Evening star., 1941-11-04
McCarran Acts
To Speed Action
On Rent Control
Friday Hearing Set
Tentatively After
House Approved
By JAMES E. CHINN.

Preparations were made today to
open the way for early Senate ac-
ton on a House-approved anti
rent profiteering bill which would
freeze rentals in the District at
the January /, l94l, level.
AS the first move, Chairman Nc
Carran of the Senate District Com
mittee tentatively scheduled
hearing on the legislation Friday
before the full group instead Of re-
ferring it to subcommittee. Wit
nesses will not be allowed to reneat
any of the testimony given before a
House subcommittee.
Il believe there is need for rent.
control legislation" Senator Nc.
Carran said. and I will do every-
thing I can to hasten action on it
by my committee"
Hearings Friday. he said are
contingent upon completion before
that time of a study by a special
subcommittee OF District traffic
problems. Otherwise consideration
OF the bill will be delayed until
next week
Few in House at Time.
The rent bill. which would give
an administration appointed by the
Commissioners wide authority in
adjusting rents on petition OF land
lord or tenant. passed the House
yesterday afternoon without rec
ord vote. Action came at the close
Of nearly two hours of debate, dur
ing which Chairman Randolph OF
the District Committee described
the legislation as "a sane and prop
er approach to rent control"
Two changes we're made in the
measure before it was approved by
a mere handful Of House members.
At no time were there more than
| 46 Of the 435 members on the floor.
of whom 26 were Democrats. Two
hundred and eighteen constitute a
quorum.
One of the amendments, offered
by Representative Patman, Demo-
crat. of Texas, is intended to give
/ the rent administrator authority TO
reduce rentals below the January l
ceiling If he should find they were
not fair and reasonable at that
time in comparison with the invest
ment value of the property and the
value of services provided by the
landlord.
Puts Cost on District.
The other came from the District
Committee. 1t would place the en-
tire expense of administering the
law on the District government.
The bill as reported to the House
would have imposed this cost on the
Federal Government.
Another amendment. offered by
Representative Hoffman, Republic
an. of Michigan, which would have
frozen rents at the January, 1910,
level. instead of the January, l94l,
ceiling. was withdrawn. Mr.. Hoff-
man said the change proposed by
Mr.. Patman would take care Of his
objection.
Representative Patman directed
his criticism of the bill to section
which he declared would not pro-
/ tect a tenant who felt his rent was
/ too high before January l.
Il am in sympathy with this leg
islation," he declared. Il know
something has got to be done to
keep rentals down. But I think if
it is shown a tenant is paying too
much rent something should be put
in the bill to give the administrator
the power to reduce it.
Randolph Sees Little Change.
I'm not critical. want some
protection for the groups being i'm
posed upon. There Is nothing in
the bill to permit any one to get a
reduction If he was charged too
much before January l."
Chairman Randolph contended
after House passage of the bill that
the Patman amendment did moth.
ing more than change the phraseol.
ogy Of one section. Mr. Patman,
however, insisted the change would
affect unfair" rentals prior to Jan.
uary /.
1T was my intent in offering the
amendment to protect the tenant
whose rent was too high before jan
uary l." declared Mr.. Patman, land
If it is construed otherwise I will
seek to have the language clarified
| when the bill goes to conference"