Evening star., 1925-01-19

Licensing Plan for Dealers Advo.
Gated by Chicago Witness.
Hearing Tonight.
Survey of housing conditions fr
Washington by the Real Estate Board
shows that there is no necessity for
rent legislation at this time. John A
Petty, secretary Of the board. todav
told the joint congregational committee
at hearing on the Whaley rent bill.
Mr.. Petty, representing the board
strongly advocated the passage Of
licensing law for real estate dealers.
The constitutfonaIIty of the nro-
posed Nhaley bill for permanent
rent commission was attacked nv
Roger J. Whiteford, appearing as At
torney for the local board. and b.
Nathan William MacChesney OF Chi.
cago, Of the National Association nf
Real Estate Boards, author of th-
model licensing laws for real estat.
operators.
Resumc Hearing Tonight.
SO Interested were members Of ;G.
7
| rent act and the powers of Congrev-
to pass rent legislation that Mr.. Mac
Chesney was requested TO sppe.r
again at hearing 10 be held tonight
| at ':So O'Clock, in the Senate District
committee room
Mr.. Petty told the committee that
the survey conducted by the Real
Estate Board showed that there are
LIZA housing units now unrented and
available for in
1862 unfurnished and 1S2 furnished
He further told the committee that
1oS additional apartments now in
process OF construction would be on
the market within the next 80 days
Clearly, Mr.. Petty insisted, the sur
Ney indicates there is no housing
emergency now existing in Washing
ton demanding the enactment OF
rent law.
Lists Prices Of Apartments.
Mr. Petty said that many of the
crate rate, SO being listed at $50 or
less and 4S6 at less than SIS, while
only 242 are listed al over SIS
This suggestion was challenged by
! Senator Ball, chairman OF the com
! mittee, who put into the record re-
| port of the Washington Real Estate
Board to the national association last
{
( a ge OF 500 single dwellings for rcnt
in Washin gton and a shortage of
! 1000 moderate priced apartments for
rent
! At the close OF the hearing. how
! ever, Mr. Whiteford placed before
/ the committee a report by the local
board TO the national association as
! of December 81, 1924, showing there
was no shortage OF these classes OF
! properties such was indicated by
| the report of June last.
Senator Questions Petty.
/ Senator Ball questioned Mr.. Petty
regarding the elimination OF the
! shortage shown in the report TO the
! national orgs nization in June, ask
! ing whether there had been unusual
/ building activity in Washington in
/ the last six months.
| Mr.. Petty. in a statement to the
board, had insisted that rental prop
/ critics were not being constructed in
! Washington because of the rent act
| Senator Ball called atte ntion to the
! fact that a report on building opera
( tions in various cities Of the country
( showed that in New York and wash
! ington there has been a great amount
/ Of construction work, although those
| two cities have rent laws.
| Repre- sentative Blanton of Texas,
/ questioning Mr.. Petty, brought out
! the fact that in four years not a
! single house has been constructed IN
| Washington for rental purposes.
! Mr.. Petty added that no twofamily
! flats had been constructed either for
/ rental purposes.
Representative BIanton expressed
| the opinion that no rent bill would
] be panacea to stop the dissatisfaC-
! ton among a certain class of tenants.
| Like Red Flag to Bull.
| Isn't it fact that rent legisls tion
acts a. red flag before a bull, caus-
! ing turmoil to increase?" asked Mr..
! Blanton.
Yes" replied Mr.. Petty.
! Mr. BIanton read extracts from
letter he had received from an en-
gineer located at S17 Fourteenth
street, in which it was said that If
! there were no large salaries connect
| ed with the Rent Commission the
| legislation would not be pressed at
! this time The letter further de
clared that the rent bill is designed
! to prevent the undermining OF the
/ health OF Government employees. They
! look very healthy, the letter said, and
if visit is made to the executive de-
partments there would be found more
$500 fur coats than on Fifth avenue
! in New York.
! Senator Ball objected to this kind Of
statement. saying that the committee
had insisted on aff1davits in connec-
tion with letters submitted.
Mr. Petty in his statement on behslt
/ of the board told the committee thar
the hoard has 119 members, but that
591 licenses to do a real estate busi-
ness have been issued in the District
Control Over Members.
I'm view of that statement. said
Senator Ball. isn't it a fact that your
| organization has had practically no
control over the situation here?'
Mr.. Petty replied that the board
has a direct control over its own
membership and by reason of its
prestige has influence over men not
members.
why hasn't your organization
asked for legislation to correct this
| situation?" asked Senator Ball.
Mr. Petty answered that he had
taken up the matter of a licensing
law with the board some time ago;
| that the board was favorable to such
legislation, but. believing there would
be no opportunity to pass it at the
short session of Congress. Il had
planned to recommend a law at the
next session.
Mr. Petty I'm reply TO a question by
Senator Copeland said that the pro.