Evening star., 1925-05-22

After FIVE and a half years of ac-
Stvtty, during which it has handled
9,441 cases, the Rent Commission OF
the District of Columbia will be dis
solved today.
AS an outgrowth of the Salisbury
resolution, adopted by Congress dur
ing the war to relieve emergency
conditions in the National Capital.
the Rent Commission passes today
amid mingled expressions Of regret
and satisfaction Whether this COM
mission is passing from the official
life of the District for all time, or
will again be authorized, is a matter
over which those interested In
Washington rentals are as hopeleSsly
divided as they are in regard to Its
influence upon the general welfare of
the city.
Whatever Is the ultimate outcome
the records of the work of the COM
mission show a tremendous amount
of labor accomplished and almost un-
surmountable tasks tackled. Ex-
pending during it's life a sum slightly
less than 100000, the commission,
according to officials. brought about
yearly reductions in rents amounting
TO approximately 100000 and in
creases amounting to 100000, thus
benefiting both landlord and tenant,
according to circumstances.
OF the total of 9,441 cases docketed
by the commission, 6,555 came up for
hearing. Determinations were made
in $685. cases, So were held up
through injunctions. 401 were not
calendared for hearing and 464 cases
we're not disposed of. 1t is pointed
out that the total number of cases
does not mean that only this number
of rents were affected, as one case
very often resulted in the adjustment
of an entire apartment house.
Predict More Building.
Real estate men and many citizens
of the District feel that the passing
of the commission will result in the
erection of more rental properties
with the gradual return of the law Of
supply and demand brought about
through more vacant properties on
the market.
Besides the actual amounts saved
both landlord and tenant by the de-
examinations of the commission, Off
Gals claim that the law prevented
many increases as they could not be
made without the landlords s appear
ance before that body.
All the cases now pending in the
courts have been turned over to the
Department of Justice to handle, as
A. Coulter Wells, attorney for the
commission, also goes out Of office to-
morrow. Chairman Metzerott Of the
commission explained that the De-
partment of Justice can only prose
cute those cases in which the commits
sion previously rendered a determine
ton. There are now 400 such cases
in court.
These cases await the final decision
of the validity of the rent act. Act
ing upon the theory that the rent act
was not constitutional. many landlords
refused to recognize the rentals set by
the commission. If the Rent Commits
sion act is declared constitutional at
the time of the determinations then
the landlords will have to refund the
excess rent charged by them and un-
der the terms of the act be liable for
100 per cent penalty additional. 1t
is these cases and other violations of
the commissions determinations that
the Department of Justice will handle.
In the Municipal Court there are 33S
cases involving violation of the COM
missions decisions, in the Supreme
Court Al injunction suits and % va
rious other cases and cases in the
Court of Appeals.
Boards Hands Tied.
The commission has been virtually
unable to operate since the Court of
Appeals of the District handed down
the decision in December, 1924, that
the United States Supreme Court, In
April. 1924, In the Peck VS.. Fink case,
had declared the Rent Commission un-
constitutional, due to the ending of
the emergency upon which the bill