Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-03-01
DISTRICT RENT BILL !
IS REPORTED OUT
Senate to Act Early on Meas
ure to Extend Law
Two Years.

The bill extending the life or the
District rent act for two more years
was reported formally to the Senate
today from the District committee by
Senator Pomerene of Ohio. 1t now
goes to the Senate calendar. and II is
the purpose of Senator Pomerene anu
other supporters of the measure 10
call it up for action at the earnest
opportunity The existing rent ACT
expires May -, 1922. and il it Is to be
continued. action must be had on the
pending measure in the Senate ana
the House before that date.
Senator Pomerene filed written re-
port favoring the passage of the BILL
on the part of the committee. In his
report Senator Pomerene said:
Text of Report.
"Your committee finds that the
rental conditions in the District OF
Columbia which prompted the enact
ment of the original legislation. ap-
proved October. %. 1919. and the ex-
tension thereof as approved August
"A. 1921, continue to exist. II theH
have not grown worse. Your com
mittee is satisfied that if the present
law il permitted To expire rentals
will be unreasonably Increased 70 the
serious detrment of the tenant class.
This statement applies to both
business and dwelling property. After
business property was WlthuraWh
from the jurisdiction OF the rent COM
mission rentals were. as your COM
nittee believes, in very many m
stances extravagantly increased, and
excessive increases were frequently
demanded for apartments ana dWell-
inRs, and often where the tenant re-
\ fused to accept these increases the
landlords have refused to make leases.
awaiting the expiration OF the rental
act
"Your committee believes that the
present legislation as proposed to be
amended carefully protects the inter-
est of both the landlord and tenant
class, and will expedite the hearings
and decisions both before the rent
comm sision and the courts.
Change. Proposed.
"The principal changes in the pres
ent law are as follows:
"(a) The rent law is extended until
the I'D day Of May. 1924.
"(b) The rental Of business prop
critics, other than hotels. is returned
to the jurisdiction of the Rent Com
mission.
"(cy The membership of the COM
mission is increased to five members.
"(d) Two additional inspectors are
provided for.
"(e) Appeals from the Rent Com
mission to the Supreme Court of the
District are authorized. instead OF TO
the Court of Appeals of the District
"G) The jurisdiction of the Munic-
ipaI Court for the recovery of eN-
cess rents is extended so as TO per-
nit all suits to recover said rent be-
fore the Municipal Court. notwith-
standing the fact that the amount
involved may be in excess of $1,000.
"(g) The Rent Commission shall
not be required to pay costs or to
give bond in appeal.
"(h) Each member of the commits
sion is authorized TO conduct hearings
and receive evidence and certify the
same to the commission for final ac-
ton.
Excessive Rents Prevented.
THE committee believes that the
existence of the commission has been
a deterrent to the increase Of rents
which, except for the commission,
would have been excessively in
creased.
AT the same time the business be-
fore the commi Ssion has increased to
such an extent that with it's present
force the members are not able to
hear and determine all cases as
rapidly as they should be heard and
determined. to the dissatisfaction of
both the landlord and tenant.
I'VE have therefore. provided for
an increase in the membership of
the commission to five, and have au-
thorized the members to conduct
hearings and receive evidence and
make report thereof to the commits
sion as a whole, upon which its de-
cisions shall be based. We also au-
IhoriZe the employment of two in
spectors to be appointed by the COM
mission to aid them in investiga-
lions. In this way your committee is
convinced that the commission can
better and more speedily do the
work for which it was created
1.-THE docket of the Court of APP
peals of the District Is very much
crowded. and that fact has led to
and will continue to lead to I'M
necessary delays in the trial and
determination Of rent cases We
have thought it advisable. therefore.
to provide for an appeal from the
decisions of the commission TO the
United States Supreme Court of the
District instead of to the United
States Court Of Appeals of the Dis
trict. and we give priority to these
hearings"