Evening star., 1941-10-11
Realtors 10 Discuss
Fair Rent Problem
AT Detroit Meeting
Attitude of Government
VIII Be Explained by
o. P. A. Official

The setting up by communities of
volunteer local committees to insure
fair rents III defense areas will be
an important subject at the annual
convention of the National AsSo-
citation of Real Estate Boards in
Detroit November 4, 5, and 7.
Karl Borders, chief of the rent
section of the Office of Price Ad-
ministration, will open the discus
sion at the conventions first general
session and will outline the attitude
Of the Government toward the prob
lem of keeping balanced rent condi-
tionS for defense workers. Mr.,
Borders in conferences recently with
President Philip w. Kniskern of the
association has indicated that every
effort is being made to set up volun-
teer local fair rent committees
wherever pressure of public opinion
may be needed to keep rental rates
at fair level.
Local Boards Cooperating.
Local real estate boards of the
association, following an urgent re-
quest made by President KniSkern
when he took Office in January, have
taken community leadership very
generally in maintaining healthy
rent situation, a work that has in
Cluded the stimulation of construc-
ton and of use of existing building
resources of their localities as needed
to maintain a balance in housing
supply in the period of expansion in
housing demand. They have ex-
pressed their willingness to CO.
operate with committees eliminating
rent abuses.
President Kniskern. head of the
First Mortgage Corp. of Phila-
delphia, will point out at the con-
vention some fundamentals for con-
ttnuanCe of sound conditions for
real estate use and ownership and
for stable real estate values in a
defense economy. He will note mat
ters for thought in individual busi-
ness planning. measures which the
association is initiating, and action
which it asks government to take
to this end.
James C. Downs, chairman of the
associations committee on the
Rental Emergency will introduce
Mr.. Borders and will report at gen.
eral sessions on the rent Stabilization
problem and the rent outlook
Mr.. Downs. president of the Real
Estate Research Corp and of Downs,
Mol1l & Co. Chicago. and immediate
past president of the Institute of
Real Estate Management. also will
be leading speaker at meetings
of the brokers division of the asso-
citation on its Detroit convention
program. At opening sessions of the
brokerage meetings he will have for
his topic What Happened Then
What Will Happen Now?"
Milwaukee Mayor to Speak.
Carl Zeidler. mayor of Milwaukee.
will be the banquet speaker of the
brokers' division He will discuss
post-defense reconstruction. A study
of Milwaukee and especially of its
downtown district just completed by
K. Lee Hyder ana Howard j. Tobln
fer the Urban Land Institute pro-
poses for the city a long-term pro-
gram of replanning and rezoning
to revitalize the central areas and
bring about a closer interrelation-
ship of the whole metropolitan area
The general proposal Is under active
discussion in many cities.
Donald T. Pomeroy of Syracuse,
N, Y, chairman of the brokers'
division, will preside at its sessions
and will be POSTMASTER at its BAN
ouet, expected to be one of the
largest meetings of the convention
Harry Latter, head of Latter 81
Blum, Inc. New Orleans. former
chairman of the division, will speak
on creative selling of real estate