Evening star., 1932-12-01
REALTORS PLANNED
TALK WITH JUDGES,
RENT QUIZ HEARS
Minutes of Meeting Involving
Eviction Case Stays
in Record.
"BLACK LIST" ALLEGED
BY THREE WITNESSES
Tenants Declare Lease Breakers
Were Refused Apartments
in Other Buildings.

The Senate committee investigation
of rental conditions here heard testi-
mony today that the Executive Com
mittee of the Washington Real Estate
Board had directed its attorney to talk
informally" with judges of Municipal
Court regarding stays of eviction against
tenants.
This evidence was presented to the
investigating subcommittee Of the Sem
ate District Committee by Oscar H.
Brinkman, its counsel, who read into
the record a quotation from the min
utes of the Realty Board.
Record of Meeting Quoted.
The record of the meeting of the Ex-
ecutive Committee of the Real Estate
Board of September 9, 1882, Mr. Brink
man said, showed the following:
The president stated that a great
many members had informed him it
seems to be the practice of two judges
in Municipal Court to grant judgments
in cases Of non-payment Of rent with
stay of execution varying from 3 to
Is days, Judges Cobb and Mattingly
being the most lenient
The president was instructed to dis
cuss the matter with Roger J. White
ford, attorney for the board, with a
view to having Mr.. Whiteford talk in
formally with the judges of the Munic-
ipal Court"
At the conclusion of the reading Of
this statement, Senator King of Utah,
a member of the investigating body, de-
clared there should be prosecution for
contempt of court of any such action.
MIR. Brinkman's reference to the
realty board minutes brought to a con-
clusion the morning session of the hear
this afternoon
"Blacklisting" Alleged.
Testimony that certain Washington
real estate firms have an understand
ing" by which they refuse to lease
apartments to tenants who have
firms was presented to the committee,
to support charges that a system of
"blacklisting" of tenants who break
leases is maintained by real estate
agents here.
The testimony was introduced by Os-
car Fl. Brinkman, counsel to the Senate
Committee, to support his charge that a
system of "blacklisting' of tenants who
break leases is maintained by Wash
ington real estate agents
In answer to subpoenas, three wit
nesses told the committee that due to
reduced incomes they have been forced
to seek cheaper apartments, and that
they had been refused releases from ex-
isting rent agreements and also refused
permission to rent apartments in other
buildings.
In the course OF the early proceedings
today, Mr. Brinkman announced that
he did not wish to call certain real
estate witnesses to the stand unless they
would sign waivers of immunity, i'm
plying that he would seek criminal
The first witness was Kenneth Ar
denger, 829 Quincy street, who said he
had been forced to move from an apart
ment managed by the Thomas j. Fisher
Co. because he and his wife had lost
their jobs. He said the Fisher company,
when told Of the situation, refused to
release him from his existing lease and
that an agent Of the B. F. Saul Co.,
agents of the Quincy street building. to
which he wished to move, told him they
could not accept him as a tenant un-
less the Fisher company released him
from the former lease.
Ardenger said he appealed to the
owner OF the building and was permit
ted to take the lease there regardless Of
the action Of the Saul company.
At this point Harvey Jacobs, vice
president OF the B. F. Saul Co., in
answer to questions by Senator Cope
land, said that If prospective tenant
were delinquent in payment of rent
at former location they would hesi-
tate to accept him as a tenant and
would refuse to do SO in some cases.
Earlier Testimony Recalled.
Mr.. Jacobs told Senator Copeland
he would not call such practice black
listing, but rather that it was merely
taking consideration of facts pertaining
to the ability of tenant to pay his
rent
Senator Copeland, member of
the committee. then declared he
wanted the record to show that at
former session Of the Investigating
Committee several prominent local real
estate men had testified emphatically
that there was no such thing as either
a "blacklisting" agreement among
them, or that there was real estate
ring"
''As 1 understand it." he said, lone
of the purposes of this committee is to
make it possible for tenants who have
suffered reductions in income to be able
to move from their apartments into
others at cheaper rent"
Senator Capper, after reading the let
ter from the Saul company, which had
been inserted in the record, asked If
it did not mean there was an under
standing among members Of the WASH
ington Real Estate Board that they
would not give leases to prospective ten
ants who had broken leases held with
other members Of the board.
Mr.. Jacobs replied:
1T would appear So"
The second witness called by Mr..
Brinkman was Miss Ellen Kelly, now
Of 736 Twenty-second street. She told
the committee that day or two after
she had signed a lease with the B. F.
Saul Co. for the rental of an apart
ment in the keystone, at 2150 Pennsyl
vania avenue, she was given notice by
her employer she would receive pay
cut OF IS per cent, whereas she had
anticipated cut OF but 10 per cent.
Declares Proceedings Threatened.
She testified Saul company employe;
in answer to a letter from her, said
they could not break the lease, and that
II she did so they would garnishee her
wages. Miss Kelly said she then at
tempted to lease an apartment in the
Drake Building, managed by the H. L.
Rust Co., and was told by an agent Of
that firm she would have to get a re-
lease from the Saul company. since
the two firms had an understanding on
that matter. She finally agreed, she
said, to make a payment toward the
August rent. but that in the meantime
the apartment she had selected in the
Drake had been leased to another party.
At this point Senator Copeland re-