Evening star., 1924-10-31
RENT BOARD ASKS
RELIEF BY COURT
Seeks Dismissal of Injunc-
ton, Claiming Emergency
Still Exists.

The Rent Commission today
through Attorney A. Coulter Wells,
asked the District Supreme Court to
dismiss suits for injunction brought
against the commission by c. A
Snow. jr., and the c. A. Snow Co.
owners of number of apartment
houses, who seek to prevent the
commission from acting on applica-
tions for reduction of rentals. In
Maj. Wells filed affidavits of Mrs
Clara Sears Taylor and Oliver Met
zerott, members of the commission
and others. who declare the housing
emergency in Washington has not
passed
As legal grounds for the motion to
dismiss counsel points out that the
bills of complaint fail to show that
the plaintiffs will suffer irreparable
damage. and that they have not ade-
quate remedy Of law, both of which
must appear before injunction will is
sue. he contends. If the injunction is
granted, he urges, it will have the ef-
feet of interfering with and obstruct-
ing the proper and legal functioning
of the Rent Commission, a lawfully
constituted governmental institution.
acting under acts of Congress APP
proved by the President of the United
States.
Insists There Is Shortage.
Mrs. Taylor. in the course of her
afhdavit, says there is a shortage OF
available rental space in WASHINGTON
great enough to cause an emergency
and there is an alarming shortage
of housing facilities for tenants who
are unable to pay more than $50 per
month. A large amount of rental
space is withdrawn from the
market, she states, by means of
prohibitive rentals. She asserts that
1T is a we'll known fact among
real estate operators, builders and
owners that there are not now
enough small houses for wage earners
who cannot pay $50
This shortage is caused by two
facts, Mrs. Taylor claims. First
there has been comparatively little
building in this class of property in
seven years. Second, this is the class
OF property that depreciates the
greatest by reason of change in
tenancy and other features of usage.
and for that reason is most often
condemned by the Government and
subsequently destroyed. Third, this
is the class of property best adapted
to remodeling into garages, for which
there is, at the present time, a great
need"
Mrs. Taylor declares that manv
large apartments hold up a high price
level by vacancies, the landlords
renting from IS per cent to so per
cent of the whole space at exorbitant
rentals and receiving thereby a great
er annual return than they would
receive were the entire building rent
ed at just and reasonable rate of
return on fair valuation. of the
property today.
Based ON Investigation
Mrs. Taylor says that this opinion
Is based on careful scrutiny of the
testimony in cases heard before the
Rent Commission and upon inspec-
tion and Investigation.
II tenants are forced to move they
viii have no place to go, Mrs. Taylor
states. and the way is opened. in
her opinion. for a Campaign of ter
rorization and intimidation decidedly
to the public"
The statements of Mrs. Taylor are
supported by affidavits of oliver
Metzerott, another member of the
commission; William T. Sabine, jr.,
secretary to the commission, and
Grace Hays Riley, assistant attorney
to the commission.