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

SAAA.NASs
Preparations were made today to
open the way for early Senate ac-
ton on House-approved anti
rent profiteering bill which would
freeze rentals in the District at
the January l. 1941, level
AS the first move, Chairman Nc
Carran of the Senate District Com
mittee tentatively scheduled a
hearing on the legislation Friday
before the full group instead Of re-
ferring it to a subcommittee. Wit
nesses will not be allowed to repeat
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 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 were made in the
measure before it was approved by
a mere handful of House members
At no time were there more than
| As 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 tc
reduce rentals below the January
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 hav'
frozen rents at the January. 1910
level. instead of the January, l94l
ceiling. was withdrawn. Mr Hoff
man said the change proposed b,
Mr.. Patman would take care of hi.
objection.
/ Representative Patman directed
his criticism of the bill to a section
which he declared would not pro
tect a tenant who felt his rent wa
too high before January /.
L am in sympathy with this leg
islation.' he declared Il know
something has got to be done t
keep rentals down. But I think i
it is shown a tenant is paying to,
much rent something should be pu
in the bill to give the administrato
the power to reduce it.
Randolph Sees Little Change.
I'm not critical. I want SOM
protection for the groups being i'm
posed upon. There is nothing il
the bill to permit any one to get ;
reduction if he was charged to-
much before January l.
Chairman Randolph contendet
after House passage Of the bill tha
the Patman amendment did moth
ing more than change the phraseol
ogy of one section. Mr.. Patman
however, insisted the change woult
affect unfair" rentals prior to Jan
uary l.
1T was my intent in offering th
amendment to protect the tenan
whose rent was too high before Jan
uary l." declared Mr. Patman. "ant
if it is construed otherwise I will
seek to have the language clarified
when the bill goes to conference"