Evening star., 1924-04-13

i
because the law didn't permit the
owner to put them out
AT all times during the past two
years there have been several hun
dred desirable residences vacant in
Washington because the owners did
not want to take chances on getting
undesirable tenants, which they
would not be able TO put out by law
These owners would have been glad
TO rent such properties had ii not
been for such Tent' commission. The
owners of several thousand vacant
lots would have been glad to erect
substantial houses on same for rent
mission.
Sell. But Went Rent.
Hundreds of new residences dur
ing the past five years have been
built all over the city, and not one
single one of them has been offered
Tor rent, because the owner could not
anord to take chances on getting on
MS hands for life an undesirable ten
ant, whom he couldn't put out by law.
There have been numerous unlaw-
iul combines and monopolies formed
ior the purpose of taking advantage
OF decisions of the Rent Commission
through fictitious sales OF property
organizing second. third, fourth and
Hlth trusts upon same, through dunn
my transactions made solely for the
purpose OF increasing rents. Where
the Rent Commission has lowered one
rental, at least 100 rentals have been
raised IN consequence Of some deci-
sion OF the Rent Commission"
senator Ban proposes a permanent
Blanton points out. with salaries
raised new officers. an unlimited
plumber Of assistant attorneys at
$4,000. and an unlimited number of
stenographers at $1,000.
He asserts that the bill provides
that the rent commission shall de-
terrnlne not only the amount of rent
that the tenant shall pay but also
the Kind Of service that the owner
snail furnish, and authorizes the
owner to be find $1,000 and impris-
ohed Tor one year If he disobeys the
commission
Provision of BuI.
Speaking of the Larnpert bill. which
the House is to consider tomorrow
Representative Blanton says that il
extends the rent commission to
August ]. 1925. but should it go 10
me senate the BAH provisions max
ing 1T permanent would be substi-
tuted- The 1Ampert bill grants the
HVe com nmlsioners an increase of 81 900
IN salary. while the Ball bill grants
tnem an Increase of 800 each. In
andluon TO the punishment prescribed
an62
an additional punishment"
CenSur1ng as g. most "6efs-r-m ined
IoDby the efforts of the Rent Com
niSsioners and representatives, of or
ganized labor, Representative Blanton
declares that it "out-Herods Heyod !"
he says, Il have had a wide ernerj-
ehce as an attorney at law for over
q quarter of d century, eight wears
or which | presided as judge over
q circuit court. have tried hun
roIrin ol cases In courthouses in
Solvlng almost every kind of legal
question Imaginable. But never be-
Iore nave i seen any proceeding that
fnaJched the hearing on this bill.
IN my Judgment never has there
appeared before Congress a better
organized. more determined iohbY
man that constituted by the FIVE
rent commissioners the three repre-
sehtatives of organized labor and
tne three ladies who attended prac-
tlCailE every session of our extend
ed hearings. which began Erebruarv
II, 1924, and who made il niserh1e
LOT any property owner who dared
10 testify before our committee.
ne witnesses who did dare to tes-
tlty In favor Uf tho property owners
SIDE. and against extending the com
MISSION, were subjected to rigid
cross-eSamlnation not only by the
rent commissioners, but also by ten
ants present and a representative of
organized labor. and in many in
stances the examination bordered on
inclvllity. And seeking fair pIav.
when would attempt to develop all
phases Of the situation ATTEMPT :
were made to insult me. although a
member of the committee
Calling attention to a ast-rninute
attempt to win support in the House
for the Lampert bill. Representative
Blanton characterizes it as most
brazen lobbying" and saws:
FMS afternoon. during tho ron
sideration of the inm graf tion bill on
the hoor of this House. there was dis
tributed to each member of the House
a printed copy of a seven-psge .docu-
nefL dated April 5, 1924. addressed
to the Senate committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia and sign ed by Al
person who conducted the rental sur
yey for the Senate. But instead of
procuring and reporting the specific
information required by the Senate
in its r Resolution No. 15S, Mr.. Alfred
f. Moore devoted the major portion
Of said document to an adroit, part;-
san argument favcring the extension
of the rent comm iss ion.
in as much az this measure is to
come before this House for coRsdderS-
tion as the special order tomorrow it
is clearly apparent that whoever had
this par san argument in favor of eX-
tension of the Rent Commission dis
tributed on the floor of the House
this afternoon did SO in an attempt to
influence the action of the House on
snch bill tomorrow. During my seven
years service in this House this is the
most brazen lobbying l have wit
essed in all of the propaganda that
has been pressed upon us