Evening star., 1941-10-07
Rent Control
Needed, House
Group Agrees
Drofts Of Proposed
Bills to Be Presented
To D. {. Committee
BACKGROUND

oAS n ShoC ~ IL
Infur OF defense workers, NTH
resultant decline in housing units
GUdildble in District, has led to
demand for rent control leqiSlu-
tion. Legislation tDdS urged by
Price Administrator Leon Hem
derSon and SeUernl labor groups.
Three bills hare been introduced.
Opposition has been DOtced By
some landlords and oUners, but
organized real estate interests
hare not objected to some form
of rent control.
The House District Committees
Defense Subcommittee agreed today
that rent control for Washington Is
necessary during the emergency.
The subcommittee will recommend
rent control legislation, in principle,
to the District Committee at a spe-
cial meeting to be held at 10 a m.
October IA The specific form OF
this control will be left to the COM
mittee.
Committee Chairman Randolph,
who also heads the subcommittee,
made this announcement at the
close of an executive session. The
subcommittee, he said, will not
recommend any particular bill, but
will submit to the full committee
alternative plans of rent control to
be embodied in new bills which will
be drafted during the week.
One plan would give the proposed
rent-control authority blank
check" to draw up regulations, the
other would limit and define its su-
thority and prescribe rules under
which it could freeze rentals or place
a ceiling on them.
Would Replace Pending Bills.
The two bills, which will be placed
before the committee in the form
of tentative drafts, will take the
place of three which have been
pending before the subcommittee.
The first of those three bills called
for rent commission similar to
one that acted during the last war
and would freeze rents on the date
the bill became law.
The second drawn up by the Of
fee of Price Administrator Leon
Henderson. would provide for a
rent control commissioner appoint
ed by the President, with blanket
authority to freeze rents or to
change them at any time.
The third bill. which real estate
interests sponsored, would set up
an administrator appointed by the
District Commissioners and give
him authority to lay down rules
under the supervision of the Com.
mlssioners and also would place a
ceiling on rents as of September,
1910.
Mr.. Randolph explained that the
two tentative bills which the sub
committee will bring up before the
committee will embody most of the
features of the three bills.
Hopes for Simple Law.
Al the close of the subcommittee's
meeting today Chairman Randolph
said:
The National Defense Subcor-
mlttee has agreed that there should
be rent-control legislation enacted
into law for the District. There are
certain points at issue which the
subcommittee will present to the
1uIl District Committee.
1 am calling today a special
meeting of the District COMMITTEES
Tor 10 am. next Tuesday. At that
time the subcommittee will present
drafts OF two bills. In many of the
provisions they will be similar. in
otnerS they will be in conflict. In
a general way, the question revoIves
about whether we should give "a 50.
called blank check to the admins.
tratlve authority or authorities or
whether the mandate should be
specific"
Mr.. Randolph indicated the sub
committee was in agreement on the
principle OF a freezing date for
rents. September, 1910, was dis
cuSSed, he said. but no agreement
was reached. Mr.. Randolph said he
hoped the committee would bring
out a bill which would be easily
understood by the tenant. as well as
the landlord-a measure which
Will obviate legal uncertainties.
The subcommittee. which has held
extensive public hearings on rent
control legislation, called into its
executive session today Karl Bor-
ders, chief of the Rent Section of
the Office of Price Administra ton.
and E. Barrett Prettyman, repre-
senting real estate interests.