Evening star., 1925-01-27
DENIES PROF|T|NG
IN TENANTS LEAGUE
Officer Tells Joint Committee
Organization Now Has
Deficit of $227.

Emphatic denial that the Tenants
League Is an organization conducted
for profit was made last night
at a hearing in the Senate Office
Building before the joint congress
sional committee considering rent
legislation.
Z. H. Schirmer, president Of the
league, and Mrs. Henry G. Brown
both told the committee that the
organization was not intended to
make money. Their testimony was
given in reply to evidence produced
at a recent hearing by representa-
tives of the real estate interest tend
ing to show that Mr.. Schirmer had
promoted the league as a money
making institution.
The witnesses last night said that
at present the deficit OF the league
is $227.25. A detailed statement OF
the expenditures was laid before the
committee showing that they amount
ed to $93 In September, $229.58 in
October, including 800 for a mass
meeting; $157.40 in November. includ-
ing $100 contributed to the case Of
J. II. Fink to carry on his case
against Mrs. Peck, which Is now be-
ing appealed to the Supreme Court /;
S8645 in December and $26.50 in jan
uary.
Publicity on Eviction.
A charge made by opponents of the
Whaley rent bill that Mrs. Tschipke,
who was evicted from her apartment
not long ago, had notified newspapers
that she was about to be evicted, was
denied. Mrs. Brown told the commit
tee that she had become Interested in
the Tschipke case, and believing that
the public should be fully Informed,
had taken it upon herself to notify
two local newspapers that the evic-
ton proceedings were about to take
place Mrs. Tschipke herself told the
committee that she had not tele-
phoned the newspapers at all, but that
the publicity. she was afraid, would
hurt her husbands business.
"I take on myself the blame, If there
is any, of a frame-up to give this case
publicity" said Mrs. Brown.
The hearing last night was given
over to witnesses presented by the
Tenants League and those who sup
ported rent legislation. Tonight from
until IL o'clock a hearing viii be
held in the caucus room Of the SEN
ate Office Building, at which the un-
organized owners of property in the
District will be given an opportunity
to speak against the proposed rent
legislation. The final hearing is to
be held tomorrow night in the same
place. when tenants who are not
members of the Tenants League will
be heard.
La Guardia FnyOrs Bill.
Representative La Guardia of New
York gave his Endorsement to the
Whaley bill at the hearing last night.
He opposed the suggestion made by
Senator Copeland of New York that
the Rent Commission be done away
with and rent cases handled entirely
by the Municipal Court of the Dis
trict. Mr.. La Guardia said that in
New York the Municipal Court han
dies rent cases and that its docket
had become clogged with cases and
decisions were obtained only after a
long period of waiting. He insisted
that housing is in effect a public
utility of the highest degree. The
Whaley bill he characterized as a
splendid measure"
Mr.. La Guardia also said that the
Constitution of the United States
must be construed in the light of
present-day conditions. He urged that
Congress pass the Whaley bill and
make it a model rent act for the
rest of the country.
George A. Warren, representing the
Central Labor Union and the Fedora
tion of Federal Employees told the
committee that those organizations
represer ting some $4,000 people in
the District believed that it was vital
TO their interests to continue the
Rent Commission.
Finds Moderate Rents Scare.
TT stands between us and almost
unlimited extortion," said Mr.. War
rem. "Our members cannot find mod
ate-priced dwellings for rent in
Washington. Conditions of unorgan-
ICED labor are worse in Washington
than are the conditions of our mem
bers. The exploitation of the Foor In
the alley dwelling of the city is very
great"
Mr.. Warren said that he did not ex-