The Washington times., 1936-02-17
GUESTS BRING
PROTEST ALL
IN VAIN
BY J. EARLE MOSER


Once again a complaint has
been registered by employees Of the
Government against housing con-
ditions, this time against condi-
tions in a boarding house rather
than the fight against apartment
prices and scarcity that has ragged
for more than q year. An inspec-
tion Of the facts, however, indi-
Gates the clerks protest somewhat
unjustified.
The argument arose in q BOARD
ing establishment composed Of q
number Of connected dwellings in
the vicinity of Twenty-first and P
SITS. N. W., which holds approx
mately 800 paying guests and is
managed by Ralph s. Scott, for
merly an attorney with the Bu-
.reau Of Internal Revenue and now
q legal professor with Southeast.
ern University.
Strangely enough the tempest
In q teapot Cor in a boarding
house) did not arise over rents in
particular. These, an inveStiga-
tion reveals, are not over $45
monthly for a single room with
running water, or $41.50 for two
in q room-which is about average
for Washington.
The tempest arose over the fact
that the house management
slapped a 50-cent monthly fee
on all radios imported in rooms
and posted a set of house rules
when some guests infringed on
privileges, such as whoopee
parties far past the usual bedtime
hour. Included in the rules were
an edict that guests must not
entertain in their rooms past mid
night. that guests late with rental
payments must pay a 10 per cent
fee, and that guests must be
absent from the city at least five
days to receive deductions in
rent.
A committee, mostly Federal.
ties, Immediately called on Man.
ager Scott and protested bitterly.
A comic note crept in when they
pointed out he owned a car Of
fine make. But the rules stood
and night watchman was hired
to carry out the curfew edict.
Mr.. Scott defends his radio
charge with information he says
he has received from the Electric
al Institute Of Washington, to the
effect that operation Of a rndi0
costs one-half a cent per hour. He
says most Of the radios run every
minute their owners are home. He
adds that "Pepco" won't allow
him one electric meter for all
houses in the establishment, so
that radio operation costs more
than it might.
AS to the midnight curfew, he
declares that to anyone living or
managing in a boarding house it
speaks for itself. while he believes
the 10 per cent "tardy'' tax justi-
fable for those addicted to slow
pay. II have to meet my expenses
promptly, regardless Of my re.
ceipts," he explains.
Where the FederaliteS err, 1t
would seem, is in the fact that
the rules placed into effect by
Mr.. Scott have been enforced for
years in most of Washington'S
boarding houses, who, despite all
theorists have a surprisingly low
margin Of profit. When food
prices rise, few managers are able
to raise rents, as they face an
emptied house even though ten
ants may be forced to pay as much
elsewhere.
What would seem to be the rem
edy would be an association Of
boarding and rooming house op-
orators to set up a uniform rules
system throughout Washington.
Mr.. Scott says he is willing to be
q charter member. Federal work.
ers. about $4,000 of whom are be-
lieved to board, might well get
such a movement under way, it is
thought.
MI u