Evening star., 1924-03-19
FINAL rent BILL
HEARING ORDERED
Reporting of Revised Meas
ure by Week From Tomor-
row Is Probable.

The revised bill for continuing the
life Of the District Rent Commission,
which automatically expires May 23
will be the subject of a hearing
next Wednesday before the House
District committee. with Edward F.
Colladay and other representatives
of the Washington Board OF Trade
granted time to speak in opposition
If the committee finds by 11:45
o'clock that it cannot complete con-
aideration OF the rent bill so as to
favorably report it to the House, the
committee will meet Wednesday
night at 1880 o'clock to complete
action upon the measure.
This was decided after a spirited
discussion in the committee today,
while members of =. the Rent Commits
sion and their attorneys. with repre-
sentatives of the landlords and
tenants, also were present
Report Not Unanimous.
When Representative Lampert who
was chairman of the suhcommittec
that c"nducted the rent hearings and
who - fathering the revised bill
started to make his report from the
subcommittee he mentioned that the
report was not unanimous. There
upon Representative Cnderhili, re-
publican, Massachusetts. said that as
1T was not unanimous and as the
hearings have not been printed, he
advocated postponins action for one
week until the hearings could be
printed, copies supplied to all MEM
amendments they desired to propose
Representatives. Lampert and Blan-
ton, both members of the subcommit-
tee, told the committee that the hear
1ngS were voluminous, and Represent
ative Blanton suggested that i,
would cost about LOO to print them
and that he did not believe the men,
bers would read them. Representa-
tive Underhill argued that the gov
ernment printing office would not
to print these hearings and that the
committee could not fairly be asked
TO vote on a proposition before it had
an opportunity to inform itself by
reading the hearings.
Representative Rathbone, repub.
!lcan, Illinois, said that the bill In
its present form is totally difYeren.
from the form in which it was intro
6uced' he supported the proposition
for a weeks delay, and said that re.
quests had been made for some
spokesmen from each side of the con.
troversy to appear before the full
committee
Argues Against Delay.
Representative Lampert argued
against delay, because the Rent Com.
mission would automatically expire
on May G3.
Representative Hammer, democrat t
North Carolina, explained at length
how the bill was revised and discuss
ed the new features.
Representative Banton served notice
that he would not vote for the bill un-
der any circumstances. He declared that
1t grants authority for appointment
OF large number of employees and
exemptS them all from civil service
requirements. He said he is not ir
favor in peace time of any such com.
mission, and that he believes the ole
principle of supply and demand will
decrease rents at least 20 per cent
within six months after the commits
sion ceases to exist.
Representative Blanton commended
the Washington Board of Trade fol
he admired that organization Of civic
leaders for making the fight. He de-
cried what he said was violation OF
sacred propertyzrights.
In replying TO remarks by Repre-
sentative Hammer, Representative Jost
of Missouri said he considered it an
amazing proposition to create an
agency of government to take care of
such trffiing matters as controversies
between landlord and tenant, wrang-
ling over torn wall paper or VAIN
scoating to be painted.
The committee ordered the steno-
graphic report of the rent hearings
to be printed.