Evening star., 1924-03-26

Il t.J
tension only of the existing rent
legislation to August /, 1926. with
some amendments and notifications,
should be made.
Cites High Rental.
THE subcommittee finds that ex-
ceptng in cases in which the fair and
reasonable rental has been fixed by
the Rent Commission rents here have
risen continuously and demands for
increased rentals have been and now
are being made by owners and agents
under threats Of eviction upon the
expiration of the present legislation
on May % next. Families have been
and are being crowded into smaller
and poeref quarters and many have
beer compelled to double up. Some
times two families are obliged TO
dwell in rooms which prior 70 1919
. were occupied by and were only in
| more have been and now are forced
to take in dodgers to meet the
heavy increase in rentals.
"Dilapidated. insanitary. old houses,
Tor years almost uninhAbitable, are
now fully occupied and in many cases
overcrowded. For the last five years
owners have been and now are max
ing none but the most imperative re-
pairs. The service formerly Gus
tomary in apartment house buildings
has been reduced to a minimum and
conditions in this respect appear to
be growing steadily worse.
Building Owners Report.
"A representative of the Washing
ton Association of Building Owners
and Managers submitted to your SUBJ
COMMITTEES report dated February
/ L. 1924. to the hoard Of directors of
the Washington Board of Trade. The
report was made by five gentlemen.
Iour or whom are engaged in busi-
ness, the profits in which must neces-
sarily be almost wholly derived from
Landlords and owners of real estate
The fifth member, a lawyer. is
Prominently connected with building
loan associations in the city of Wash.
hgton. 1t is clear that their atti-
tude would not be favorable toward
law regulating rentals. The re-
port, however, confirms the opinion
of your subco mmittee as to the neces-
sity for the extension OF the rent
legislation,
Zation: their agencies and all their
facilities for obtaining infornat ion
as to vacancies throughout the city.
cannot make a better showing it is
clear that the emergency has not
passed and survey by the metro
poiitan police would be futile
Blames High Rentals.
"1n view of these reports, after the
efforts made by representatives of
landlords, your subcommittee does
not md that vacancies exist in apart
ments in such numbers as to permit
freedom to contract between land.
lords and tenants. On the contrary, it
finds that vacant apartments are held
at such high rentals and the surplus
Is so small as to require the continu-
ance of the present rent legislation in
the District
The report then discusses IN detail
the proposed changes in the rent law.
In concluding his report Repre-
sentative LAmpert said, Your sub
committee believes that no rentals
out of all just proportion to values,
the determinations of the commission
have brought relief to thousands upon
thousands Of tenants and their fami-
lies. and its existence and the effect
of prior rent legislation has deferred
and prevented many landlords from
making unconscionab1e and exorbit-
ant increases.
Fears Expiration OF Law,
Your subcommittee is of the opin-
ion that failure to continue the pres
ent rent legislation would be disas-
period n Of II greatly increassd to iapIs
and wholesale evictions will result
/ after the expiration of the present
, law.
at therefore recommends that the
proposed bill be reported favorabIy
to the House and its adoption at the
earliest possible date recommends d
so that the fears and anxieties un-
der which thousands of tenants are
now laboring may be allayed as soon
as humanity possible
| Representative Underhfll read the
| tentative report that has been pre-
pared in opposition to the Lampert
| bill, as follows:
Outlines ODpssttis8.
'tFirst- such q law "a this is utterly
| incompatible with and destructive oi
| the liberties of contract. 1t carries
government intrusion. into and con-
troll over purely private affairs to
the point OF intolerance. If persisted
, ii, and insisted on as a fixed principle
in our policy, it means a government
paternaiism that oespeaks the end
of business freedom.
"Second, even the most that its ad
yocates ever claimed for it is that
it was made necessary by the exi-
reaoies of the late war. Such was
the reason assigned I'm the majority
opinion of the Supreme Court sus-
taining the original law. The govern
ment was under the necessity of
housing and an unprecedented number
sary to the governments business in
the carrying on or the war. Such was
shS condition which for the moment
Impressed rental property In wash.
inStNa with . Duh2ie interss. yka