Evening star., 1924-04-13
SENATORS TO PRESS
THREE LOCAL BILLS
Rent. Teacher Pay and Firemens
Pay Measures Deemed
Most Urgent.
ACTION ON SURPLUS LIKELY
Ball to Ask Commissioners Con-
frmation This Week.

The bill extending the life of the
rent commission of the District, the
teachers pay bill and the police and
fremens' pay bill ara regarded by
Senator Ball, chairman OF the Dis
trict committee, as the most pressing
measures awaiting action of the COM
mittee, and every effort will be made
10 get them reported favorably to
the Senate at an early date.
Senator Ball said last night that
he would ask the COMMITTEES to give
consideration to the rent commission
bill as soon as the House acts ON that
measure. 1t is understood that the
House will have this measure up for
action tomorrow. If the bill should
be passed. the Senate. committee will
take it Up either Wednesday. the
regular meeting day. or at Il special
meeting to be called this week.
Expect Rent Bill Passage.
Passage of the rent bill by the
Senate is believed practically certain
by Senator Rall. If the House should
pass the measure in a form that eX
'CiudeS from the operation of the rent
act newly constructed dwellings.
senator Ball will seek TO have the
Senate amend the measure so as to
strike out the proposed exception of
new buildings He is convinced that
such feature would render the law
unconstitutional and that it would
not be to the best interests of the
tenants of Washington.
senator Ball said that the oppoSi-
tlon ito the rent act which has been
manifested at times in the Senate
has been materially lesseued by the
information acquired by the Senate
District committee during its inyesti-
cation of the housing situation here
final report on the number Of
dwellings available for rent and for
sale will be made this week by the
investigators. The investigation of
alleged conSpiracies aPd combinations
TO keep the prices of real estate in
Washington high. however. is ex-
pected to continue for some time. The
revelations made to the committee in
this latter connection, it is said, have
reduced in a marked degree the op-
position of some of the members of
the committee to a continuation of
the Rent Commission,
Subcommittee Busy.
The teachers pay bill is being con-
sidered by committee consisting of
Senators Capper of Kansas and King
of Utah. Senator King said that he
would urge some amendments, and
that the bill would be reported to the
full committee at its meeting Wed
nesday so that it can be acted on at
that meeting.
The police and firemen'S pay bill
is at present before Senator Ball and
Senator King as subcommittee
Senator King has. some amendments
which he desires ia have incorporated
in that bill, too senator Ball said
that he planned tb report the bill
to the Senate tkiS week after con-
Suftation with Senator King. 1t will
inClude increases in pay for the park
police as well as the metropolitan
police and the fire department.
Another bill of great Importance
ito the District which is now on the
Senate calendar and upon which
at<tion will. be sought soon is the
Phipps. bill, putting into effect the
RECON- IA endations OF the joint CON
vestigated and found surplus
revenues of the District in the
:FadeFal Treasury amounting to ap-
proximately $4,500,000. Senator
Phipps hopes to get this bill passed
before the Senate District appropria-
tion bill is taken up.
At the first opportunity this week,
Senator Ball will ask the Senate to
take favorable action on! the nomina-
tionS of District Commissioners
Rudolph and oyster to succeed them
selves, which were reported favorably
by the District committee last week.
Hearings on the Mcclellan scent
street car fare bill will be resumed
before the Senate District subcommit-
tee in charge of that measure at 10
a m. tomorrow.