Evening star., 1933-05-18
MILK AND RENTS
PROTEST TARGETS
OF U. S. WORKERS
American Federation of Gov
ernment Employees Holds
Mass Meeting.
CONGRESSIONAL PROBES
PROMISED BY SPEAKERS
Senator Capper and Representative
Randolph to Support High
Price Investigations.

Washington's milk prices were lined
up with high rents last night as a
target for protests from Federal work.
ers, as the District department Of the
American Federation of Government
Employees conducted its second mass
meeting within six weeks, at the Gen.
trail High School auditorium.
After hearing speeches by Senator
Arthur Capper Of Kansas and Repre-
sentative Jennings Randolph Of West
Virginia, in which both promised sup
port in Congressional Investigations of
rents and cost of dairy products. two
resolutions were adopted by the gather
ing, demanding reductions In cost of
housing and slashing Of "exorbitant"
milk prices.
Debate Shut on.
Debate on the resolutions was shut
off by Chairman Michael D. Schaefer,
president of the District federation, who
ruled 'out of order" motion from the
floor to throw the matters open for
discussion.
Other speakers on the program last
night included James G. Yaden. presi-
Gent of the Federation of Citizens
Associations, and Leo A. George, presi-
dent of the National Federation Of Post
Office Clerks.
Senator Capper. who also was
speaker at the rent protest meeting
held in Mckinley High School March
81, brought to the assembly last night
what he described as a report" on
progress being made in connection with
bringing about rent reductions.
Expressing the belief that President
Roosevelt will be in sympathy" with
the plight of District renters, Senator
Capper said he expected to gain an
audience with the Chief Executive in
the near future. He expressed his dis
appointment at not being able to see
him since the last mass meeting.
The Kansas Senator said the pre-
sumable effects of relation on COM
modify prices is a new and extremely
urgent reason why the administration
should assist the Government employees
Of Washington in this housing emer-
gency"
Regulatory Agency Sought
The former chairman Of the Senate
District Committee said he advocated
some municipal regulatory agency to
deal with the local housing and rent
problem He said:
Il want the President to know that
in the District government there Is no
person and no agency intrusted with
the very important job OF directing
housing. The Zoning Commission and
certain branches of the inspection
service touch the fringes Of the hous-
ing question But for the most part
the vital matter Of keeping roof over
the heads of Washingtonians has been
permitted to go unassisted and und-
rected.
Il think it is high time that the peo-
pie of Washington, through their mu-
nicipal government, handled their own
housing problems. Under present con-
ditions, whenever anything goes wrong
the people of this city must come to
Congress. l feel very strongly that if
we had an Office in the District govern
ment in charge of housing matters, our
Senate Committee would have been
spared q considerable part Of the time
and expense Of the recent rent investl-
CATION"
Senator Capper said legislation de-
signed to give housing its proper and
rightful place in the District govern
ment" is now being drafted by the ofhce
Of the corporation counsel along lines
suggested by the Senate District Com
mittee in the last Congress. This legls-
lation, which contemplates among other
things the establishment of a bureau
where citizens can go with their COM
plants about exorbitant rents" will be
ready for introduction within q few
days, he said.
Hits Alley Conditions
An important phase of the houseing
emergency in the District, Mr.. Capper
pointed out, is with regard to condi-
tions among the colored people. The
hearings before the Rent Investigating
Subcommittee in the last Congress, he
regarding exorbitant rents paid by col
ored people, especially in the inhabited
alleys which "are a disgrace to WASH
ington and to the Nation" Six thou
sand people in Washington live in alleys,
he asserted.
"The District Health Department rec
ords show" he went on, that the death
rate among the local alley population
Is a little more than four and one-half
times greater than in the street popu-
lation of Washington. I am glad to say
that the bill have introduced to elimi-
nate the evils of alley housing is having
the serious consideration Of the Senate
District Committee. I believe it will
pass the Senate"
Declaring that Washington is paying
a higher retail price for milk than most
communities in the country. Senator
Capper Endorsed the movement to re-
duce the prices.
THE people of this city are entitled
to know whether they are paying too
much for milk they buy. and If so,
where the profit Is going" he said.
They are entitled to know whether any
monopoly controls the milk supply Of
the District and fixes prices to suit
ITSELF"
Pledges Keen Observation.
Representative Randolph pledged his
"keen observation" to the matters of
Washington's rent and the cost of its
dairy products He said these were mat
tiers in which he personally was inter-
ested. since they were brought rather
forcibly to his attention when he ar
rived in Washington to take Office in
March.
The plan to conduct an investigation
into milk prices in Washington, pro-
posed by Senator King, chairman Of
the Senate District Committee, was in
dorsed by Mr. Yaden, who declared the
cost of dairy products here runs 80 to
so per cent higher on an average than
in any other city of comparable size in
the United States.
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