Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-08
CALLS RENT ACT
ANUTTER FAILURE
Mrs. Kern BIames Present
Home Shortage on Ball
Act Alone.

| Scarcity of homes in tho Distric, of
columbia is blamed on The Ball rent
act by Mrs. Edith kinEman Kern.
, former member OF The board OF eon-
cation and past national president
! of the League Of American Pen
! Women Mrs. Kern. who is d mem
per OF the local bar. announced TO-DAY
that she is in thorough agreement
with Henry r. Brigham and with tn
iousekeepers' Alliance regarding M.
effect of this law.
she stated that the representatives
OF home owners and home seekers. a.
wei as small investors. should en-
ter into public discussion of The
W ashington. in order that some solu-
| .loh may be found TO bring about i'm
proved conditions. or at least get
start along that line"
80 Tar as | have observed and eX-
peri"nced," said Mrs. Keru's STATE
ment, Il think it is not too much ,,
say that the lack of housing capacity
| IN the District is directly traceabIe 10
the pernicious effects of the Ball rem
tct, which, though designed to cure
ms thIs very shortage, after trial of
lhree years has grossly failed to do
50. Inc shortage Of homes is grow
ing.
Proved a Failure
IF this is the case. and il seems to
be, isn't it time to try some other
remedy" asks Mrs. Kern. "Wou,d
business man or a professional one
or a housekeeper, or parent or
sedcher continue using any method
i9r Longer time when the result, Il.
the end OF such a trial presented an
d universal
sheer folly. every reasonable person
VIII admit it. and yet. at the end
OF three years trial of the Ball
rent act, to cure this lamentshIe
condition. less homes and small anari
ments are being built. home-see5ers
are hndlng il harder to locate their
lafhllleS. small Investors are growing
more tlmld about investing. landlords
are AFRAID TO rent. builders say their
clients are afraid to build and the
rent commission. designed TO enforce
the law, is finding itself swamped in
controversies and has to be enlarged
VERSES. Regarding the housing sim
alton, everything seems to b,. in A
hopeless state.
The District. like other places. has
s MnaI might be termed d housing
sickness. being mostly i'll regarding
homes for persons of moderate in
comes. 1t has been given the Bal
rent act to cure il. 1t does not cure
IN TACT II IS growing worse. so now
the experts are proposing to give II a
heavier dose of the same medicine
by adding to the law which controls
homes law which will include the
control of business also. Is it reason
able to expect the patient to survive?
No "For Rent" Signs.
Are there not any vacant houses
to be found in the District? Yes
there are quite number. but almost
every one has for sale sign on il
instead of for rent sign. There's a
reason for 1.-THE Ball rent law
Under the Constitution a contrac,
IS lmpregnable, but under the Ball
rent act it is not. The tenant eets
MS rent reduced probably: at least.
ne mas in many cases, because the
members of the Rent Commission are
tate values, and no matter how CON
scientous they are. they are there t.
administer this act. and bv the act
they are permitted to do this very
thing.
The owner must accept this dec
sion, unless he can afford to carry il
before the Court of Appeals. which
very few small investors can afford
True, he can appeal for a rehearinG.
and enter the list again and have his
turn to wait, but he probably will de-
eide to wait until the lease expires
and then get his property back.
Mrs. Kern states that on gaining
possession of his property the owner
VIII offer it for sale rather than rent
II and run the risk of being involved
IN further complications.
The nationwide cry against the
Ban act, aroused to a large extent by
Henry X. Brigham, will be listened To
very soon by those having the pow
er to change the law, Mrs. Kern con-
cludeS