The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-18

flu61 HILL
Loans Would Be Made to Home
Builders Only, Under Engi-
neer's Scheme.
President Harding was today ask
cd to take steps to solve the rent
and housing problem In Washington.
While scores of citizens were at
the District building to support a
measure continuing the operation of
the ball rent act, w. E. Ryan, min
ing engineer of Fontonet Courts,
was at the White House filing his
/, proposed plan.
Wants 81, 900, 900 for Homes.
r. The Ryan plan is for the President
to cause $4,000. 900 to be appropriated.
/ or as much more as required, to be
loaned to residents Of Washington for
home building.
Details of the plan were filed at the
White House.
My plan Is to have the money
placed In the Federal Reserve Bank
and loaned to residents here at sui.
ncient interest to bear the expense of
today. =
IT object to having any of the money
used In building apartment houses or
houses for rent. 1t should be purely
for home building.
After the plan Is worked out for
Washington, 1t should be made avail
able for other cities which have hous-
ing problems and need Government aid.
Big Crowd Present.
The board room Of the District build
ing began to I'LL UP long before the
time set for the hearing, and when the
Commissioners entered the room 20
begin the hearings nearly every seat
dience was about evenly composed Of
men and women.
Commissioner Rudolph explained the
purpose OF the meeting. and said that
\ he would not listen to any arguments
on the constitutionality Of the act b.
catse this had been determined by the
Supreme Court Of the United States.
Charles H. Burke, the first witness,
said that while employed in canyassing
Il for o civic movement during the last
Il three months he had heard only one
y tenant who admitted she was not pay
II ing an exhorbitant rent. Samuel A..
II Pearl. who followed him, told the COM
II missioners that his landlord had raised
II his rent $50 q month and that the rent
was too much.
Mrs. r. 8. Smith. 1911 Adams MuI
road. told OF her struggles through the
|. courts before she could get back into
L aged by fire, and said that the owner
told her that an soon az the Ball rent
act had expired that he would put her
Blacklist Suspected.
q. w. Griffin. 1888 Meridian
place northwest, the next witness
| told the commissioners that thou
sands Of persons in Washington fear
the expiration of the Ball act. He
said he was paying $50 a month for
three-room apartment and that the
agent told him that he should pay
| SIS. He said that he had looked for
"a place for six months and had been
able to obtain one when one Of his
| fellow employees assigned him his
. lease. He said that 1t was the gen
|
| the real estate. agents maintained u
blacklist Of tenants who had refused
to pay the high rents asked and
| who had taken their case to the
| Rent Commission.
Cant Raise Children"
Mrs. Harry A. Horstman, a tenant
| in the Princeton apartment house,
1880 p street northwest, almost
broke down during her testimony
when she told the commissioners
that q woman cannot raise children
in one room, or be able to feed and
ulothe them II she was forced to
nay q high rent. When she refused
to pay the increased rent she said,
the agent told her that she was
making q mistake, because the
owner would put her out as soon as
the Ball rent act expired. She pre-
scented petition signed by other
tenants asking that the act be con-
finued. She also told the commission
That she had heard Of a blacklist
sept by real estate owners, but that
Ehe had no positive proof of it.