Evening star., 1942-05-27
Dangerous Legislation

Dangerous Legislation
With the opening Of hearings on
the Randolph bill to permit operation
OF rooming and boarding houses in
restricted residential areas of the
District for the duration of the war,
1t has become clear that this measure
Is unnecessary, undesirable and a
potential source Of danger to the
community's entire zoning structure.
That the bill is unnecessary Is
shown, in the first place, by the tes-
timony OF Mrs. Helen Duey Hoffman,
director Of the Washington Housing
Association, that 4,875 vacant rooms
were listed for rent here as Of May
20. She also said that a great many
more rooms In private homes Cher
estimate was $4,000 can and will be
made available If demand for them
arises.
The measure is undesirable be-
cause the Zoning Commission,
through its Board of zoning Adjust
ments, can make exceptions to zoning
regulations whenever necessary, and
because the commission already has
modified restrictions in the "A" resi-
dental zones to permit home owners
to take in as many as four roomers
or boarders while the war lasts. II
need arises, these restrictions can be
further modified to increase the
permissible number of boarders or
roomers. This means that the local
officials have all the authority in this
respect that they need, and when the
authority to accomplish a purpose
already exists it is both unnecessary
and undesirable to enact new legisla-
tion which merely grants superfuous
powers.
Finally, the measure is dangerous
because of the precedent it may be
expected to set. At the time of its
introduction Mr. Randolph did not
reveal the identity OF the sponsor.
The District Commissioners, adopt
ing neutral attitude, said the bill
did not originate at the District
Building. But now these gaps have
been filled in. The bill was drafted
by the Corporation Counsel and in
troduced by Mr.. Randolph at the re-
quest of Representative Cochran OF
Missouri
Mr. Cochran has said that he wants
the legislation for two reasons. The
first is that he has had trouble find
ing accommodations for some of his
constituents. That, Of course, is
perfectly legitimate reason, although
there is no basis for believing that
enactment of this bill would serve his
purpose in that respect. His second
objective, however, is to condone the
operation of a large professional
boarding house which Is being con-
Quoted in restricted area contrary
to the zoning regulations. 1t now
appears that the Randolph bill,
drawn at Mr.. Cochran's request, will
not accomplish this purpose, and he
is urging that it be rewritten to sane
ton the continuance of this single
establishment which fails to conform
to the ZOning standards.
This is an exceedingly dangerous
legislative proposal. If it is done in
one case, there would no longer be
any reason why it should not be done
in any number of cases, and that
would spell the end of the protection
which zoning very properly affords to
home owners. 1t is most earnestly to
be hoped that Congress will not per-
nit this perilous precedent to be
established.
During the discussion at yester-
days hearing several members Of the
House took the position that the
people of Washington opposing this
bill are unpatriotic. The injection Of
that note into the discussion was un-
fortunate and regrettable. Certainly
it is not unpatriotic to oppose un-
necessary and harmful legislation,
nor is there the slightest Justification
for an attempt to fix the residents Of
the District with responsibility for
any shortage of living accommoda-
tions which may develop here.
Should the future produce condi-
ton in which there arises a demand
for living space in the Capital that
cannot be satisfied, the explanation
will not lie in any lack of patriotism
on the part Of. the people of this
community, but rather In the failure
of Congress, after more than five
months of war, to provide funds
under the Lanham Act for emergency
housing in this area for war workers.