The Washington times., 1922-01-27
IS MON THIS
EXTENSION
IS FAVORED

Change in Personnel Of Com
mission Asked to Insure More
Equal Rulings.
The Rent Commission should
consist of a representative of the
property owners, representative
Of the renting class, and Of one
who should neither be the owner
Of property for renting purposes
nor a renter. This is one of the
Recommendations made by the
Commissioners in their report on
the Pomerene measure, which would
extend the District rent act for
sixteen months after the present
act expires next May.
Submitted Today.
The Commissioners sent their re.
port to Senator Ball, chairman OF
the Senate District Commute, TO-DAY.
In their report the Commissioners
''The Commissioners feel that It Is
inadvisabie TO extend the provisions
Of the Ball rent act for period
Of two years. They do feel, however,
that an extension Of about one and
one-half years, that is until October
1. 1921. may re advisable. The Com
rnfssioners believe that the law
sholl6 he amended in some respects.
''1. The rent commission should
consist Of a representative OF the
property owners, representative or
the renting class, and OF one who
should he neither the owner OF prop
erty for renting purposes nor
"2. The attorney Of the commits
sion should represent the public as
q whole and not merely the renting
class.
7"a. The rent commission should
have AN inspection force sufficient
70 View the property involved In any
case before It. as It seems impracti.
cable that the commission itself
should DO this work.
80. T31e law. should be 90 amended
az to make Il practicable and mex
nsive for a bona fide purchaser
Of property for dwelling purposes TO
got possession Of said property with
out DELAY. To avoid the possibility
Of mischance the law should pro-
vide that in such cases the apparent
purchaser win in good faith occupy
the property, and machinery should
be provided TO verify this fact.
Lease Safeguard.
''5. There should be a provision to
enable the owner Of property to get
rid Of objectionable tenants or Of
those who Use the property in an OBJ
jectionable way.
IS. There should be a provision to
prevent a tenant who has signed a
lease from appealing to the COM
mission to break the terms of the
leese relating to the amount Of the
agreed rent.
81. Section 100 Of the law prohibits
the tearing down or razing Of any
rental property used for residential
purposes, unless new rental property
for residential purposes 10 con-
structed. The Commissioners believe
that this provision In detrimental to
the proper development Of the Dis
tr1ct and that II should be stricken
from the act.
eff Justice can be done to all con-
oefned under the provisions of the
rent law, there II no doubt that they
should be extended for a time. The
law IN, however, unusual, and in its
Interpretation and operation It appears
that some injustice may have been
done.
The rent Law Is administered by n
commission with power to ascertain
the facts In any case through court
process. and there ID no doubt this
commission has attempted to act
equally. II might perhaps be stated,
however. that with the large number
OF cases Il was compelled to handle
and the lack Of an adequate force of
investigators, not all Of the facts could
be ascertained. Until a recent date, II
was not provided with an attorney. so
that II was compelled to act as prose.
cutor az well as Judge.
House Shortage Problem.
To relieve the rent situation where
the demand for homes Is In excess of
the supply, It Is necessary either to
reduce the demand or increase the
supply. It Ia not believed that the
demand can be very materially re-
duced. In fact. with reasonably &C.
tive business conditions, II is likely
that the demand will grow in
healthy way. As to the increase in
supply, II seems well established that
~ long as the Rent Act remains. II
WIN diminish the incentive to capital
adequately teo meet the situation. To
extend the provisions Of the Act will
therefore merely postpone the time
when the present stringency will be
corrected.
Undoubtedly, II the Act ia not ex.
tended, for a comparatively short
time, unwise and interruptions prop
erty owners will seek to take advan.
tage and will demand exorbitant rents.
This very tendency will serve as an
inducer1ent to engage in the profitar
BILE business Of erecting property for
renting. Without being able to pre-
dict Just when condition of stability
WIN be reached, probably the period
WIN be short, and then there will once
more be. al there has been. a larger
supply OF renting property than the
demand, and then rents will tend to
decline