Evening star., 1932-12-02
CHARGES OF RENT BLACKLIST"
DENIED BY REAL ESTATE MEN
Senate Committee Chairman Capper De-
clares, However, There Appears
to Be an "Aereement."

/
The most that rents here ever rose
above the pre-war level Of 1914. the
committee was told, was 327 per cent.
whereas clothing increased 81 per cent.
lood lOS per cent and house furnish
ings 100 per cent.
AT the present time rents are lower,
In comparison with 1914 costs, than
clothing, house furnishings and all
miscellaneous items" the statement
concluded
Tackling the matter from another
angle. the board declared that. while
the salaries of Government employees
was not cut until five months ago,
they have enjoyed the benefit of de-
creased commodity prices, including
years ago"
F1gures presented by the realtors
show that. as of October last, apart
ment vacancies here amounted to 17.4
per cent, whereas in November. 1929.
the vacancy was computed to be 90
per cent; in 1880, IL per cent; and in
1881, 7.8 per cent
The scale of rents Is not the cause
OF the present large vacancy" the re-
port declares. In hard times families
always double up. That is what is
happening today Children are going
home to live with their parents. naro
ents are living with their children
Single persons who formerly had in
diVldual apartments now have dou-
bled up"
The contention was made also that
even heavy reductions in apartment
rents would not help the unemployed,
VINO can pay no rent at all"
Tax Burden Stressed.
Particular stress was placed by the
realtors on the size of the tax burden
on Washington property holders. They
found that last year 119 per cent of
all apartment rents collected went for
taxes. This year 125 per cent of total
rents collected is going for the same
purpose.
Describing the tax burden another
| way, the realtors declared: In 1891
| the taxes eQualed 35.7 per cent of the
| net income (of apartment properties)
and IN 1882 they rose to 37.8 per cent.
As the income from apartment build
| lngS has gone down, and the tax rate
and assessment remained the same. the
taxes have gone up.
Property owners, particularly apart
ment owners, have to give UP an un-
fair proportion of their income in
taxes. Over 81 Of every 81 that an
owner now makes on his property must
| De shared with the District Govern
ment. There are buildings cited in
this report, even those that have net
incomes, that are paying so, so and
even more than 100 per cent of the
amount OF net income in taxes.
High taxes are caused by out
rageous and unnecessary Government
expenses. The expenses Of the District
Government must be cut drasticaIIy.
Now Is the time to start. This commit
tee VIII do well to address itself to this
pressing problem, for taxes are Destroy
ing property values and breaking the
back OF the rentpayer.'
Alley Dwellings Hit.
Employment of public funds in the
rebuilding of alley dwellings and other
"blighted" areas of Washington was
urged by John Ihlder, housing consult
ant of the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, during the
afternoon session yesterday of the SEN
ate committee investigating rental con-
ditions
Louis Justement, representing the
UootAA48VOnA SudPtcI VI tIl6 american
Institute of Architects told the COM
mittee of plans of his organization for
rebuilding of older sections of the CITY
by limited dividend corporations, with
FUNDS from the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation.
In favoring employment Of portion
OF relief funds for construction of new
housing for the poorest classes here to
replace outworn dwellings, Mr.. Ihlder
quoted reports that the District of
Columbia now is spending about s3,OOO,-
goo q year for relief Of the needy
families.
Beyond the temporary care of the
destitute families there is nothing to
show for the expenditure of this money
Mr. 1hlder said, urging that a portion
of relief funds be used for construction
OF sanitary housing, which would bring
a more permanent return and a more
permanent Improvement OF conditions
OF the poorest classes.
Capper Is Sympathetic.
Senator Capper, while expressing
sympathy for proposals for the elimina-
tion of the alley dwellings of Washing
ton, raised the question of the advis-
ability of postponing plans for rebuild
ing Of blighted areas until the needs
OF present relief had been met.
Mr.. Justement described briefly the
plan proposed by the Washington Chap
ter OF the American Institute of Archi-
tects for legislation for use of Recon-
struction Finance Corporation funds
1or the rebuilding Of the blighted areas
OF Washington.
1t would be impossible for such sec
tons OF Washington to be rebuilt by
private initiative, he declared.
John Nolan, jr, city planner of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. presented maps showing
That the population of the more central
portions OF the District had been de-
creasing, while the more suburban Sec
uonS were being developed.
Leroy Halbert, director of emergency
reile1 work for the District government,
told the committee conditions here
would be much worse but for aid given
by the Washington Community Chest.
He said. however, that conditions were
becoming worse as the depression con-
tlnued, and that he viewed the coming
Winter months with apprehension. He
submitted statements regarding the
families which have been evicted from
their housing for non-payment OF rent.
Reduction Facts Desired.
Senators Copeland and Capper an
nounced at the hearing this afternoon
that they want to get as much infor-
nation as possible on the question of
whether rent reductions that have been
made in apartment houses this year
are benefitting all of the occupants of
the buildings that have been reduced
or whether the reductions apply only
to new tenants.
Senator Copeland said he wanted to
fnd out how many cases there are
where reductions have been made in
apartment rentals which were not ap-
Piled TO tenants under lease. He said
congress has forced pay reduction on
Government employees, land if a lot of !
Senators and Representatives have their |
way there will be further reductions"
For that reason, he said, the commit !
tee Is anxious to afford relief through |
lower rentals to Government employees |