Evening star., 1924-03-26
VOTE ON RENT ACT
EXPECTED TODAY
House District Committee Is
Considering Commission
Extension Bill.

The House District committee is in
session this afternoon considering the
Lampert bill to extend the life Of
the District Rent Commission until
August, 1926, and hopes to reach a
vote reporting the bill to the House.
Acting Chairman Zihlman secured
permission of the House for the COM
mittee to sit this afternoon while the
House is in session in order to ex-
pedite action upon this legislation be-
cause under existing law the Rent
Com mission would pass out of exist
ence on May %.
Hearings Held Today.
Hearings were held on the measure
earlier in the day.
Representative Lampert OF wiscon-
sin. author of the Rent Commission
extension bill and chairman of the
subcommittee which conducted hear
inss for three weeks upon the sub
Ject. read report to the committee
in favor of the bill.
Oppo~ftion Report Read.
A report in opposition to the bill
was read before the committee by
Representative Underhill of Massa-
chusetts, who said il had been pre-
pared by Representative Yost of Mis-
souri, Representative Blanton of
Texas also declared his intention to
fight the bill on the floor of the
House, il necessary.
Edward f. Colladay, president of
the Washington Board of Trade. who
said he did not represent landlords,
registered the opposition of the $500
members of his organization, repre-
senting he said, every walk of life
in Washington.
Speaks in ReaItors' Behalf.
Bates Warren. speaking for the
real estate interests, argued at length
against the I-ampert bill, claiming
that it absolutely destroys the right
of real and earned property. He
argued that continuation of the Rent
Commission breaks down the rights
of property and contractoral rights.
Mr. Warren said he was speaking
not only for the owners of property
in the National Capital, but for the
owners of every piece of property
throughout the country. He warned
that in attempting to put through
this legislation the committee was
about to set in motion a tide of gov
ernment ownership.
BIanton Offers Objection.
Representative Blanton said he
spoke against the bill from the
standpoint of a tenant here for the
last seven years and as an American
citizen. He declared his belief that
if Congress will let the old princi-
pie of supply and demand operate
through aboIishment of the Rent
rents will generally be reduced 25
per cent. He believes he is acting
for the interests of the poor tenants.
he said, and asked the committee how
far it proposed to go in taking a
mans property away from him in
peace time. You are taking away
the sacred rights of private property,
on which this government was found
ed" he said.
Both Representative Blanton, demo-
81 .sn
republican. declared they would put
up the strongest fight they could
against the bill on the floor of the
House.
Majority Report Presented.
Representative Lampert, in present
ing the majority report Of the sub
committee which conducted hearings.
which report was authorized by a
to i vote, Represe ntative Blanton
voting in opposition, read as follows:
Your subcommittee appointed for
the purpose of considering this bill
held hearings over a period of more
than three weeks AT these hearings
testimony was given by tenants, rep
reSentatives of labor, representatives
OF leral employees, the commission
b s~of the Rent Commission. owners
real estate agents and builders In
addition, the subcommittee has re-
ceived letters from very large num-
Der OF tenants, all asking, IN SUD
stance, the continuation of the pres
ent rent legislation and the Rent
Commission.
Says Conditions Are Bad.
your subcommittee finds that the
rental condition in the District of
Columbia which prompted the enact
ment of the original legislation on
rentals approved October %, 1919, and
the extension thereof approved Au-
gust "a, 1921, and May 20, 1922. not
only continue to exist in both dwell
ing houses and apartment properties.
but in the lower-priced rental prop
critics appear to be growing worse.
These conditions, which arose early in
1919, were acute and believed to be
temporary. They appear, however, to
have become chronic and more or less
permanent, and this condition appears
to have spread throughout the larger
cities of the United States and
throughout many foreign countries.
+. after careful consideration of the
question whether permanent rent
legislation should be enacted for the
District, the subcommittee is of the
opinion that for the present an ex-
Continued on Page 2, Column 2.)