Evening star., 1922-04-22
RENT PROB[EMP PUT
Up TO COMMISSION
Brigham Declares Conf
dence of Owners and Build
ers Must Be Won.

If the Rent Commission wants more
houses built for rental purposes it
must win the confidence OF property
owners and investors by fully recog-
nizing real market, sale and rental
Values" in the opinion OF Henry r.
Brigham of Boston. member Of the
Commissioners housing committee.
This belief was expressed by Mr..
Brigham in letter received today by
housing committee.
Mr.. Brigham suggests that the sur
vey Of the city now being made by a
Der of old vacant houses for sale
which formerly were rented.
The relief of this situation" he
wrote. and the building of more
houses to rent after the market for
houses for sale has been exhausted
assume that it is to be continued. ]
have not made a hrst-hand investiga-
ton Of the work of the commission,
and 1t may be that I, as we'll as
others. am prejudiced through its
failure to publish reports showing it's
methods. practices and policies In de-
tail. but know that IL 1t wishes more
houses built for rent 1t must gain the
confidence OF property owners and in
vestors. It can do this IL it will
rental values and the increases in
these values due to construction costs
and the lack of supply, and II it will
not interfere except in extreme
cases
Opposes Bond Issue.
Issuance of ss.ooo,o00 worth of
bonds by the District government
with which to build homes for alley
dwellers when those places Of abode
are closed by law is opposed by Mr..
Mr.. Brigham, that we should not
settle this question by simply ask
ing for q bond issue by the District.
which in my opinion is an admission
modations can be built to take the
place of the alley houses and in
vestors can get their principal back
in twenty years with per cent in
terest, there IL no use in applying
for a government loan. There has
ernmental or municipal housing ven
ture that has been on a business
basis. An appeal for a bond issue,
therefore. means that we know that
the building cannot be done with
out loss and, therefore, we will get
TIC taxpayers 10 pay Tile loss.
Situation Needs study.
II believe that this committee
should seek the cooperation of COM
petent architects and builders to study
the alley situation and to make def-
mite concrete plans for building the
most suitable and economical houses
possible to take the place Of these
alley houses.
Let us get the best plans that We
can and nnd out just what the real
costs will be. believe myself that II
by forming q company to do this
work on a iarge-scale production.
using perhaps concrete as has been
suggested, housing accommodations
can be built for these people on q
business basis without governmental
financial assistance. 1t means coop
Grafton In making plans and getting
a company organized, and 1t may
mean getting the owners OF land to
take stock in the company in pay
ment for their land. and for contrac-
tors and others to take stock in pay
ment of. their; legitimate profits. II
you car do that and can get the
houses built at prices that can be
rented to yield per cent on the In.
vestment, the matter can be financed
without governmental assistance, and
this committee will do real public
service"