Evening star., 1941-11-24
Senate Delays
Rent Bill Action
Until Thursday
Passage Held Up
Pending Return
Of McCurrun

Senate action on the District Rent
Control Bill was postponed today
until Thursday. after Minority Lead
er McNary, of Oregon explained that
Chairman McCarran of the District
Committee. would be back in the
city by that time.
Senator McNary told the Senate
he had conferred with Senator Bur-
ton. Republican, of Ohio, a member
of the District Committee. on the
decision to wait until Thursday.
Meanwhile, it was learned, fur
ther study is being given to the
compromise amendment already ap-
proved by the House defining the
terms on which the rent admins
traitor may lower the rent ceiling
In specific cases on application of
tenants.
The bill was drafted on the theory
of using January l, 194l, al the basic
date from which to figure rent ad-
justments. Before the House passed
the bill originally it adopted the
Patman amendment. authorizing
rent adjustments on the basis of the
value of the property. The Senate
discarded this proposal, chiefly on
the ground it would take too long to
60 through valuation proceedings to
Ak fair rentals.
Substitute Amendment.
After Nthe Senate passed the re-
vised bill a substitute for the Pat
man amendment was worked out
which reads as follows:
ANY tenant may petition the ad
ministrator to adjust the maximum
rent ceiling APPLICABLE to his housing
accommodations on the ground that
such maximum rent ceiling permits
the receipt of an unduly high rent;
whereupon the administrator may
by order adjust such maximum-rent
ceiling in such manner or amount
as shall in his judgment, effectuate
the purpose of this act and provide
fair and reasonable rent for such
housing accommodations"
Before the bill is taken up Thurs
day further study will be given to
the compromise to determine wheth-
er it needs clarification to make it
clear that January l, of this year.
remains the basic ceiling from which
to determine when rent adjustments
are necessary.
Official consideration of rent
control administrator for the Dis
trict under the bill will await sigma
ture of the measure by President
Roosevelt. and probably the return
of Commissioner John Russell
Young from Florida December 2.
Commissioner Guy Mason said to-
day no official Consideration has yet
been given the matter and that it
probably would not be taken up
until Mr.. Young. who is president of
the Board of Commissioners, gets
back. The bill which would become
effective after 80 days, provides that
the rent administrator be appointed
by the Commissioners.
Won't Delay Appointment.
I'VE won't delay matters at all"
said Mr.. Mason, but we certainly
won't do anything until the Presi-
dent signs the bill"
Several names have been men,
toned unoff1cially for possible con-
sidreation for the $500 job of rent
control administrator They re-
portedly include Charles A. Jones,
former District real estate man
whose term as general manager of |
the Home Owners Loan Corp. ex-
pires this week: Robert F. Cogswell, |
an attorney, and Elmer Cummings, |.
. former Police Court attache. 1t
was emphasized that no official dis
cussion of nominees has yet taken
place.
Finding office space for the rent
control administration will also pro-
vide problem for the Commission
ers who have little space to offer
either at the District Building or
the Municipal Center. 1t was con-
sidered possible that the old Health
Department Offices on the second
floor OF the District Building might
be available.
Another possibility is said to be
the moving of the District Unem-
ployment Compensation Board from
the Ford Building, at Pennsylvania
avenue and John Marshall place
NV, and installation of the new
agency there. The Commissioners
have recently been at odds with the
Social Security Board. which has
refused to permit the Compensation
Board to pay the District rent for
their quarters in the Ford Building