Evening star., 1925-02-07
Wanted: More Houses.

If control of District rental property
by punitive Rent Commission Is to
continue for at least two more years,
the New York device to prevent rent
regulation from paralyzing all activity
in building houses for rental purposes
should be adopted here by suitable
amendment of the pending rent regu-
lation bill. New York State exempts
new buildings erected after date of
passage of the law from the statutory
rent regulation, and New York City,
under authority given by the State
law. exempts such new buildings for
rental purposes from municipal taxa
ton. Thus a double artificial encour-
agement is given to promote the vital
essential of large and continuous in
crease in the supply of dwellings for
rent at reasonable rates; an increase
of wholesome building activity which
without these notifications and off
sets is rendered impossible under rent
laws which deprive the owner of all
control of his property.
> Our housing problem will never be
solved until we have more compare
lively cheap houses. The pending rent
bill, unamended, absolutely checks the
building of such houses for rental pur.
poses.
Washington's slums are in it's
unimproved alleys. The evidence be-
fore the joint rentals legislative COM
mittee disclosed anew Washington's
shame in insanitary conditions and
excessive rents in alley dwellings. A
series of articles just printed in The
Star shows clearly the status Of the
campaign to clean up or clear out the
alleys.
Rent-regulation laws do not solve
the alley problem. Years ago Wash
ington recognized with shame the
humiliating conditions in certain Of it's
legislature, to remedy the evil. Con-
gress, the Districts exclusive legis-
lature. to remedy the evil. Con.
gress responded with law f6rbidding g
the use as dwellings of houses in un-
Why has not this drastic remedy ef-
fected a cure? Why has the whole
sale eviction decreed by the law never
taken place? Because the thousands
of evioted alley dwellers would have
absolutely no place to go. Humanity
forbids the putting of them upon the
street, homeless and hopeless. Hous.
ing relief Of the alley dwellers and of
the Government employees will come
through the same channel. The rem
edy is to build houses, and houses, and
more houses; very cheap houses for
the alley dwellers; better, more ex-
pensive, but still cheap sanitary houses
for Government employees whose SAL
airy increases during the war have not
been in proportion to increase of the
cost of building and of housing and
Of the general cost of living.
These conditions impose an obliga.
ton upon all employers, including
Uncle Sam, the great, dominating en-
ployer in the National Capital, with
more than sixty thousand employees.
Is Uncle Sam, as an employer, do
ing all he should to enable his en-
,ployes to meet the increased cost of
living? Is he paying his lowest-paid
employees, who suffer the most, an in
crease of compensation even approx
mating the increase in the cost Of
living or the increase in compensa-
ton of employees paid by all other
District employers?
Has Uncle Sam taken the same
pains to provide cheap, sanitary hous-
ing for his employees in part at his
own expense that many great private
employers have taken? Where are his
model villages? Why should he not
extend largely the principle and pol
icy which authorized and justified the
building of Government hotels for EN-.
ployes? Secretary Hoover suggests
that Uncle Sam will release large
buildings for tenement use when un-
der the s5O,00O,oO0 bill he has substi-
tuted for rented quarters new depart
ment buildings of his own.
Why should not Uncle Sam follow
the example of other employers, in
cluding The Star, in helping his en-
ployes to obtain homes Of their own
by financing them in the purchase of
house. so that they may get long
term low-interest first trust and q sec
ond trust, if needed, at reasonable in
terest and without commission?
Is Uncle Sans only solution of our
housing and high rentals problem to
refrain from constructive legislation
and beneficial action as employer
which will give Washington the great
ly enlarged supply Of comparatively
cheap housing which the city needs.
and to commander, in effect, for the
housing of it's employees the rental
properties of the District owned by
others than himself?
Can nothing wiser be devised than
renewal of the bitter struggle for
possession and control of rental prop
erty between owners and tenants, the
latter backed by powerful. punitive
Rent Commission and the former rely.
ing upon the Americans constitu-
tiona1 bill of rights and the Supreme
Court of the United States?
This warfare follows vicious circle
of retaliatory reprtsals and threats Of
reprisals. 1t is hurtful in the last de.