Evening star., 1932-11-30
Reductions TotaIing S783,542
Thus Far This Year Re-
ported at Inquiry.
BELIEVES SENATE PROBE
HELPED LOWER CHARGES
Kansan Says Total for Whole City
Has Decreased at Least
$1,000, 900.
A statement showing a group Of $50

A statement showing group Of 35C
apartment buildings in Washington
have made rent reductions amounting
to s783,542 thus far this year. was Is
sued today by Chairman Capper o
the Senate District Committee, as the
Rent Investigating Subcommittee pre-
pared to resume its work.
Pointing out there are $500 apart.
ment buildings in the city, Senator
Capper explained this is a partial list
and that undoubtedly there have beer
substantial reductions in the rent o.
hundreds of other buildings" Senator
Capper estimated the total rent bill O
the people of the District probably ha.
been reduced during the present year b!
at least sl,5o0,00O and possibly by twt
or three times that amount"
Senator Capper said some of the re.
ductions preceded our investigation
but very large number were not mad,
until after our inquiry got under way.
Meet Again Tomorrow.
The chairman issued his Statement
shortly before the rent subcommittee
convened. The meeting today LASTED
only a few minutes, adjourning unit
1890 am. tomorrow. The only wit.
ness heard was Charles J. Rush, secre
tary of the Washington Real Estat,
Board, who delivered to the subcom
mittee a suitcase full of the record!
Of the board, which had been asket
for by Oscar H. Brinkman, counsel tt
the subcommittee.
Brinkman said he wanted to 60 ovel
the records in preparation for sue
ceeding meetings of the subcommittee
to be held within the next few days.
In the prepared statement he ISSUED
this morning, Chairman Capper stated
1T is quite evident from the dats
that have been compiled for the use o.
the subcommittee of the Senate Distric.
Committee investigating rentals II
Washington, that rent scales here hav,
been moving in the right direction
downward. Salaries and other income,
have been materially lowered sine
1929! and the prices of food and othe
commodities were adjusted to lowe
levels sometime ago."
May Continue Reduction.
"The necessity for balancing tn,
Federal budget may make it necessar,
to continue the furlough plan of sal
ary reduction" Senator Capper pointed
out, "and it is highly desirable there
fore to make sure that the people wht
work for the Government, as well a
other residents of the District. are no
saddled with unreasonable rent ex
pense. We shall not lose interest IL
this question after making our repor
to the Senate, but a determined ant
persistent effort will be made to rem
edy any evil that exists In the housin,
situation In the District of Columbia.
The committee chairman indicates
he hopes to conclude the hearings II
time to submit recommendations to tn
Senate by December Is.
Il feel the investigation thus far ha
paid rich returns to the people o
Washington" the Senator continued
The total cost of the inquiry will no
exceed two-tenths Of l per cent of tn,
known actual reductions of rental mad
thus far this year, which we have item
lied and listed. 1t is true that not al
the. reductions we're due to the subcom
mittee's activity, but there can be nj
question that a very substantial proper
tion Of the huge reduction total i
properly attributable to the inquir1
directed by the United States Senatl
and In which Senators Kean, Blaine
Continued on Page 2, Column A.