Evening star., 1924-12-07
COOLIDGE MAY ACT
ON RENT SITUATION
Conference Yesterday With
Ball to Be Followed by
Further Steps.

Those close to President Coolidge
are of the opinion that he VIII take
some action soon regarding the To-
cal rent situation. To get at the
bottom of the problem Mr.. Coolidge
has talked with real estate men and
builders, bankers, business men,
members of Congress. heads of civic
and trade bodies, political leaders
and tenants.
To more than one person, during
the past year, he is known to have
expressed the opinion th-t he did
not believe there was Il shortage
of homes in this city. To others he
is understood to have expressed his
perpleXity ut the continued reports
of evictions and high rents.
Question of Legislation.
He is represented as being of the
opinion that additional legislation is
not what it needed to correct the
trouble. unless it is made to apply to
real estate operators who are alleged
to he indulging in fake resales for
fictitious values, in order to obtain
increased trusts and mortgages. 1t
is because of these manipulations. the
President has been informed lately,
that many rentals have been in
creased.
1t was this feature of the situation
that occupied the principal part of
the conference yesterday between the
President and Senator Ball Of Della
ware, chairman of the Senate District
committee. The latter conducted u
special Investigation for the Senate
of the rent situation, which developed
evidence that he claimed proved that
some real estate dealers We're pyra-
miding prices to increase loans and
lenJly engaged
The data collected by his investi-
cation We're turned over TO the United
States attorney for the District,
Peyton Gordon. Several weeks ago
the White House directed the Attor-
ney General TO learn from the local
attorney what has been respons sible
for the DELAY in pressing these prose-
cutions and to report what progress
he las made. The latter made 4 re-
Port a few days later, containing the
result of his Investigation of the evil
denCe furnished him. but this report,
according to the White House and
the Department of Justice. was not
entirely satisfactory and w. J. Don
ovan, an Assistant Attorney General.
was assigned personally TO make 4
fu Ter investigation and TO incor-
porate his findings with the report
y
for the District
Task May Be Difficult.
Although Mr.. Donovan has been en-
gagged in this task less than two
weeks. he has iutjmatod that he is
inclined to believe it is going To be
difficult for the Government. under
any present statute. to prosecute al
legged real estate manipulators.
1t is pointed out that il is doubt
full if they can be convicted under
the antitrust law, hut there is a
possibility that the Government may
properly proceed under the provisions
of the postal laws.
There is no doubt in the mind Of
Senator Ball about there being fraud
practiced by some local real estate
dealers. and while discussing the
subject at the White House yostcr-
day. ne declared that he wants to
dite prosecutions.
While taking the matter up with
the President yesterday, he told the
latter that if the Attorney General
fears the Government is without the
proper legal authority to proceed, he
will at once introduce a bill in the
Senate providing the necessary law.
The President told Senator Ball to
confer with the Attorney General and
then to see him later, when the Pres
ideut is expected to reach some con-
clusiOn as to just what direct step he
personally will take in attempting to
b,.