Evening star., 1922-02-07
Tenants Ask, Owners Oppose
Extension of Ball Rent Law
n XTENSION of the Ball rent act,
X which is SO written as to expire
May % next, is proposed by a

X which is SO written as to expire
May % next, Is proposed by
bill now pending in the Senate.
consideration Of which by the District
committee of that body is expected at
it's scheduled session tomorrow. This
extension, if enacted, will be the second
prolongation of the life of the statute,
originally written to run for two years
from October %. 1919. The present pro-
posal is to continue the act in force for
two years The Commissioners have
recommended that this extension be re-
duced to eighteen months in the belief
that that period will suffice to restore
the desired balance between supply and
| demand of housing accommodation in
war conditions.
The Ball act was an emergency
meas sure, designed to meet an excep-
tional condition caused by unusual cir
cumstances. Its extension in 1921 for
, a period Of seven months was in the
nature of a re-enactment. 1t was made
by Congress in the light of the decision
of the Supreme Court sustaining the
law against the charge of unconstitu-
tionality. The court upheld the act on
the ground that it was necessary
measure to meet an emergency due to
war, and also because in its view the
property rights of owners were assured
of equitable protection through court
review. 1t is necessary now for
Congress to consider whether a second
re-enactment is requisite, whether in
short. the emergency still exists.
j: X
Without doubt the present demand
for extension of the law is due to
fear on the part of tenants-in which
class are included many members of
Congressional as soon as the act eN-
pires and the rent regulating procedure
is abandoned. house owners will pro-
ceed to advance rents extortionately.
This fear has been unquestionably
whetted by the attitude of some of the
/ landlords, who have shown a DISPOSE
ton at every stage to make the most
of the fact that the housing supply is
not adequate to meet the demand. This
is not true of the majority. but it is
impossible for Congress to differentiate.
and that inability is at present deter
| mining factor in promoting the chance
OF re enactment or extension.
The government itself precipitated
this condition by its declaration of war
and the assemblage here for war pur-
poses of great numbers of temporary
workers. swelling the population sud-
denly by nearly 100000 without any
corresponding increase in accommoda-
tion. Tardily and inadequately the
government contributed to the facili-
ties. erecting a group of hotels ac-
commodating several hundred individ-
uals. This was hardly appreciable
factor. Long before these buildings
! were occupied the congestion had reach
ed climax.
Its only remedy foy the situation
thus created by the government has
been this series of enactments regu-
lating the rents by submission to a
with power to revise leases subject to
appeal to the District Court of Appeals.
| Immediate challenge of the law by
property owners virtually destroyed
the effectiveness of the commission
during the greater part of it's first term,
and. Furthermore, it lacked the serv-
ices of an attorney, even as now it has
no inspection force as a supplement
and aid. Affirmation of the law by
the court. even though only by a ) to 4
vote. and re-enactment for seven
months have greatly increased the eff
cheney of the commission. a fact which
is now cited in opposition to further
extension on the ground that an eff
cient commission is most Objectionable
The Commissioners. in their report
on the bill of extension. expressed
the belief that condition of stability
and they urge a period of year and
half from the date of the next ex-
piration-that. is until October l..
1923-for further observation. They
point out that as long as the rent act
remains it will diminish the incentive
to capital adequately to meet the sit
| uation by building for rental purposes.
and that an extension of the act will