The Washington herald., 1922-05-07
HOUSE COMMITTEE
FINISHES HEARINGS
DN BALL RENT ACT
Favorable Report Expect.
ed After Executive Ses-
sion Tomorrow.
BOTH SIDES HEARD
Commission Said to Have
7Saved People $4,000 a
Year in Rentals.
BOTH SIDES HEARD

hearings on the Ball rent act
were terminated by the House Dis
tzot Committee yesterday and a.
fasorabIe report on the bill is ex-
pertsd to follow the executive ses-
sion of the committee tomorrow.
La ndlords and tenants were
given an equal chance to be heard
yesterday after which il was
agreed the hearings should close.
John e. weedon. real estate man,
told the committee he had expert
eufsed little trouble with the Rent
Commission and believed the inef-
fertiveness of the rent law was due
tosthe shortcomings Of the Cmmis-
sidn rather than to the law itself.
Explains LaadIOrds' side.
Representative Elliott w. Sproul.
OF Chicago. a former contractor,
explained he was not opposed to
thh Bali rent act if it Uere shown
that its provisions were beneficial
tolthe public But in great many
Instances. SprouI contended. testi-
mehy had been offered which Ieft
thk impression that the landlord
hzd profteered when the actual
statistics proved the landlord was
nor making seven per cent on his
Investment.
. Building materials have advanced
more than 100 per cent and land
hsd increased in value proportion
ately. he pointed out. The rep
resentative then read into the
record a statement which showed
tho cost OF operating the Rem Com
mission from 1919 to the present
time Deducting the balance of
SB,ST9.2S on hand. the rent com
mission from August. 1919. to date,
Rag spent 10000 and during that
t'pe the Commission claims to have
saved the people more than s7O.OO0
a year in rentals.
Tells of Increase.
Edward c. Britton. former secre-
tsfy to Secretary Of the Navy Dam
ielS. testified his landlord had at
tempted to increase his rem. from
To $50 per month, hut bv an
psaling To the Rent Commission he
had been able to retain his apart
mint for S52.
Rritton testified that recently his
landlord had died and the heirs
were about TO carry the case back
10 the Rent Commission to obta n
$50 for the apartment
representative Frank NilIspaugh
read into the record a statemen-
of'the Housekeepers' Alliance. ask
ing that the rent law he discon-
tfued. arguing that il was a
menace to homeowners.
Amendment offered. = ~
Representative William G. Ham,
MFR asked that the following
aRendment be considered by the
Members Of the committee in their
erecutive session tomorrow:
r'Amend Section 10 by adding
tSereto the following:
c'NO dispute Of any notice to quit
made by a tenant before the COM
mission under this section shall be
htld to suspend or postpone the
payment of rent for the premis ses
Occupied by the tenant pending the
fiRRl determination Of the dispute
atd the acceptance of rent for sa--
ptNmises by the landlord after the
nttice in dispute has expired shall
n5t be held to operate as a waiver
of said notice"
TFollowinE the hearing it was
rgnored that a new bill transfer
rhr the authority OF the Rent Com
u1ssion to the Municipal Court
NApuld be introduced before the ex-
eestive session Of the House Dis
ttjet Committee had been con-
cGided Members Of the committed
Nlere aware that an attempt would
ne made to abolish the Rent Com
u5sSion. hut would not give az
opinion as to the adviss bility OF
such change