The Washington times., 1924-11-04
RENT BODY
WILL NOT
!. FIGHT
Content to Let Courts Decide,
Commission Statement
Indicates

trict Court of Appeals, which
means the notification of the
rent act and the abolishing Of the
rent, commission, the members Of
the commission today, after two
hours deliberation, made. public q
statement which indicates that they
will take no action Of any kind,
but viii allow the courts to decide
their fate without putting in a
word in their defense.
Plenty Of Work, They Say.
THE commission will take no &C.
ton which will be embarrassing to
any party" the commissioners said
in thoir statement.
There is plenty of work to be
performed besides the hearing Of
new cases."
The commissioners sent this state
ment cut to newspapernCr. by mes
senger. The messngr was sent back
to inquire whether the above state
ment meant that the commission
! would refuse to undertake consid-
grafton OF new cases. The mes.
senger returned with the announce.
ment that the statement was the
maj word of the commission and
that it spoke for ITSELF
Appeal to Congress.
The commission indicated in it's
statement that Congress will be ask
eo 70 take hand in the matter
a1ter II conVeneS In December.
Inc statement, largely review Of
the case which led up to the de-
clslon OF the Court of Appeals,
winch held that there Is no housing
emergency In the District. and the
rent act is therefore void, follows:
Inc Rent Commission was not
party TO the case Of Peck VS..
SINK. An application was made
TO the Court Of Appeals by the com.
mission 10 De made party to the
case, but this application was re-
FUSED by the Appellate Court. How.
ever upon the second application,
the court did permit the commits.
son to file a brief amicus curiae.
but this does not give the commits.
sion the right to carry this Peck
case to the Supreme Court, The
commission Is informed that the
attorney Tor the tenant, Mrs. Peck,
Will appeal at once.
! Athough this decision does not
directly affect the commission. it
ooes indirectly affect the Commits.
slVn since there are two cases. in
winch the commission is a party,
On appeal from the Supreme Court
OF the District Of Columbia invoiv-
ing the same question which has
Deen decided In the Peck Case and
therefore, 1t Is not q violent as.
sumption to presume that the court
VIII render the same opinion In
tnes9 cases that it has in this
recent CAFE.
Quotes Congress Stand.
1T 10 extremely important that
this question be finally DETERMINED
Dy the Supreme Court Of the Initial
States which is the final and lsst
resort on all constitutional ques.
tons.
Congress has declared ty inyes.
tigation that an emergency do6s
exist. The Court sof ApDeala nae
decided that the Supreme Court of
the United States in the Chastleton
case decided from it's owI, iudicaI
knowledge THAT is without investi.
CATION of the facts) that the en1er.
gency ceased to exist on the TWEEN.
ty.first day Of April, 1924.
After this decision was rendered
by the Supreme Court of The
United States, Congress passed an
act on the 18th oay Of Nav. 1924.
continuing the commission to the
22nd day Of May, 1925. Therefore
there Ia an anomalous situation, as
the Supreme Court on the 21st day of
April said the emergency no longer
existed, hut Congress on the nth
day OF May declared by formal act,
which was signed by the President.
an emergency did exist.
The interests of all concerned.
both landlords and tenants, will be
best served by a quick and speedy
resort to the highest tribunal for
its decision. Chaos and confusion,
anxiety and uncertainty will then
be terminated and both landlords
and tenants, lawyers and the com.
mission Will all know what Is the
Jaw definitely and conclusively.
/ Court Speed Expected. 4
until this final decision, the
commission will take no action
which will be. embarrassing to any
party. There is plenty of work to
be performed besides the hearing
o. new cases and under the act O..
1921. which was held constitutional
by the Supreme Court, there In
much to be done which has not
been accomplished because Of the