Evening star., 1941-03-04
Rent Control
Bill Studied
By House Unit
Randolph Proposes
New U. S. Bourd
To Regulate Rates


District Committee a bill sponsored
by its chairman, Representative
Randolph, Democrat, of West Vir-
ginia, providing for creation of an
independent Federal commission to
regulate and control rents here.
The proposed commission would
be similar to one that functioned in
Washington when housing condi-
tions became acute during the
World War period.
Representative Randolph intro
duced the bill late yesterday after
being told, he said, that unfair and
unreasonable" rental charges re-
Sulting from the influx of defense
workers constituted a burden on
those Federal employees whose duties
require them to reside here. The
situation, according to the preamble
Of the measure, is embarrassing to
the Federal Government in the
transaction Of the public business"
Officials of the Washington Real
Estate Board said they had no COM
ment to make on Representative
Randolph's proposal, but pointed
out that the community, working
through the District Defense Coun-
Gil, was evolving housing program,
A spokesman for the board stated
real estate men felt that the present
situation in Washington was in no
way comparable to the days of the
World War. 1t has been the feeling
of the board that the housing prob
lem could be worked out here
through cooperative plan.
Lawrence E. Williams, a member
of the Defense Council, expressed
hope the House would defer action
on the bill until defense housing
registry now being set up can
demonstrate what it can do"
Registry May Open Soon.
Mr.. Williams is chairman of the
Housing Subcommittee of the Coun-
cil's Committee on Housing, Works
and Facilities, which has been
formulating plans for operation Of
the defense housing registry. 1t is
understood that the registry, which
will be located at 458 Indiana avenue,
will be ready to open next week.
The registry plans to list all vacant
rooms, apartments and homes in
the District and provide service for
workers seeking living quarters
The Washington Board of Trade
cited figures issued by the Labor
Departments Bureau Of Statistics,
which show that rentals on dwell
ings occupied by low-income FAM
lies here are on a level with, or
lower than, other cities.
The index figure for rent in low
/ income homes in 33 average large
cities is 1049. the Labor DEPART
ment statistics show. In Washing
ton the index figure is 1902.
The commission proposed in the
Randolph bill would be composed
of three members appointed by the
President-persoAs not connected
| in any way with the real estate
business-who would receive salary
of $4,000 year each. 1t would
have a technical staff and its de-
cisions could be appealed only to the
United States Court of Appeals for
the District, and thereafter to the
Supreme Court.
Present Rents Would Be Frozen"
Authority would be given the COM
mission to freeze present rentals
until changed on petition of tenant
or landlord, or on its own initiative.
/ In fixing rentals the commission
would be required to base its de-
cisions on independent inveStiga-
tions of its own technical staff, on
/ tenant testimony at public hearings
and on the landlords actual costs OF
operations and his fair profits. The
commission also would have author
ity to require a periodic registra-
ton of all dwellings in the District.
The maximum penalty prescribed
in the bill for violations would be
a fine of $1,000 or a years i'm
prisonment, or both.
Explaining his reason for intro
ducing the measure, Mr.. Randolph
! declared:
To-day we must not wait until
rents have skyrocketed until specu-
lation in the living conditions Of
the people of Washington has made
the city a by-word in the county. To
prevent this, two things should be
accomplished:
"One, the Alley Dwelling Authority
should extend its construction pro-
gram very rapidly and private build
ers must be encouraged to erect new
projects.
1.-TWO, rents must not be in
creased"
Schultz Complains Of Rates.
Earlier in the day, Representative
Schultz, Democrat, of Indiana, a
member of the District Committee,
complained at meeting of the COM
mittee about the "exorbitant" rents
here. He told the committee that
low -salaried clerks were forced to
live together in small apartments
to pay the rental charge.
A statement issued by Representa-
tive Randolph when he introduced
the bill, declared that rents ARE
going up" here despite recent state
ments of real estate operators.
The wage increases in the WASH
ington Navy Yard few weeks ago."
he said, were Immediately absorbed
by rent increases in the neighboring
lodging houses. These are evidences
of the beginning of a serious Situa-
ton because the combination of a
shortage of dwellings and rapid
influx of new workers is going to
provide the landlords with many
more opportunities for rent increases
which in many cases will not be
warranted. Some slight raises may
be justified"
Mr.. Randolph pointed out the last
war disclosed what we may ex-
pect in the near future"
At that time-between 1917 and
1918-the number of Federal en-
ployes in the District, he said, in
creased from 41,000 to 117,000, and
emergency building construction
virtually ceased.