Evening star., 1922-05-04
REALTORS PLEDGE
FAIR RENT" COURT
Promise Commission to De-
eide Speedily if Ball Act
Is Abolished.


Real Estate Board of the District
pledges itself to establish a voluntary
fair rent commission. whose services
will be free to everybody and which
will be able to fix rents while the rent
board would be thinking about them"
and to do it great deal more justly"
because they know the subject, Roger
]. Whiteford, special attorney for the
Real Estate Board. told the House Dis
trict committee today.
selashly speaking. the members of
the Real Estate Board are in favor of
the sort Of legislation contained in the
Ball rent act, because the real estate
men have made more money since this
law has been in effect, Mr.. Whiteford
told the committee. He explained that
it forces people to buy, and that the
real estate man makes more out of one
sale than he does by collecting rents
for fifteen years.
Would Exclude Business Sites.
Mr.. Whiteford~ also laid before the
committee a brief for the exclusio,
OF business properties from the Ball
rent act Business properties were
originally included, but the rent
board has not fixed rents on business
property.
William F. Guide, a member of the
District rent board, emphatically stat
ed today that the charge that fayorit.
ism was shown in fixing rents on the
Meridian Mansions. 2400 18th street,
are absolutely untrue"
Hearing On Today.
The hearing on the proposed lesis-
lation to continue the life of the Dis
trict rent commission for two years
are being continued this afternoon.
There will be no hearings tomorrow
morning, but the committee will re-
sumo work at 9 o'clock Saturday
morning. Arrangements were made
today that when the committee meets
on Monday, to redraft the bill, Chapin
Brown, attorney for the rent commits
sion. and George w. Linkins, a real
estate man, both of whom have
amendments prepared, are to meet
with the committee.
A representative of the legislative
drafting bureau will also be invited.
Representative Zihlman of MARYLAND
told the committee today that this
representative Of the legislative draft.
ing bureau has stated to him that the
bill as now drawn is impossible of en-
forcement and contradictory in its
terms.
Much of the time of the hearing to-
day was taken up with a continued
discussion of condolences in regard
to rents on the apartments occupied
by Senators Walsh, Culbertson and
Gooding in the Meridian Mansions,
and Representative Montague in the
which show these members
of Congress enjoying a lesser rental
than other tenants in similar apart
ments.
-, Unfair, Say Attorneys.
Both Attorney W. E. Humphrey, for
the owners Of the Meridian Mansions,
and Attorney Whiteford. told the COM
mittee that it was unfair that life
long residents Of the city, who have
enjoyed excellent business reputa-
tions for many years. should be ad-
vertised by action of the Rent Com
mission as 'shylocks, proflteers and
rent hogs
Mr.. Whiteford told the committee
that while about 1000. houses are now
under construction, not one of them
is for rent. People are being forced
to buy houses. he said, at prices
greater than eyer before, and he pre-
dicted that before long there will be
q very. great depreciation in their
value. In reply to a question from
Representative Keller Of Minnesota
Mr.. Whiteford said that If there were
no rent law the prices Of real estate.
would be lower and there would be
more houses for rent. What keeps
prices down Is rent competition" he
said, "and you have not that under
the rent law"
Proposes ExpedftinE Decisions.
Chaplin Brown, attorney for the Rent
Commission, resumed the stand yes
terday afternoon. He suggested that
if five commissioners are provided it
should be made possible for each
to hear cases and re-
port fndings1 to the full commission.
By thio means he thought the work
would b1Esxpedited to such an extent
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