Evening star., 1922-05-02
DENIES PART|AL|TY
Introducing RENTS
Mrs. Taylor Defends Action
of Board at Hearing Be-
fore Committee.

The House today granted Representa-
tive Reed Of West Virginia. in charge
of the House District committees hear
ings on the resolution. which has al
ready passed the Senate, to extend the
life OF the Ball rent act for two years.
permission ITO hold sessions afternoons
and evenings while the House is in ses-
sioh.i and hearings on the measure were
resumed this afternoon. When efforts
failed at the meeting today to limit the
length Of the hearing, and when Rep
resentative Miilspaugh Of Missouri de-
clined to consent to night hearings. it
was decided to ask permission of the
House to hold hearings while that body
is in session.
ysFst !witnessss HsRgs ~
A, Leftwich Sinclair. pssAirman of
tAR nistrict Rent Coinnstssion. and
s31fs Taylor, Al4e q menhs
tef 'tf the Sccfnmissfon4 RerS the wit
rlesses, before the committee today
The House District committee con-
sists of fitwenty-one members. At no
of the committee in attendance: and
most Of the time only five. Chairman
Focht is out of town and the hear
ings are in charge OF Representative
Reed OF West Virginia. Representa-
tive Roy o. Woodruff Of Michigan, on
whose motion the Bal1-rent bill was
taken up. and Representative Ralph
Gilbert sof Kentucky the ranking
democrat, who Is emphatically op-
posed to the bill, were not present.
Most Of the time todaH was taken
up by an attempt by Mr.. Sinclair and
Mrs. Taylor to justify the action OF
the rent board of its own initiative
in the Meridian Mansions. 2400 18th
street, while nearly q thousand cases
of poor people were awaiting action.
Mrs. Taylor Denies Partially.
Mrs. Taylor protested In reply to
charges that the rent commission had
shown partiality toward senator's and
other wealthy and influential per-
sons that nothing but her own honest
convictions had swayed her Judgment
in the least.
An explanation Of why rents on cer-
cupied by Senator Walsh Of Montana
and other prominent people, led Rep
resentatiye Millspaugh to remark
then we have q $50 reduction for
cracks on the wall and $50 for cock
When Mrs. Taylor insisted that q
critical situation in regard to rents
still exists In Washington. Repre-
sentative Millspaugh spread OUT q
string Of newspaper clippings, which
he said was more than three yards
long. clipped from last Sundays Star,
carrying advertisements in small type
for places. both furnished and unfur-
Tor said that was part of propaganda
and said that as a }natter of fact prac-
tically none of those places were
really for rent. -
It was admitted by Mrs. Taylor that
the occupants 81 M1ridian: Mansion
ing to continue paying the rents that
had been charged them, but a new
schedule, was fixed because the Rent
Commission considered It Is duty un.
der the law.to hx what It considered
a fair and just rental.
In clearing up several points. Mrs
Taylor insisted. that there was no Jus.
ytification for any people mot. paying
their rent because their cRse was be-
fore the rent board. The board, she
said, does not interfere with the usual
processes for, eviction by q landlord In
cases Of non payment. * rent 0r- un.
Court does not act. 1t ii not the fault
81 the rent she said
+. she also explained the need for, q
hoard Of five. com ipfasaonefs instead
OF three, AZ at preaenG the additional
two being provided for In ths meas,
ure now under confederation. She
said that. with i've commissioners
thew would. be able to hear all cases
to get possession Of property as fast
as they come up.
Closely questioned regarding the
decrease granted Senator Walsh sof
Montana. of $50 month, Mrs Taylor
fnsisted that the entire lack Of re-
pair was the principal reason. and
said that the craclts In the wal
caused the Senator tp live. In y very
depressing enyironnneHt-ss'.s -
IN Washington : ~ rent intoxIcas,