Evening star., 1922-08-15
400 RENTS ORDERED
CUT At CHASTLET0N
Reductions From $40 to $50
Made in Most important
Ruling in Boards History.
ALSO REDUCE VALUATION
Members Of Congress Delighted by
Unexpected Action-One Mans
Rate Boosted.

j Substantial reductions in rent OF
virtually all of the approximately 40'
, apartments in the Chastleton apart
ment house, 18th and r streets, al
fecting a number OF Representatives
in Congress and other prominent men
were ordered today by the Distric
Rent Commission.
In the most lengthy determination
ever handed down in a rental case BY
the commission, the various apart
ments were reduced in rent from $1t
to $50 each, with few exceptions. re.
sulting in an approximate annual
rental decrease Of about $4,000. In
addition, the commission fixed the
value of the property at $4,000, 900
about 100000 less than the present
owner, a Wilmington, Del, holding
corporation, is said to have paid fol
the building and grounds.
Representatives Surprised.
Coneressmen returning to the city
were pleased to learn that marked
rental reductions greeted them to.
day. Representative P. G. Ten Eych
of New York was handed a surprise
package in the form Of q SIS lower.
ing from his former rent Of $3.50 q
month. Representative NJ. e. Rhodes
of West Virginia received $10
monthly decrease, making his new
rate $3.50 a month. Representative NJ
C. Ansorge of New York, had his rem,
cut from Sis to ss5 q month. Rep
resentative W.. H. Kirkpatricls OF
Pennsylvania obtained a reduction OF
from Ss5 to $50 a month.
Ass,stanf Attorney General NJ. w.
wfllerbrandt, who occupies apart
ment sos. will receive the benefit of q
s25 reduction from $95 month. The
Royal Hungarian legation. which is
located in apartments 42f and 4z4
had its rate lowered from 1855 to
nethy, pastor Of Calvary Baptist
Church. where President Harding
often attends, was granted q $50 de-
crease in his former rent of 1920 a
month. =
rftts' Rent Increasea.
G. Bryan Pitts, one of the defense
witnesses in the protracted chastle-
ton hearings, Jared differently. His
three apartments, which he is said
to have been renting for $500 a
month, will in the future cost him
1926 a month.
The price-fxing on the Chastleton
property was undertaken by the rent
commission on its own initiative
after members of the commission had
received numerous requests for rent
al adjustments from tenants, 1t was
explained. In point of number OF
apartments affected. and size of the
building, the determination today
marks the most important decision
ever reached by the commission
Probably the next largest determine
tion was handed down in the Merid-
ian Mansions case some months ago
Means s.s Per Cent Return.
The commission, in accordance with
law, also fixed the annual allowance
to be made by the owners for MAIN
tenance, repairs. taxes, service and
all other expenses connected with
operating, the apartment house. The
sum fixed was $4,000. The COM
missions estimated net return. to the
owner upon the value of $2,00o.oo0
established by the decision is S.s per
cent.
The determination was signed by A.
Leftwich Sinclair. Clara Sears Tay-
Tor and william r. GUIDE. The FIRST
akep In. arranging the new rental
schedule was5taken last February.