Evening star., 1932-07-28
RENTAL PROBERS
TO CALL RICHARDS
District Assessor to Be Sum-
moned to Fix Real Value
of Properties.

District Assessor Richards Is to be
before the Capper subcom-
mittee, which held hearings yesterday
en- the rent situation in Washington in
response to protests from more than
1 900 persons against alleged extortion-
ate charges. in an effort to determine
the real value of the properties and
whether excessive rents are being
charged This decision was reached
after proposal by Senator King Of
Utah.
The subcommittee also promised a
special study of conditions surrounding
rental Of alley dwellings. Senator Cope
land, Democrat, of New York declared:
These alley dwellings are an outrage
against decency. They all ought to he
dynamited." This was provoked by @
recital Of conditions by j. c. Holden and
r. A. Ellis, officers Of the Better Citizens
Bureau, colored welfare organization,
who charged landlords step-up rents to
colored tenants Is per cent above those
charged white occupants.
Appointment Of Oscar H. Brinkman, q
attorney and former clerk
of the Senate District Committee, who
several years ago made a special study
OF real estate conditions in the Dis
trict. as attorney y-inveStigator for the
Capper- Subcommittee on Rents, will
probably be made at an executive con-
ference this afternoon, Senator Cap
per said. .......
WII Make Intensive Survey.
The entire field is to be covered in
an intensive and comprehensive survey
to which Mr.. Brinkman will devote him.
self for the next three or four months
so that the subcommittee will be ready
to make its report early in December,
If not sooner.
At the hearing yesterday both real
estate owners and tenants presented
their side Of the case. after Chairman
Capper had read excerpts from many
petitions signed by 20 to so to 100
residents of various apartment houses
Senator Capper stated that during the
past month more than 900 letters ON
the subject og excessive rent charges
had been received by the Senate com
mittee and that approximately 80 per
cent OF these were from Government
Senator Copeland emphasized these
tenants have suffered reductions in
salaries, that prices of all other essen
tials of life have been very materially
reduced and that every one has shared
In the depression except the landlords"
Senator'S Copeland and King promised
that testimony regarding the value of
the properties would be recorded so as
TO establish basis of fact for comput-
ing profits reaped by landlords.
Charles L. Goodrich, residing in the
Alabama apartment house for "a years.
who was retired on July /, under the
so called economy BILL said that he
started in paying $3.50 a month "a
years ago and that this rental had been
increased until he now is paying 500
a month and has been paying that for
the past 10 years, while the building
has been running down and the service
as well. This witness said that he is
now locking for another apartment, as
he cannot afford to pay more than
$40 to $50 month.
Letter Of Eviction"
Mrs. Nellie T. Dunn, an employe of
The Post Office Department, living at
1920 r street, laid before the committee
! letter Of eviction" which she said
she had received from Baskin & Co.,
Inc, requesting her to vacate within
.hree days the apartment she occupies.
This apartment comprises one room,
1itchep and bath, for which she paws
$3.50 This action by the landlord was
AIKEN after ne had learned that she and
'ome other Is residents of the apart
nent were drafting a letter asking for
'ent reductions. A copy of that letter
rom the Is residents which crossed en-
quite the letter from the Baskin Co., |
vas also presented to the committee.
In reply to questions from Senator |
Copeland, Mrs. Dunn said that after |
from her salary under the |
economy program and for her retire |
nent pay she now receives $120 a |
month to support herself and child.
Fulton r. Gordon. developer of !
Chevy Chase subdivision, testified that |
lie had been forced to take over ON Sec
md trusts 220 pieces of property |
Ibandoned by purchasers and had suf-
through being forced to buy the first |
ruSts He now holds ITO of these |
properties and estimated his return on |
entails Is approximately per cent. |
senator Copeland read from the record |
Il the 1924 hearings to show that Mr.. |
Gordon had bought the 99-acre tract |
# land for 81, 600 an acre and charged
2, 500 for each lot. Mr.. Gordon ex-
llained that one-third Of the property /
lad to be given for streets and that
lie had paid a large amount for grading.
Mrs. George w. Levy owner Of prop
rty at SO New York avenue north
vest, asked the Capper subcommittee
to correct a mistaken impression" She
Explained that prospective tenants of
moderate priced apartments are hold
ng on because they expect the Capper
rkS-rS ffu. 1faH
'er cent.