Evening star., 1925-01-18
RENTAL HEARINGS
WILL Be RESUMED
Senate Committee Will Listen
to Opponents of WhaIey
Bill Tomorrow.

Legislation to cure the housing
situation i'm the District of Columbia
VIII be considered further tomorrow
by the joint Senate and House COM
| mittee, headed by Senator Ball.
Two hearings are scheduled on the
| Whaley bill, providing for a perma- =
nent rent commission transmitted to the
Senate and House District commit
| tees by President Coolidge. one at l0
a. n and the other at 1880 pm. The
| night session will close at $3.50 o'clock.
| Opponents of the measure are to be
heard.
Alternatives for the Whaley bill
are being urged by opponents of that
measure, including bills to establish
board to license all dealers in real
estate and to penalize fake sales and
pyramiding of values of real estate.
Opposition From Two ways.
| Opposition among members of Con-
| gress to the Whaley bill comes from
| two directions. There are those who
are opposed to a rent commission be-
cause they believe the situation has
| been relieved to such an extent that the
| law of supply and demand can work
! effectively again. There are those who
| do not believe that permanent rent
| commission, based on the police powers
| of Congress over the District, would
! stand the test of the courts.
! If there is to be legislation-and not
| a few members Of Congress believe
| that something will be done. particu
! larly in view of the interest President
| Coolidge has taken in the matter-lt
| is likely to take the following forms,
it was said last night. First, licensing
| law, similar to that now in force in a
number of the States. Second, a law
| against pyramiding of values. Third,
| the extension of the life OF the Rent
| Commission for year, with the idea
that during that period the situation
| could be cleared up considerably.
| Senator Ball has received from the
| representatives of the Real Estate
| Board a draft of the licensing bill
| which they now propose. Roger j.
| Whiteford, employed by the board &c
| draft the bill. went over the proVi-
| sions OF the measure with Senator
| Ball yesterday. This bill probably
! will be introduced tomorrow and re-
| ferred to the committee for considera-
! tion along with other measures deal
| ing with the rent situation.
Seeks to stop PyramidinS.
| Senator Ball also held another con-
| ference with II. L. Underwood, special
/ assistant to the Attorney General
who handed to Senator Ball certain
/ data which the chairman had re
! quested to be used in connection with
! the hearing. Mr.. Underwood was
| consulted by Senator Ball regarding
| the preparation of a bill to prevent
| the pyramiding of values of real es-
! tate.
! Senator King of Utah. ranking
| Democratic member of the Senate
| District committee. although not a
| member of the joint committee con-
| Quoting the hearings on the rent bill
| is taking a keen interest in the mat
! ter He wrote yesterday to District
! Assessor Richards TO ask if the build
| ings in Washington on which the
| values have been pyramided for sale
| and rental purposes are assessed at
| the Increased values, and if not. why
| not
| Opposes Permanent Legislation
/ The Utah Senator is strongly op-
| posed to permanent rent legislation
! He believes that steps should be
| taken. however, to prevent such pyra-
! miding of values as was shown to
| have taken place here by the Senate
| investigation made last year
| The rent hearings viii be discon-
| tiuued at the close of tomorrow
| nights session until Wednesday
| night, it was announced.
| The joint congressional committee
| on the bill for a five-year school
| building program is TO meet at 2:3o
| o'clock tomorrow afternoon at the
| call of Senator Capper, TO consider
what shall be done with that measure