The Washington times., 1924-11-14
AID FOR ACT.
IS LAID To
Personal
GRl[GE
Robert s. McKeeysr, Realtor,
Denounces WhaIey at City
Club Forum

Chairman Richard S. Whaley,
Of the District Rent Commission,
'lobbied" the rent acts continu-
ance through Congress not be-
cause he conscientiously believed
the city needed it but because he
was angry at. realtor and re-
solved to make the issue a per-
sonal one This. was the state
ltent made by Robert i. Nc
Keeyer, realtor, Of the firm of
McKeeyer & Goss. at the weekly
forum luncheon Of the City Club
this afternoon.
Mr.. McKeever's startling charge
came at the close of his address
before the forum on "The Hous-
ing Situation in Washington, :
when he read a letter to him from
G. b. Hamilton, sworn to before
. notary public. He advised the
auditors at the forum that he
was the realtor whom Chairman
Whaley was sore" with.
Text Of Letter.
The letter, which Mr.. McKeoyer
read, follows:
Just after the hearing before
the House Committee; happened
TO meet Mr. Richard s. WhaIey at
the home Of mutual friend, and,
In view Of his recent attack upon
you as reported in the newspapers,
] thought you might be interested
IN knowing of the statement that
ne made to me at that time, which
statement / probably never would
nave thought to mention to you,
had 1t not been for the recent
newspaper article.
Mr.. Whaley said, during that
conversation, that your data, was
We'll compiled and that you would
nave defeated the Rent Act had
you not attacked the integrity of
Lne Kent Commission. He said
tnat when you did SO ii made him
sore and that he made 4 personal
issue or the matter and that. hay.
Ing been in Congress for several
Years, he had made good many
friends among Congressman: that
These men had no interest in the
act and would have voted on the
merits Of the case. had he not re-
quested them to vote for the con.
unuance of the commission, as q
personal favor to him."
Plea ImpassiOned.
Mr.. McKeever made an impas
stoned plea that the city be rid
OF the Rent Commission" and
recommended that with this body
out OF the way board Of arbi.
auon made up of tenants and
landlords, which could consider the
extreme rental cases, could be
formed, saving the expense Of It'll
cation. He said that the disposal
OF rental difference through the
board Of arbitration would pbring
about much better understanding
and feeling between landlords and
tenants.''
The reaItor fIayed Mrs. Clara
Sears Taylor, rent commissioner.
and said that MRS. Tayior's in.
eidious, extravagart. exaggerated
propaganda" was designed to stir
up III feeling and strife between
the landlords and the tenants.
Mr.. McKeever's talk was in the
nature OF a rebuttal to the address
made before the City Club forum
last Friday by Mrs. Taylor.
Emergency for Owners.
There may exist In washington
today an emergency with relation to
rental conditions and housing. but IL
there Is an emergency, 1t Is a land.
lords or owners emergency, an
emergency brought about by the
large, rapidly increasing numbers Of
vacant houses and apartments,
which have already made it neces.
sary to voluntarily reduce rents in
many cases." said Mr.. McKeever.
AS chairman Of the committee on
rent legislation OF the Washington
Association Of Building Owners and
Managers, / have made a careful
study Of rental conditions here III.
Washington. A survey Of vacancies
made by. this association in January
of this year resulted in reports from
lei realtors or owners, and showed
q total Of $50 vacant apartments, or
an average vacancy among those,
reporting Of over ~ per cent, and
24S vacant houses. OF the sac
vacant apartments. 413 were offered
Tor less than SIS per month.
The survey made by the Wash
ington Real Estate Board last
month showed in reports from only
eighty-nine members, 1865 vacant
apartments listed for rent, and 1853
vacant houses listed for rent, or q
total Of 1873 dwellings listed for
rent In only, 80 offices. This viii
give Won some Indication az fha