Evening star., 1933-04-01
CAPPER WILL ASK
ROOSEVELT'S AID
N D. c. RENT WAR
1850 Wage Farmers at Mass
Meeting Demand Lower
housing Costs.
WARTIME COMMISSION
THREATENED BY KANSAN
Medges Himself to Support Legis.
1ative Program for Rental
Reforms.


carry the fight to lower District renta
charges directly to President Roosevelt
within the next week, more than 1,50
Government workers and other wag
earners, at mass meeting in the Nc
Kinley High School last night, demand
ed an immediate reduction in housin,
costs in the Capital.
Pledging himself to support a legis
1ative program for housing reform
along the lines proposed by the Rem
Investigating Subcommittee in the las
Congress, Senator Capper said he wouls
ask the Presidents Endorsement of thi
program.
Il think President Roosevelt want.
to be fair to all Government workers,
he declared. "But think he shoule
know exactly what the conditions art
concerning Washington rents. I in.
tend to go to President Roosevelt with.
in the next week and put before hin
the facts in the Washington rental sit.
uation. I think 7 can convince hin
that rents here are outrageously high.
Three Speakers Heard
The Kansas Senator was one Of three
speakers at the meeting, which was
called by the District Department Of
the American Federation of Govern.
ment Employees for the purpose of pro-
testing what it describes as unreason-
ably high rents in Washington. Other
speakers were Representative Virginia
Jenckes of Indiana and Edward Nc
Grady, who appeared for William
Green, president of the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor, who was unable tc
attend.
The resolution adopted at the meet
ing, introduced by Thomas o. Fee,
president of the Post Office Depart
although the income Of wage earners
in the District has been substantially
reduced, no equivalent reduction has
been made in housing costs.
1T Is the sense of this meeting of
wage earners, residing in the District
Of Columbia, that there should be an
immediate and proportionate reduction
in the cost of housing in the District -
the resolution stated.
Senator Capper, who headed the in
vestigation into rents conducted by the
Senate, and was reappointed recently
by Senator King, chairman of the Sen
ate District Committee, to continue as
chairman of this subcommittee, out
lined in detail the findings and recon-
mendations Of the group.
Hopeful Development"
The Senator said he believed there
was a decidedly hopeful development
in the announcement of the Washing
ton Real Estate Board that a committee
had been named to consider the COM
plants of tenants with a view to rec
tifying injuStices.
Regardless, however, of this COM
nnendable action by the Real Estate
Board" Senator Capper said, "I think
that action should be had on the rec
ommendation of the subcommittee
which calls for the passage of a Sen
ate resolution calling on the Attorney
General to make complete investiga-
tion of charges that competition In real
estate transactions has been stif1ed in
the District Of Columbia"
The speaker declared he believed the
people are entitled to have the bene-
fit of the attorney generals opinion as
to the legality Of the actions of the real
estate board.
This proposal, however, is only part
of the general housecleaning that Is
needed in the local real estate situa-
tion," the Kansas Republican asserted
"Our subcommittee recommended a leg
islative program which is comprehen-
sive and strikes at the principal evils in
the local situation"
Mr.. Capper said he has been confer
ring with Corporation Counsel William
w. Bride in preparation of legislation
along the lines recommended by the
rent report. These include laws to limit
evictions of tenants when conditions are
such as to merit the intervention of the
-
moratorium for not exceeding years
on foreclosure of mortgages and deeds
OF trust on homes; legislation to confer
on the District Commissioners authority
to take such action as may be required
for the protection of tenants in cases o1
extreme emergency; passage of a res
olution calling on the Commissioners
for enforcement Of existing laws ano
regulations affecting public health, COM
fort and safety in connection with
rented property, and directing the Com
missioners to obtain through the Dis.
trict tax assessor, and submit to the
Senate, annual reports affecting rem
tails and the values of the apartment
houses.
Threatens a Commission.
While the subcommittee, after care.
fully weighing the matter, did not rec.
ornmend the creation of a Rent Com
mission, such as was set up here fol
lowing the war to prevent profiteering
Senator Capper made the statement
last night that unless the object O.
lowering rents and providing other re-
forms can be accomplished in a better
way, he faYors such a regulatory body
Declaring that 'it seems strange tina
we should have so many complaints o
high rates on fire insurance when tn,
fire loss in the District is one OF tn
Capper said he favored passage of {
resolution recommended by the Rem
Subcommittee calling on the Comnis.
sioners for a study of fire and title in
surance rates and practices in the Dis
trict, with particular reference to tn
fixing Of such rates and elimination o
competition.
Referring to the inception of the sen
atorial inquiry into rents in the Cap
ital, the speaker declared that the Sen
ate District Committee had mo desir
to embark on tedious investigation.
1--WE did our utmost to obtain from
the real estate men some. assurance tina
they would recognize their responsi
bility and reduce rents to reasonabl
level" Senator Capper said. But tha
assurance was not forthcoming and tn
inquiry begun
Quoting from figures of the Unite
States Bureau of Labor Statistics, tn
speaker pointed out that Washington
tents declined l0.2 per cent in the fou
and half years between June of 1872
and December Of 1882, while in Balti
more, for the same period, the drop wa
dropped 33.5 per cent; Boston, 241 pc
cent; Cleveland, 43.6 per cent; Ne
York, 25.2 per cent, Philadelphia, 81
per cent and Detroit decline of Z
per cent.
"No Sacred White Cow"
"Rent in Washington" Senator Car
per said in conclusion, "is no sacre
white COW. I certainly have no though
of delaying action any longer to 81
whether eventually rents in this eli
will come down to more sensible levels