The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-26
ANDL0RDS
NAKEHOT
ATTACK
Two Members of Committee
Unexpectedly Swing to
Blanton Against Measure.

O"hS W unexpected anu DlC-
ter opposition in committee, the
House District Committee was
unable to report to the House
the Lampert bill to extend the
District rent act.
Congressman Frederick N. Zihl-
man Of Maryland, acting chair
man of the committee, secured
permission from the House for
the District Committee to sit this
afternoon for further considera-
ton Of the bill.
Committee To Be In Session.
The committee will remain in ses-
sion throughout the afternoon and
viii meet again tonight If necessary
to complete it's consideration Of the
bill, it was indicated.
The committee heard representa-.
uves OF the landlords in opposition
TO the act in the course Of pro-
onged session this morning. Bates
Warren and r. A. Dean led the
opposition on behalf Of the real
estate dealers and property owners.
They requested that the commit
tee reduce the membership of the
rent commission from five to three
commissioners and that, it allow the
rent act to expire during the com.
ing summer instead Of continuing
1t for another year. They also re-
quested that only apartments rent
ing for $50 or less be brought un-1
der jurisdiction Of the commission.
Congressman Thomas L. Blanton
of Texas, made heated attack on
the bill. He was Unexpectedly
Joined by Congressman Charles l..
Underhill Of Massachusetts, and
Congressman Henry L. Jost Of
Missouri.
Lampert Urges Adoption.
Congressman Florian Lampert of
mittee in charge of the bill, sub
mitted his report urging adoption of
the measure.
In his report he declares that tne
had rental conditions of Washington
appear ''to have become chronic and
more or less permanent" He de-
clares that the act should be extend
ed only to August I, 1926.
Your subcommittee finds that,
except in cases in which the fair
and reasonable rental has been
fixed by the Rent Commission, rent
here has risen continuously and de-
mands for increased rentals have
been and now are being made by
owners and agents under threat Of
eviction upon expiration of the
present legislation on May % next"
Lambert states.
Families have been and are being
crowded into smaller and poorer
quarters and many have been forced
to take. in dodgers to meet the heavy
increase in rentals
Attacks Conditions.
"Delapidated, unsanitary old
houses. for years almost uninhabit-
able, are now fully occupied and
in many cases oVercroWded. For
the past five years owners have
been and now are making none but
the most imperative repairs. The
service formerly customary in apart
ment house buildings has been re-
duced to a minimum and conditions
in this respect appear to be grow
ing steadily worse"
Mr.. Lampert takes exception to
reports submitted by local landlords
with regard to the number and con-
dition OF vacant apartments.
1T is to be presumed" he states,
'that every effort has been made
TO place before your subcommittee
the largest possible number of va
cancies in apartment houses and
dwelling houses to be found in the
District, in order to try to estab-
lsh that an emergency no longer
exists.
Calls Police Survey Futile.
III the landlords. with all their
facilities for obtaining information
as to vacancies throughout the city,
cannot make a better showing as to
vacancies n rental properties in the
District, II IL clear that the emer.
gency has not passed and survey
by the Metropolitan police would be
futile"
The subcommittee, by a vote of
four to one, recommended the fol-
lowing changes in the existing rent
law: Increase of the salary Of rent
commissioners from $4,000 to $4,000
a year; employment Of a field
engineer; restoration Of the juris-
diction of the commission to de.
termine a sufficiency of the land
lords notice to vacate, and creation
of a lien upon rental property in
cases brought by tenants for re.
duction of rent.
An number Of lesser changes are
also recommended. The sub.com.
mittee recommended q total of
eighteen changes in the existing
lew.
a Congressman Lampert declares
that failure TO continue the rent
act would be disastrous and II 1t