Evening star., 1942-10-18
District Officials Fear
National Rent Law Will
Upset Controls Here
Utter Chuos' Envisioned
If Act Is Construed as
Repeating D. c. Measure

IT ACT IS construed as
Repeating D. c. Measure
Fear that rent control in the Dis
trict will be thrown into utter
chaos" by enactment of the pend
ing national rent stabilization bill
was expressed by District officials
yesterday.
The proposed law, which would
extend rent control to the entire
has been passed by the
House and will come up for con-
sideration in the Senate early this
week.
Corporation Counsel Richmond B.
Keech said yesterday that a pre-
study of the measure in
clines him to the opinion that it
would repeal the District Rent Con-
troll Act, under which rents here
have been held at the January /.
1941, level.
Another official. who refused to
be quoted by name, said that COM
plete confusion" might result here
if the local act were repealed-even
if it were to be superseded by a new
regulation promulgated under ma
tlonal control act.
Result of Byrnes' Request.
The situation came about as a
result of a request from Economic
Sterilization Director James E.
Byrnes that Congress clarity his
powers to regulate rents throughout
the country The House passed a
measure, giving Federal authorities
power to stabilize rents.
Before the measure was passed.
the House Banking and Currency
Committee added an amendment
which said: r 1SxSD1
"All acts and parts of acts, to the
extent that they are in conflict with
the provisions of this act, are hereby
repealed"
Corporation Counsel Keech said
that it would appear that this sec
ton of the bill repealed the District
Rent Control Act.
AT least" he said, ''it is suscep-
llDlC W tlldU lllISl lpleldtlOll.
The local rent control act has
been in effect since January. Ap-
proXimately 10000 cases have been
referred to the rent commission
since that date and 1000 of these
have been disposed of.
Tenants Greatly Benefited.
On the basis of the commissions
activities in the first few months of
operation, it was estimated that
tenants here would be saved S234771
annually by orders for rent reduc-
tions.
The commission has worked out
detailed rules governing local rents.
The Municipal Court here has de-
vised special methods of procedure
for cases under rent commission &C
tions.
If these rules are changed or
superseded by regulations promul-
gated by Federal authorities, under
the proposed new law, the roof will
blow off local rent regulation. it was
feared. In the course of changeover
from one set of rules to another, it
was pointed out, "sharpshooting
landlords" might take advantage of
tenants.
Should the District rules, which
are keeping the lid on rents in all
dwelling categories, be suspended for
even a short time, it was predicted
that the Rent Commission would
never be able to restore order.
House Aware Of Situation.
Debate in the House on the
measure last week brought out the
assertion that Congress had no in
tention of wrecking the District con-
troll machinery.
The question of whether the bill
would impair administration of rent
control here was raised during de-
bate on the measure by Chairman
Randolph of the House District
Committee and proponent of the law
which established rent control here.
Il have no reason to object to the
unanimous consent request" Mr..
Randolph said in reply to the re-
quest of Chairman Steagall of the
Banking Committee for passage of
the measure, but I want it clearly
understood by the membership of
the House that some six months
prior to the setting up of the rent
control by OPA in the defense areas
of the country We passed bill
providing such control in the Dis
trict of Columbia.
S,ys Mill UVop rop6doroa
The people of the District have
confidence in the administration
of the Emergency Rent Act of the
District of Columbia I presume
there is nothing in the bill touch
ing the District of Columbia which
would require the scrapping of the
present organization.
will the gentleman answer that
question:"
Mr.. Steagall replied, THAT is
quite true" and went on to discuss
the power which OPA had over
rents in this city. At this point,
Representative Patman. Democrat,
of Texas, member of the Banking
Committee, entered the debate to
say:
The gentleman does not attempt
to commit the House to the policy
that we will continue or not con-
tinue any existing agency in the
District of Columbia, since that
question was not considered or