Evening star., 1941-03-03
Unfair Scale /
Here Is Called
Burden on U. s.
Freezing of Rates
Until Changed
By Order Is Proposed
Ry JAMES E. CHM.

Declaring that unfair and unrea-
sonable rents here constitute bur-
den on Government officials and en-
ployes, Chairman Randolph of the
House District Committee late today
introduced a drastic bill designed
to revive the wartime Rent Control
Commission, but with increased au-
thority.
Aside from creating a rent control
commission, the measure also would
freeze present rentals until changed
by the commission on petition of
tenant or landlord, or on its own
initiative.
The commission would be COM
posed of three members appointed
by the President. 1t would be an
independent agency of the Federal
Government.
The commission would have a
technical staff and its decisions could
be appealed only to the United
States Court of Appeals for the Dis
trict, and thereafter to the Supreme
Court. The commissioners would
receive a salary of $4,000 year
each.
Could Act on Own Initiative.
In fixing rentals. the commission
would base It's decisions on inde-
pendent Investigations Of its own
technical staff, on tenant testimony
and on the landlords actual costs
of operations and his fair profit. The
commission would have the power to
make such investigations on its own
initiative, regardless of whether the
tenant had appealed for a rent re-
duction or the landlord for rent
increase. In addition. the commits
sion could require a periodic regis
tration of all dwellings in the Dis
trict.
Representative Randolph said that
despite recent statements by real
estate operators in the District. rents
"are going up"
"The wage increases in the Wash
ington Navy Yard a few weeks
ago." he declared. were Immediately
absorbed by rent increases in the
neighboring lodging houses. These
are evidences of the beginning of a
serious situation because the COM
bination of shortage of dwellings
and a rapid influx of new workers
are 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"
Last War Cited as Example.
Mr.. Randolph pointed out that the
last war disclosed what we may
expect in the near future" He
pointed out that between 1917 and
1918 the number of Federal en-
ployes in the District increased from
1000 to l17,000 and during that
period of national emergency build
ing construction here virtually
ceased.
Rents" he declared. went up
sky high; employees were jammed
into tiny rooms. Several real estate
companies from out OF town bought
up large numbers of dwellings pure
ly for speculation. Three times the
Federal Government raised the
wages Of its employees in order to
enable them to meet the increased
cost of living: each time rents were
raised by landlords just enough to
absorb the increase in wages, leav-
ing the workers no better of than
they were before"
AS a result of that serious stu
ation," he said, Congress adopted
the Salisbury resolution, freezing
rents. This was not very effective,
he explained, because there was no
real power" to enforce it. After
the war was over, he said, a rent
commission was established to de-
termine the fair rental for any piece
of property in the District and the
commission was in existence until
1925.
Would Put Teeth i'm Law.
"Today we must not wait until
rents have skyrocketed, until specu-
lation in the living conditions of the
people of Washington has made the
city by-word in the country" de-
clared Representative Randolph. In
order to prevent this, he said, two
things should be accomplished.
81. The Alley Dwelling Authority
should extend its construction pro-
gram very rapidly and private build
ers must be encouraged to erect new
projects.
"2. Rents must not be increased"
The maximum penalty prescribed
in Mr.. Randolph's bill for violations
OF the proposed new rent control
act would be fine of $1,000 or a
years Imprisonment or both.