Evening star., 1925-01-30
SEEKS REDUCTION
IN HOTEL CHARGES
Representative Declares Sal
ary Increases Go to Rent
ProfiteerS.

Representative John J. Boylan of
New York, who yesterday on the
moor of the House suggested that the
charge made upon occupants of Gov
ernment Hotels should be reduced
today renewed his efforts in d let
ter to Mrs. Sarah L. Summers, gen.
eral manager of the Government
Hotels, asking her to recommend to
the Housing Corporation or the COM
mission in charge of fixing the rates
the monthly charge to those girls
be reduced from $50 to $40 a month.
Representative Boylan, in his letter,
said ne noticed in the report of the
appropriations committee that the re-
ceipts of the hotel in 1924 were in ex-
cess of disbursements Il further no.
ticed,' he said, that you are charged
with an item of S74,351 for rent paid
TO the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
AS this rental is for property upon
which are located unused dormitories.
one OF which is occupied by bureau
of the Department of Agriculture, l
do not think this item should be
charged against you.
i stated on the floor of the House
that ] did not believe that the Gov
eminent should endeavor to make
proht from the meager earnings of
Government employees. 1t is generally
admitted, however, that while in
creases have been granted to en-
ployes, yet in comparison with the
high cost of living these increases are
inadequate"
Says Pro6teers Get Salaries.
Rent profiteers" in the National
Capital have taken every dollar of
increase in salary granted to Gov
ernment employees since the World
War began. Representative VIII r.
Wood of Indiana charged in the
House late yesterday, when the in
dependent offices appropriation bill
was under discussion. In reply to a
question from Representative Tom
Connally of Texas, Mr.. Wood said
that he could give no assurance that
we will get any legislation at this
session of Congress to remedy that
situat ation."
Representative Thomas L. Blanton,
Democrat, of Texas, a member of the
joint committee from the House and
Senate which has been holding hear
ings preliminary to drafting rent leg
tslation, and who is bitterly opposed
TO the bill drafted by Chairman
Whaley Of the present Rent Commits
sion, said:
Il think that matter will be at
tended to without passing any boil
shevik remedy by requiring all real
y
by requiring the true consideration
70 be placed in deeds and deeds of trust
and by preventing a concert of action
among realtors in the matter of raising
rents"
Hotel Rates Bring Discussion.
Debate on the rental situation in
Washington was provoked by a sug-
gestion that as the Government hotels
on Union Station Plaza are now being
run at a profit, there should be a re-
duction in the price charged the Gov
ernment employees who live there.
In the course of the argument
Representative Wood sketched a view
of the Capital City as 1t was intended
to be and emphasized that 1t was
intended that those who are neces-
sary to the transaction of the busi-
ness of the Government would live
at the lowest possible expense"
In discussing rent profteering' in
the District of Columbia Representa-
tive Wood said:
There is a constant and incessant
demand upon this committee-that
these buildings should be abandoned.
! do not know who primarily Is re-
sponsible for this propaganda. but I
do know that If these 1900 girls
were turned loose In this town today
to find places in which to live the
profiteers would be doing a bigger
business than they are doing now. l
am opposed generally to Government
ownership of property. I am In favor
of private initiative whenever It is
possible. But l am also in favor of
having the Government protect it
self. l have been reading a whole lot
of propaganda that is going on
throughout the country concerning
so-called rent legislation, to provide
for maximum of rent to be charged
in the city of Washington. A great
many. people contend that it is un-
constitutional. If the Government
has not the right to protect itself
then 1t is the weakest Government
that was ever organized. One of the
primary principles Of life Is self
defense, and whenever a Government
cannot protect itself, then that Gov
ernment ought to fall.
Refers to Propaganda.
Referring to propaganda from all
parts of the United States advising
Congress to be very careful about
adopting principle that will be a
detriment to private initiative and
ownership throughout the United
States, Representative Wood said:
There seems to be misconception
about the city of Washington. This
city Is not TO be compared with any
other city in the United States. This
city Is the seat of the Federal Gov
ernment and If the primary plan had
been carried out there would have
been no occasion for profiteering In
the city of Washington. The original
design was to make this city, as dis
tlnguished from all other capitals of
government in the world, purely a
seat of government. where the busi-
ness of the Government would
be transacted; where. untrammele d
those who are necessary for the
transaction of the business Of the
Government would live at the lowe st
possible expense. 1t was provided
that instead of having a lot of ram
shackle buildings between the Cap
itol and the White House there
should be nothing but official build
inga What a picture that would be
If 1t were a fact today! 1t never was
intended that there should be manu-
featuring here. 1t never was intend
ed that there should be commercial
houses here, except those that were
permitted by the Government to sup
ply the demands of those who are
engaged in performing the functions
of this Government. In an evil hour
somebody proposed, for the purpose
of raising revenues, that they sell
town lots in the city of Washington
That is where our troubles began
But these gentlemen, instead of un-
derstanding that they are here at the
sufferance of the Government, la abor
under the misconception that those
who are employed by the Government
to transact the business of the Gov
ernment are here at the sufferan nee
of these business interests. These
gentlemen should be reminded of the
fact that all those who are here