Evening star., 1924-02-11

and they would never have to pay.
Mr.. Whaley gave as an illustration
the case of a former Municipal Court
judge. who had been collecting SIS a
month on property occupied by d
colored man with eight children.
The other day this man came be-
fore the commission and told them
that four years ago the rent had been
collecting SIS ever since and wanted
the commission to issue an order
which would allow him to keep the
81 a month.
, collected this refund money for the
colored tenant and declared that
that former judge ought to have been
sent to OccoQuan and that he had
committed larceny just as much as
though he had stolen a pDcketbook-
Need Of Field Agents.
Mr. Whaley urged that the Rent
! Commission, besides being given un-
limited duration, ought to be supplied
testimony for the four courts to OIL
set testimony of experts employed by
landlords to boost values.
When questioned by Representa-
tive Blanton as to the average fair
return allowed on rented property,
Mr.. WhaIey said s to per cent. Rep
resentative Blanton then suggested
an amendment which would make the
; value claimed by owners the assess
meut value for purposes of taxation
and that all received over per cent
should be paid in as additional taxes.
. Mr. Whaley explained that the Rent
! Commission figures that the taxes are
, absorbed by the tenant and that the
per cent on high grade property, is
endeavoring to encourage the lanc.
lord to keep his property IN good
shape ami to furnish satisfactory
service to the tenant:
Mr.. Wnaley said that during 1898
the Rent Commission had disposed
|, of 1,640 cases, of which 1.O?2 are
small houses and 54S apartments. He
said that money collected on refund
cases, a portion of which has been
paid to the tenant and part to the
|: Treas asury. has reimbursed the Treas
ury three times the salary Of the as
| sistant attorney who handled the
cases
Plan Night Sessions.
Chairman Lampert assured Mr..
| Wardman that the committee would
welcome any statement he cares to
make and allow him plenty Of time"
| Representative Blanton served no.
of the House any effort to hold hear
| tngS by the subcommittee when the
J House was in session. 1t was de-
/ cided to hold night sessions starting
with (.SU o CLOCK tonight.
! Representative La Guardia of New
{ York told the subcommittee there is
nothing OF greater Importance before
Congress than this legislation" He
/: said it. affected every big city in the
country. He recalled that in the state
capitol at Albany, where favorable
action is now being taken on extern
! sion Of the rent laws, all arguments
in opposition refer to the District of
; Columbia. "AlI the profiteering land
| lords of the country hope that the
rent mmission in the District will
! be abolished" He declared that the
| law here is better than in New York
state.
I'VE have reached the condition in
J this country where we must have
I permanent legislation on housing"
said Representative La Guardia. AS
a former city official of New York
| and having studied the housing Ques-
| ltfcn' extensively. he said that rents
| will be increased so per cent within
six hours after the law ends. This
| is the first time in centuries that any
change in laws governing real prop
erty, which were made by the land
lords, has ever been made" in the in
| terest of the tenant, Representative
La Guardia said.
/ 1T ask you on Bonded knee for
Cots sake to continue this law and
sVut more haoth- II it ~ Hatk e.,