Evening star., 1932-12-29
Matchmaking D. c. Real Estate.

1t is possible. that the final para
graph CT the remarkable list of recon-
mendations made to the Senate Dis
trict Committees subcommittee inves-
tigating rents in Washington contains
the explanation that puzzled reader
would otherwise seek in vain. That
paragraph points out tat the COM
mittee may be wholly disinclined to
recommend to the Senate such broad
program of corrective and remedial ac-
tion, but it is hoped that the commit
tee may find in the above list CT
suggestions scme that merit conSid-
Grafton and adoption"
The subcommittee special lnveStl-
gatcr, in other words. has apparently
exercised his ingenuity to the extent
Of compiling list of all the con-
ceivable steps that might be taken by
Congress to nationalize and otherwise
to deal with the real estate business in
Washington, including the construction
of barracks or houses for the exclusive
use of regimented Government work
eTS, anu w lAAN NAo
c-etion Of the Senators which of these
many steps might be chosen to meet
the local situation.
One of these would be the prosecu-
ticn of those believed guilty, on the
strength of evidence so far obtained, OF
violations of Federal antitrust laws.
If there has been such violation. and
If evidence exists that there has been
such violation, prosecution Of the ac-
cused should follow as matter OF
course.
But the Senators would be faced with
an cc..-cly different situation should
they, as suggested, seek to declare that
a condition of emergency as to housing
exists in the District of Columbia" and,
on the strength of that emergency, de-
care that housing is a public utility
subject to regulation by the Public
Utilities Commission and, in effect, con-
fscate the private business of renting
as carried on between landlord and
tenant and put it in the hands OF an
other Government bureau. Such a
proceeding would be even more radical
than was the creation of the temporary
Rent Commission during the war days.
And it would have to be based on an
utterly different conception Of what
constitutes an emergency.
There is no scarcity of vacant homes
and apartments in Washington. There
is no question, nor Is there dispute. that
there exists surplus Of vacancies and
that rentals have been reduced. The
only difference OF opinion IS whether
the reduction in rentals has been as
much as it should be.
1t has been shown, in evidence before
the committee, that rents have been
reduced. 1t has been shown that
almost everything else. including sal
aries, has also been reduced. The one
large item that goes into the cost
of living and the height Of rentals
that thus far has escaped any reduc-
ton IS local taxes. The property own
ers taxes, which are passed on to the
renter, are as high now as they ever
we're, though the value of his property
as attested by numerous receiverships,
forced sales and voluntary sales-has
shrunk by such margin that equities
in many cases have vanished into thin
air. If the rental level in Washington
Is being artifcially maintained by illegal
combinations between landlords, the
courts and the Government prosecutors
are already well equipped with the
punitive weapons, without aid from the
Public Utilities Commission. If rents
are now established by the natural laws
of supply and demand there is no oc-
casion to seek circumvention OF those
laws by recourse to an artificial expedient
contrary to elementary principles of our
theory Of Government and the rights OF
individuals.
,iylc IYn