Evening star., 1924-04-22
RENT BILL is PUSHED
DESPITE COURT VIEW
Measure to Be Special Order of
Business Next Monday by House
Committee Action.
TWO HOURS FOR DEBATE
Votes to Be Allowed on Certain
Amendments Proposed.

The action yesterday of the United
States Supreme Court in sending the
so-called Chastleton Corporation case,
involving test of the constitution
ality of the District rent law. back
to the District Supreme Court for in
vestigation of the present rent sit
uation here will not halt action by
Congress on the proposed extension
of the rent law nor affect operation
of the District Rent Commission, it
was said today.
The House rules committee took
final action today on the special rule
to make legislation extending the life
of the District Rent Commission the
special order of business for next
Monday.
Two Hours for Debate.
1t was definitely decided by the
committee to allow two hours for de-
bate, after which the bill would be
taken up under the five-minute rule.
The special rule will make in order
an amendment which would substi-
tute a simple extension of the present
law for two years from May %, at
which time the law would automatic
ally expire, instead of the Lampert
bill, which provides for an extension
until August 1, 1926.
The rules committee also decided
to allow a vote to be taken on an
amendment to reduce the size OF the
District Rent Commission from five
to three members
Senator Capper of Kansas, mem
A;e<fr TOT xk-h
has supported the rent Legislation
| said today that he believed Congress
would go ahead and put through al
| extension bill. Senator Ball, author
| CT the rent act and chairman OF the
District committee, is in Delaware
| today. 1t is known, however, thai
he is strongly in favor of an exten.
| sion of the life of the rent law and
! that he believes the housing emer-
gency in Washington is still Sucf
| as to warrant the proposed extension
Survey Is Being Made.
Under resolution adopted by the
| Senate a survey of the housing con
| ditions in Washington, with particu
| lar reference to alleged combina-
| tions and oonspiracies to keep the
| prices of real estate high in Wash.
| ington, is now being conducted
| Members of the committee have
| stated recently they consider the
| facts so far developed as to warrant
| action by a grand jury in certain cases
Chaplin Brown, attorney for the
| Rent Commission, who represented
| the commission before the Supreme
| Court, said the decision would not
! affect the operation of the commits
| sion, but that it would proceed with
| it's functions as it did previously
when the Court of Appeals held the
| Rent Commission act unconstitutional
The decision yesterday, MIR. Brown
| said, in effect reversed the decision
| of the Supreme Court of the District
| of Columb bia, which had held that the
act was constitutional, but sent the
case back to the District courts fol
| determination of the point as to
| whether the "emergency" existed a,
| the time of the determination of the
| case by the commission on August
| Z, 1922.
Question of Emergency.
| In trying the question as to whether
| the "emergency' existed at the time
| of the determination, Mr.. Brown con-
| Continued on Page 2, Column 81