Evening star., 1925-01-13

through ii. The rent of the apartment
had been raised from s35 to $50 a
month with increases at various times.
o. G. Reed Of Clifton Terrace testified
that he had received a notice in Novem-
Der the rent for his apartment would be
increased from SIS to 500, and would
be retroactive to October 1. also that
unless he paid dollar a month for a
telephone service his telephone would be
cut off
The Rent Commission. he said. be
fore he went into the apartment two
or three years ago had ruled the
rent would be $40 n month with no
service charge for telephone. He
said that the present agent is Maurice
Baskin e. Co.
who owns the building?" asked
Representative Stalker.
Nobody seems to know-at least
have not been able to find cut"
replied the witness He added that
he had refused to pay the increased
rent demanded and that his telephone
service had been cut off.
witnesses Are Sworn.
At this point Senator Copeland had
suggested that 1t would be wise to
swear all witnesses, particularly If
it should develop that the committe ec
believed it necessary to draft a bill
dealing with the housing situation
based on the present situation"
II am convinced that an emergency
exists" said Senator Copeland 81
think that we should have sworn tes-
timony to prove it."
And so the witnesses were sworn.
Senator Copeland asked Mr.. Reed
why he did not move out.
The witness replied that he was in
the automobile business: that he got
around the city a great deal; that he
had placed advertisement in the
newspapers, but that he had been un-
able to find place suitable at a rea-
sonable rent. He said that he had
read advertisements of apartments
for rent. Always when you get there
you find no apartments for rent"
He charged that the landlord al
Clifton Terrace had been doing all
in his power tc force him out; that
no repairs whatever were made. Mr.
Reed told the committee that in
creases in the rents for other apart
ments in Clifton Apartments had been
demanded. He said that some of the
tenants were afraid to testify; that
a woman had come to him yesterday
anu Sdlu tldI Sn6 WAS afraid TO come
before the committee because she
would be elected from her apartment
later.
Mr.. Blanton, cross examining the
witness. showed that his apartment
contained three rooms, kitchen and
bath. Mr.. Blanton insisted that Cliff
ton Terrace was located in one OF
the most desirable parts of the city
with good car service and next to the
Central High School.
There We're A3,10o students there
last year" said Representative Blan-
ton.
do 3.10o students make more noise
than 2,100 students?" asked Senator
Copeland. interrupting.
There was applause from the crowd
in the committee room.
Representative Blanton objectei
strenuously to what he called "side
bar remarks" by Senator Copeland.
We are not in a kangaroo court,
said Mr.. Blanton, but in a Senate
and House investigation. I treat the
Senator courteously, and / expect tho
same treatment"
Mr.. Reed, replying to another ques.
tion by Mr.. Blanton, insisted that $9C
was an exorbitant price for the apart
ment he occupied.
" DIO"H lHeH IOOh Ine
She told the committee that she oc.
cupied an apartment in the Pentilly
1912 K street northwest. She sale
that she had lived there since 1921
moving in soon after it was built
The cost of the, building. she said
was S21S,000.~ 1t was assessed a
$235, 900 and the value had been pyr.
amided to 100000 by the F. H. Smitl
Co. She said that she paid SS2.5t
for her apartment when they frs
moved in; the rent now, she said
was 500 month. After six fam
lilies had moved out because the rem
was too high, she said, the rent wa
reduced to $3.50.
B1anton Hits Pyramiding.
She insisted that the rent charge wa.
exorbitant. Her husband is Y NJ. C
A. secretary receiving $3.50 a month
They have a 15-year-old daughter t.
educate. She herself is an invalid ant
must live in apartment with an eleva
tor
People who earn modest salaries
she said, cannot pay the high price!
demanded in this city. We live in the
Pentilly because we cannot get any
place else. not because it is attractive
The buying power of people is crippled
See this coat which l have on? l made
it myself out of Army blanket, dyed
black. 1t cost me s11, and l have worr
it for three years. When half of your
salary goes out for rent 1t is impossible
to provide things that are absolutely
needed.
Mr.. Blanton questioned MrS. Brown
about landlords Threatening tenants
He wanted the names put into the
record. Mrs. Brown said that som,
of them would be pnt into the record
but she said Uany tenants were
afraid to testify and wanted to know
If Mr.. Blanton could protect them.
Mr.. Blanton' said that he intended
to vote for a bill to stop pyramidint
of values and to put those crooks
in jail
Mrs. Brown said that it would no
go far enough; that landlords still
cut off the heat and hot water ant
annoy their tenants.
II have interviewed hundreds o
tenants" said Mrs. Brown. II have
found them fair, but they are scared
I myself am under suit for $3.50,
damages by landlord. along will
other members of the Tenants
League"
Mrs. Tschipke, who lives at No.
in the DeSoto, was the next witness
She told how she had been evictee
with all her belongings, which hat
been put out into the snow on th'
sidewalk, even after she had agreet
to pay the rent demanded by th
landlord for her apartment in an ad
vertisement in the newspapers,
She had been paying S47.50, the
rent fixed by the Rent Commission
and the rent advertisemen wa:
$3.50. She said that the owner anc
agent of the apartment was Charlie:
f. Tribby She had appealed to him
she said. several times not to force
her out. When she was put out, SHE
said that she was sick In bed. Al
her things she said. had been SEN