1922-05-12
RENT COMMISSION
DOOM IS SEEN IN
HOUSE BLOCKADE
No Opportunity Of, Action
Likely Before May 22,
When Law Expires.
LAPSE WOULD TEST
HOUSING SITUATION

Representative Millspaugh Says
Evictions Would Result in
Tighter Curb.
The District Rent Commission in all
probability will die May %.
Although the House District COM
mittee, after extended hearings. has
reported a redrafted bill which would
extend the life of the commission TOT
two years, which bill contains a retro
active feature designed to cover any
lapse between the death Of the pres
entsrent law and the date when tne
new law would go into enect, legls
latiye leaders in the House have ruled
that there will be no opportunity 10
get this bill up for consideration pc
fore May %. when the present Ia"
expires
Had Representative Reed Of West
Virginia made a report yesterday on
the new rent bill, there would nave
been time to have gotten 1t on tne
unanimous consent calendar, with
prospect that recognition might nave
been secured on Monday next. Inc
rules of the House require that any
bill must be on the unanimous con-
sent CdlenQar tuTco Aot .'SAuA
ing Sunday, before it can be called up.
House leaders have frankly told the
members of special subcommittee
appointed to confer with them re-
garding giving the rent bill privi-
legged status on the House program
that there will be no opportunity Tor
it's consideration before the next DIS
trict day, May %. the date on which
the present law expires.
Time All Taken Up.
Chairman Campbell of the rules
mittee that rules have been author
ized which will take up all of the
time Of the House for the next two
weeks.
House Leader Mondell told the sub
committee that he would not object
to recognition for passage OF the pill
under suspension of the rules. bus
Speaker Gillett has said positively
that he will not give recognition to
call up this legislation. Although
Speaker Gillett is out of the city for
q few days and may still be absent
on Monday, there remains no chance
Of getting recognition, because Act
ing Speaker Walsh has stated that
he will not recognize any one who
has not already secured permission
from the Speaker.
The attitude of House Leader Nom
Uell anu OIuST' fNSEupSIS Va
the House is that by allowing the pres
ent rent commission to die, with re-
sultant lapse before a new rent law
goes into effect, an opportunity will be
afforded to see how the District rent
board will deal with the situation. If
a favorable situation is shown-that is,
If there is not any noticeable raising of
rents or eviction Of tenants. the House
leaders might be willing to let well
enough alone and consider the rent
eme rgency passed.
Might BE More Drastic.
If, however, the real estate men and
landlords take advantage of the lapse
between the expiration of the present
law and enactment Of any new law
which may be passed, they will find
those who opposed the rent legislation
at this time throwing their support in
favor of an even more drastic law. This
Millspaugh of Missouri, who led the op-
position to the bill under consideration
for extending the life of the rent COM
mission. Mr.. Millspaugh said:
I'm the event the Ball rent act ex-
pires before the passage of the pend
ing bill to extend 1t, or in the event
Of the failure of its passage, 1 desire
to impress upon the realtors and land
lords the Importance of exercising
good judgment in the conduct of
their business. I urge that they must
refrain from arbitrary Increases in
rentals and unwarranted evictions.
THE public will watch with interest
their actions, and II advantage is
taken Of the situation. it will cause
the speedy re-enactment of the act
and It's rigid enforcement.
THE war closed almost four years
ago, and all special legislation caused
by the war should be repealed as
Mt
so that business may resume its
normal conditions.
Il am of the opinion that realtors
and landlords are entitled to a test
of the effect the absence of the Ball
rent act will have, and am firm in
citation Of the conditions by realtors
and landlords the situation will
rapidly adjust itself to the satisfac-
ton Of all interests concerned.
my opposition to the re-enactment
Of the act is prompted solely in the
lief that the Ball rent act works a.
hardship upon the tenant and that
as soon as normal conditions are re-
stored the tenant will receive the
relief to which he is clearly en-
titled"
to the rent extension act proposed
by the House District committee,
Senator Ball, chairman of the SEN
ate District committee. said yester-
day that the bill appeared to be a
good one. He indicated that the Sem
ate probably would concur in the
proposed amendments unless the bill
should be further and materially
changed in the House.
Senator Ball said that he thought
in some respects the House commit
tee had improved on the Senate bill.
He said that he believes the Senate
should concur in the amendment, and
that the Senate would do so.