Evening star., 1943-12-23
Ruling Slows
Roonliing House
Prosecutions
Insonitury Premises
Escaping Action
Under New Code
BY JOSEPH YOUNG.

Handicapped by recent decision
OF the corporation counsel's office,
the Health Departments sanitation
inspection division has been forced
to delay the prosecution of more
than 300 operators Of unsanitary
rooming houses, it was learned
today. -
The corporation counsel held that
since unlicensed premises could not
legally be considered rooming
houses, operators could not be
prosecuted under the rooming house
regulations adopted in 1871.
Since the decision several months
ago the department has had TO
operate under the building and
grounds regulations of 1895 when
dealing with unlicensed operators.
1t was estimated that one-third Of
the Districts $500 rooming houses
are unlicensed.
d. c. Code Not as Broad.
AS result, the inspection division
has operated under handicap.
Many regulations in the 194l ROOM
ing house code are not covered by
the old regulations. In addition, the
penalty under the 1941 regulations
is $500 compared to the S45 maxi
mum in the 1895 law
Penalties dealing with placarding
undesirable rooms, provisions deal
ing with screening, vermin control,
overcrowding especially in the case
of children and proper lighting and
ventilation are some of the regula-
tions which the old laws cover
inadequately or not at all
In dealing with unlicensed viola
tors of regulations not covered by
the Building and Grounds Act, the
rooming house inspection division
has been forced to operate in a
roundabout" way, Ray S. Wilson,
division director, said today.
Procedure Is Slow.
In these cases, Mr.. Wilson recon-
mends to the Bureau of Licenses
that the application for license be
turned down. Currently, the Health,
Department., together with four
other District agencies, is investi-
eating the applications of all WASH
ington rooming houses. When the
application is disapproved, the viola
tor is taken in court and charged
with operating without a license.
All this takes time, however, Mr..
Wilson pointed out, and meanwhile
the insanitary and overcrowded con-
ditions are not corrected. AS re-
suit more than 300 cases have been
delayed during the past few months,
pending rejection of the applications.
Our objectives are not to inflict
punitive measures if we can avoid it.
but to correct conditions in these
houses" Mr.. Wilson pointed out. He
added that the unit was proceeding
as best it could under difficulties and
was not disputing the legal ruling.
Full Check Impossible.
| Licenses were not required of
rooming houses until the new reeu-
! lationS went into effect two years
ago. Because so many lodging
houses have sprung up here during
this period, it was impossible to in
vestigate all the applications. it was
pointed out. In some cases the ap-
plications were rejected, accounting
for the approximately $500 un-
licensed rooming houses here.
Pointing out that only about 10
per cent of the buildings are violat-
ing sanitation laws, Mr.. Wilson said
that most of the offenders are un-
licensed.
In an effort to remedy the situa-
tion it has been suggested that the
Buildings and Grounds Act be
amended and brought up to date by
including provisions of the rooming
house code which 1t does not carry
now.