Evening star., 1924-05-14
STONE AID STARTS
To LAY LINES FOR
RENT BOARD FIGHT
H. L. Underwood Confers
With Ball Pending Argu-
ment Against Injunction.
HOUSING REPORT LIKELY
TO BE BASIS FOR CASE
Existence Of Emergency Will Be
Contended-Bill Due to Con-
ferees Tomorrow.

The government today plunged
deep into its new fight to save the
life of the Rent Commission.
H. L. Underwood, special assistant
to the Attorney General, conferred at
length with Chairman Ball of the
Senate District committee at the Cap
itol this morning over the latest de-
velopments in the rent situation, and
Immediately thereafter began prcpa-
rations to present the argument Mon
day, for the Department of Justice in
the District Supreme Court, protest.
ing against a temporary Injunction
winch would enjoin the Rent Commits
sion from functioning in certain
cases
Inc government yesterday inter
Fened in the Bates Warren case in
which the defendant had asked for
a temporary injunction against the
Rent Commission on the theory that
the housing emergency had passed
and a hearing was set for Monday
Meanwhile the District Rent Com
mission bill amended by the Senate to
extend the life of the present law
for one year. whereas the House had
extended it for two years, is lying
on the Speakers desk, awaiting a
motion to dispose of it,
One of two moves are in order,
either to send it to conference, or to
have the House agree to the Senate
amendment.
The bill will probably be sent to
conference tomorrow if there is not
an earlier agreement by the House
to accept the changes made in the
Senate.
Will Get Ball Report.
vestigation into the rental situation
which Chairman Ball has reported to
the Senate will furnish, it is UNDER
stood, basic material for the Depart
ment of Justice argument Monday
against the temporary Injunction. AL
though the original copy of the Ball
report, alleging serious irregularities
op the part of certain real estate con-
Germs in boosting rent on inflated
property values, was not aTaila ble
early in the day to the Department
of Justice, it was arranged that a
copy be transmitted late this after
noon to Mr.. Underwood.
Mr.. Underwood has been in con-
ference with others who have made a
District and already has accumulated
a mass of material, although he was
only assigned to the case Monday
Mr.. Underwood conferred last night
with Chaplin Brown, counsel for the
Rent Commission, and it is understood
the two, who will make a great fight
on what is considered the vital issue
of saving the life of the commission,
have gone over all the groundwork
in the situation.
mn
day, friends of the Rent Commission
maintain, based upon the clear-cut
issue of the existence of a housing
emergency. Counsel for Bates War
rem and Harry Norment, who consent
ed yesterday to permit Intervention
by the government, maintain that the
housing emergency has passed.
Issue In Supreme Court.
The existence of a housing emer-
gency was the question which the
United States Supreme Court recent
ly referred back to the District Su-
ton, in the case of the Chastleton
Corporation VS.. Sinclair
The mandate from the United
States Supreme Court to the District
Court, which will carry the instruc-
tions concerning the housing emer-
gency at the time of the filing of the
Chastleton Corporation case, has not
yet reached the District Supreme
Court, it was understood today. The
customary thirty-day period has not
yet elapsed for sending down this
mandate.
However, it was understood TODAY
in legal circles that the District Su-
preme Court will hear the arguments
for and against the temporary in
junction Monday with the under
standing that a similar question is
at stake.
The United States Supreme Court.
in its decision on the Chastleton Cor
poration case, rendered April 81, said
concerning the housing emergency,
'In our opinion it is open to inquiry
whether the exigency still existed
upon which the continued operation
of the law depended"
Ruling Was Sought.
In referring the case back TO the
District Supreme Court the United
States Supreme Court further said
that the lower court. may ascertain
as it sees fit any facts that are merely
a ground for laying down a rule of
law, and if the question were only
whether the statute is enforced
today, upon the fact that we judi
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