Evening star., 1937-08-05
REAL ESTATE BILL
REPORT DUE SOON
Favorable Action Expected
Monday to Speed Senate
Consideration.

/. A Senate District Subcommittee Is
expected to make a favorable report
next Monday on 10-year-old bill,
stablishing a real estate commission
in the District to regulate and license
real estate brokers and statesmen.
The measure. which was strongly
indorsed by officers of the Washington
Real Estate Board and Corporation
Counsel Elwood Seal at hearings yes
terday afternoon. already has passed
the House. Senator Hughes OF Della
ware, chairman of the subcommittee.
announced at the conclusion he would
report it at the next meeting of the
full District Committee.
Roger J. Whiteford. counsel for the
Real Estate Board, said similar legis-
lation has been approved in 80 States
and in the 10 years since the pending
bill has been before Congress in va
rious forms it has been opposed by
only few individuals among the 500
real estate brokers in the District who
have no objection to regulation.
To-day there is no law to prevent
an unscrupulous man from engaging
in the real estate business here.
Whiteford said. There is nothing in
this bill that would prevent an honest
man from operating in the District"
House Previously Blocked Bill.
In the last 10 years the real estate
practice bill has passed the Senate
three times, only to be blocked in the
House. Now that 1t has passed the
latter legislative body, there was a
concerted move yesterday to obtain a
favorable recommendation to the Sem
ate in the hope it may become a law
at this session.
The bill sets up three-man COM
mission. whose duty was declared to
be the protection of the public against
fraud in real estate nsactions.
That there is an acute need for
sue protection was indicated by JOS
eph w. Marshall, director of the Bet
ter Business Bureau. Out of $500
complaints and inquiries received by
the bureau in recent months, he testi-
fed, at least half of them dealt with
real estate matters
Whiteford and H. Clifford Bangs.
former n r. A. code committeeman
for the National Association of Real
Estate Boards. agreed the District
should have legal protection against
fly y-by-night" brokers, who come into
Washington for the purpose of perpe-
trating frauds and then skip town.
This bill regulates the man. not the
industry. just as the lawyer is regu-
lated" Whiteford testified.
Two Protest Limitations.
Two opponents Of the measure. John
A. Savage and Jesse Duke, protested
that as the bill now reads, single
act for which compensation is re-
ceived constitutes transaction max
ing any individual broker or sales
man within the meaning of the act.
Savage claimed the language would
prevent any one from picking up
an honest dollar to keep off relief
The clause was defended by White
ford, who claimed it is in similar legis-
lation adopted in other States. Il
maintain a man can do just as much
harm through one transaction as in
two or three" he said. THE provision
is wise, sound and fair
He asserted that purchasers Of
homes would be protected under the
proposed law from dishonest and un-
scrupulous" dealers and cited in
stances in which property had been
misrepresented As to zoning as ex-
amples OF practices which ought to
be stopped"
Rental Property Owner Protests.
Charles J. Rush, secretary OF the
Real Estate Board. was in charge OF
the proponents Of the bill Mrs
Myrtle de MONTHS Of l346 Fairmont
street, who owns rented property, op-
posed the measure. She claimed 1t
would make it impossible for her to
turn rent collections over to any one
except licensed broker.
The bill imposes $50 license for a
real estate broker and $40 for q sales
mans license. The commission would
pass on the honesty. intelligence and
competency" Of all applicants.
Corporation Counsel Seal stated
that the bill had the approval Of the
District Commissioners and that he,
personally, indorsed the arguments
made by members of the Real Estate
Board.
Calico Used in 1881.