Evening star., 1932-12-29
REALTY RENT REPLY
SAYS AIM HERE is
HIGHER STANDARDS

if they desire He said it is the duty
Of an agency handling some one elSe's
property to see that tenants who are
being taken in will pay rent and de-
Tended efforts to ascertain that fact as
good business practice. for which nc
business man is subject to criticism.
Replying to criticism of the 5 per
cent commission to agents handling
rental property. Whiteford said it is
almost universal throughout the coUn-
try. except that where the rent is over
100000 the commission is per cent.
He said it is not an unreasonable COM
mission, and cited the services rendered
by the agents.
Rent-FiXing Denied.
In denying that board members en-
deavor to fix rents, Whiteford said the
large amount of advertising which
agents do in an effort to get tenants is
evidence of the competition which
exists.
At the outset. Whiteford opposed
Brinkman's recommendation for six
months moratorium on foreclosure of
mortgages. declaring there is too much
reputation as the order of the day
and that individuals ought not be en-
couraged to waive their obligations.
He argued that many of Brinkman S
complaints were conclusions drawn BY
the subcommittee counsel. which
Whiteford contended are not justified.
The real estate attorney said the
board objects 10 the free rent" prac-
tice of signing up tenants for u
months, but only requiring them to pay
for 10 or II, because it is not a fair
practice He said that when buildings
are sold in such cases the rental value
IS net truly represented.
Whiteford said the board objected
some time ago to real estate advertising
which said brokers need not apply be-
cause in MANY cases the ads are in
serted by brokers as a means of OBJ
taining lists of prospects. He said
there is not much of that advertising
now.
In taking issue with Brinkman's
charges against the Real Estate Board.
Whiteford told the subcommittee Brink
man has heca!ded the board through
out the city as criminal organization
and also has included in his complaints
banks and trust companies and two
newspapers.
Bias Is Changed.
Attacking Bringman's report gener-
ally, Whiteford charged the committees
attorney started out on his investiga-
ton with a biased attitude and the
result was no more than could be ex-
pected."
He has not given here the fruit of
his investigation. "Whiteford asserted.
He has given only opinions. We don
want his opinions. We want all the
facts. and Mr. Brinkman has delib-
erately singled out isolated instances as
examples in his report. You cannot
take isolated cases and base principle
on them
Referring to Bringman's recommended
ton for rent regulation through the
Public Utilities Commission. Whiteford
said the Real Estate Board is opposed
to it.
We believe that the problem will
work itself out if given time" he added.
The problem is one which has been
brought on by the depression and must
be worked out in its own way"
Burden to Owners.
Whiteford argued that property own
ers do not feel that those unable to pay
rents should be housed at their expense.
He also objected to Brinkmans sugges-
tlon that houses be financed out of the
Federal retirement fund
AT the conclusion of Whitefords re-
marks. Brinkman reiterated several of
his charges. declaring the real estate
men had not made satisfactory rebuttal
He referred again to violation of the
antitrust law. specifying what he de-
scribed as restraint on the solicitation
OF loan renewals and the fixing of in
tereSt rates within the Real Estate
Board.
Senator King, Democrat, of Utah
commenting On this said: IF this is
true there is certainly ground for the
contention by Mr.. Brinkman that it
violates if not the letter, then the spirit
of the antitrust laws"
To Whiteford's charge that he had
not presented the entire results of his
investigation, Brinkman said he-.was
unable to do so because of lack of CO.
operation on the part of a number of
the larger real estate agents in reply
ing to a QUESTIONABLE.
Bowie was the final speaker today
The former president of the Real Es-
tate Board referred to Brinkman'S rec
ommendation that the testimony be
sent to the Department of Justice. and
said:
IF your committee sees fit to send
this So-called evidence of Mr.. Brink
mans to the Department Of Justice, we
would be glad to have you do it. We
have no concern about the outcome
The Department of Justice has been
through the files of the Real Estate
Board more thoroughly than Mr. Brink
man. That is the investigation that
believe Mr.. Brinkman terms white
wash and I presume if it goes there
again he would again call it a white
wash"
Il certainly will if they fail to prose-
cute Mr.. Brinkman replied
A new airplane engine of 500 horse
power which has lust passed British