Evening star., 1941-11-07
Senate Committee
Nates Final Action on
Rent Bill Next Week
District Unit to Meet
Monday on Changes
tentatively Approved

The Senate District Committee
will take final action early next
week on the House-approved rent
control bill, Chairman McCarran
announced today. A meeting for
this purpose probably will be held
Monday.
The measure was indorsed by
the committee late yesterday
subject to ratification of a series of
tentatively approved changes which
! included elimination of the Patman
amendment, tackled on in the House.
/ These changes, to be considered
| further at the next meeting, would:
l. Require that the rent admins
| traitor appointed by the Commission
ers be confirmed by the Senate. in
the same manner as presidential
nominations are handled.
g. Make appointments on the
staff of the administrator Condi-
toned upon approval of the Com
missioners.
3. Authorize the administrator, in
fixing hotel rates. to make allow
ance for increases or decreases in
opera ting expenses since last Janu-
airy /.
Would Require Reports.
4. Direct the administrator to file
report with Congress semi-an-
nually.
! Action of the committee was
taken at a brief executive session
following a tWo-hour public hear
ing during which vigorous protests
we're made against the Patman
amendment which provided that
rents be adjusted on the basis of
| the investment value of property.
| The committee also rejected an
amendment suggested at the hear
ing by Representative Dewey,
Republican. of Illinois. which would
/ allow 10 per cent increase in the
January l level of rents for houses
or multiple apartments renting for
$50 or less per month. Mr.. Dewey
explained such a provision would
protect owners of low rental ac-
commodations against losses from
possible vacancies.
This suggested change was op-
posed by Karl Borders. chief of the
rent section of o. P. NJ, and Mrs.
/ Helen Duey Hoffman of the WASH
ington Housing Association. both
of whom pointed out that people
in the lowest salary groups live in
houses and apartments renting for
$50 or less. and any increase in
rentals would constitute decided
/ hardship on them.
The amendment relating to hotels
was suggested by Joseph c. Nc
Garraghy. representing the Wash
! ington Hotel Association.
Opposed by Borders
Mr.. Borders opposed thu sng-
gested amendment He declared the
administrator already had been
given power in the bill "to do what
the hotel men want DONE He
argued that the change would mere
/ ly inject into the bill special Ian
guage and consideration"
Author of the tentatively approved
amendment requiring that the rent
administrator selected by the Com
missioners meet the approval of
the Senate was not revealed. 1t was
said, however, that Senator Nc
Carran will be advised there is no
legal precedent for such a proce-
dure, and there are indications the
amendment will be removed.
Opponents of the Patman amend
ment included Mr.. Borders, Chair
man Randolph of the House Dis
trict Committee. E. Barrett Pretty
man, representing organized real
estate interests; Commissioner John
Russell Young and Harry S. Wender,
first vice president of the Federation
of Citizens Associations.
Chaos FOreseen.
Both Mr.. Prettyman and MIR
Borders said the amendment would
make the rent-control plan t0cally
unworkable.
Final witnesses before the COM
mittee preceding the executive ses-
sion were Arthur Waller, of the
Federation of Civic Associations
and Edgar G. Brown. president OF