Evening star., 1943-04-23
BY JOHN T. LUTER.

are without f1re escapes.
Robert H. Davis, District building
inspector, estimated that the so tons
permit construction of only about 80
f1re escapes. Approximately 1,780
rooming house operators have been
denied licenses on grounds of nom
compliance with fire saftey regula-
tions, many of them because their
houses lack fire escapes.
Mr.. Davis said most landlords
coming to his ofnce for information
have indicated they propose to re-
duce the number of their tenants
as a means of complying with the
District fire regulations, rather than
to 60 to the trouble and expense of
erecting flre escapes. Where there
are fewer than 10 tenants in a
building, or fewer than 10 above the
first floor in a three story house, no
fire escape is required.
Follow up Drive Mapped.
Meanwhile, it was announced
that the Police Departments fol-
low-up drive against the 1,78O room
ing house landlords who have been
denied permits on fire safety
grounds will begin in earnest Mon
day.
Fire inspectors, in cooperation
with police, will examine several
rooming houses in the sixth, 11th
and 18th police precincts. Two es-
tablishments in the 18th precinct are
scheduled for inspection either Mon
day or Tuesday.
If the inspections reveal the
houses are still being operated in
violation of fire regulations, the op-
orators will be served with warrants
for conducting rooming houses with
out q license.
The inspections are the result of
q. recept- order to police to seleetatwo
rooming houses in each precinct
which can be used as test court cases.
In selecting the houses at which
inspections will be made Monday,
it was reported. police picked houses
with large numbers of roomers and
operated by landlords who are in
position to hire lawyers to defend
the case In court. Locations will
not be revealed until the inspections
have been made, police said.
Police Policy Assailed.
AS police announced plans for the
inspections, Paul Miller, president Of
the Washington Guest House Asso-
citation, countered with an an
nouncement that the association
will place its financial resources
100 per cent behind the first oper-
ator who is hailed into Police Court
on this unjust and unfair tech
nical charge"
Mr.. Miller charged the reported
police policy Of selecting operators
financially able to retain counsel is
ridiculous on its face"
Whether an operator is rich or
poor, If he Is operating without a
license he should be so charged, he
declared. "Why should the rich
operator be singled out for court
exemplary action and the poor
operator ignored? Is this the type
of democracy which the Commits
sioners would install in the Dis
trict?"
Mr.. Miller pointed out that the
police drive against rooming house
landlords who are operating with
out license is 'hurling a charge at
$500 local rooming and boarding
house operators" That number, he
said, are without 'bona -fide"
licenses.
Further complicating the already
tangled rooming house situation
were charges and countercharges
thrown by Mr.. Miller and District
officials.
Mason's Statement.
Commissioner Guy Mason last
night issued a statement attacking
Mr.. Miller for his challenge to the
municipal government over the
means adopted for enforcement Of
fire safety rules.
Referring to the recent public
hearings on proposed new fire safety
regulations, Commissioner Mason
said:
'Mr. Miller and his group favored
the proposed amendments to the
fire regulations for everybody but
Mr.. Miller and the rooming house
group.
"He and the rooming house group
operators know, or should know, the
hazards that result from overcrowd-
ing and that there are regulations
governing such overcrowding, par
ticularly with reference to fire
hazards.
IF their philosophy is one to take
a chance and possibly to burn up
some of their roomers, that is mat
ter between them and their own
consciences. The Commissioners do
not follow this theory or philosophy.
The regulations will be enforced.
Miller's Answer.
Mr.. Miller replied to Commits
sioner Mason by declaring that the
guest house association always has
striven to abide by the law" He
called attention to his advice to
rooming house operators to evict all
tenants numbering more than nine
50 as to bring their houses into COM
pliance with IRE regulations.
Public opinion. Mr.. Miller claimed,
Is on the side Of the rooming house.
operators.
At the same time, Mr.. Miller.
charged that District ofi1cials have.
refused the association access to
license records.
He said his secretary was checking
the rooming house records Inst week
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