The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-01-12
CHAIRMAN
EXPL AIMS
O. AJSESS
ADDED
GrilIed BY BIanton. Who Il Foe
OF Measure, He Points Out
Act Isn't Radical

bNAeA teSte - tAN~NStNNAS
Richard S. Whaley, chairman
Of the District Rent Commission
and author Of = measure drawn
at the request Of President Cool
idge creating . permanent rent
commission IN the District, deliv-
cred his first comment on the bill
at hearing conducted BY the
Joint Congressional committee to-
day.
Under . rapid-fire interrogation
~ Congressman Blanton 81 Texas
leader aof opposition to the meas
ure Chairman Whaley urged inn
|anediate adoption of the bin o it
drawn
The measure, be said, 90 not
! I1dic8I 81 vicious measure as
some newspapers hAve nnnds II
appear TO Be, but Is merely the
old rent Law, authorized under the
police powers Of Congress, 70
which have been added ten addi-
tionaI clauses"
Explains Now CLAUSE.
These clauses. he said. are radical
only in that they give teeth to the
present rent law.
Reviewing the new provisions Of
the measure, Chairman WhalUy out
lined them an follows:
A provision for the App0int.
ment Of secretary TREASURES IN.
stead Of . secretary as at pres.
emit.
A provision that the tarn,ana-
ton Of relation between landlord
and tenant shall not deprive either
party Of tho right 70 q hearing.
The prevention Of the subdi.
vision Of apartments and \ sub.
seQuent charging rentals In excess
Of the amounts fixed by the Rent
Commission for the original apart.
ment.
Provisions for penalties for che
failure Of landlords TO live M TO
the regulations fixed by the com
mission after they have received
payment Of the rent from the
tenant.
Providing that unauthorized in.
crease Of rentals constitutes q
nisdolneanOr, punishable, by fine
or imprisonment or both.
Provision for statute Of Mmi.
tatiOns with q three-year limit.
And, finally, @ provision that the
new law takes effect immedi.
ateIy."
Holds It Constitutional.
Chairman Whaley declared that.
in his belief, the bill is thoroughly
constitutional and that Congress
has power to enact a permanent
rent law without basing the 1egis-
lation on an emergency.
Following Chairman whaley's
discussion OF the new bill, con
sideration Of the measure was
directed by Senator Copeland of
New York to the legal aspect of
the bill.
Senator Copeland suggested that
an amendment be provided stating
that the act is made necessary "by
reason OF existing rental conditions
in the District Of Columbia. y
He was not sure, he said, whether
Congress had the right to create
r permanent condition except in
the face of an emergency.
Senator Ball, chairman of the
committee. without committing him
self on the merits of the BILL
declared that although an elner-
gency in the number of vacant liT
ing quarters may not exist, can
emergency certainly exists in the
excessive amounts of rentals
charged.
Ball Gives Views.
From the survey made last year
of rental conditions in the District,
il was clearly shown that the
apartments which re vacant are
not within the reach of the Gov.
eminent employees ability to- pay
Ball said There are no vacancies
in the well-kept. reasonably priced
apartments he added. but the
employee when he
comes to Washington must go to
apartment buildings in which there
are vacancies, and these are the
apartments that he cannot afford.
Senator Ball severely criticized
the system of trust pyranliding,
which he blamed for much Of the
present rent disgrace in the
District.
In this connection, Congressman
Blanton declared that the proposed
-ent bill would not curb this prac-
ice. Blal&on was immediately
AIKEN un by Chairman WhRley.