Evening star., 1943-05-02
D. {. Boarding House,
Permitted 10 Boost
- --a- -'-ts'
Prices Of Meals
Z Rent License Required
: For Those Feeding More
: Thon IS Persons

9 In a sweeping order affecting
I4o0 boarding house operators and
probably $4,000 boarders, District
Rent Control Administrator Robert
r. Cogswell yesterday permitted
operators to increase meal charges
by a new procedure which reduces
time consumed by legal technicali-
ties to two weeks at the most in
stead of the three months required
heretofore.
= The order eliminates the slow and
cumbersome individual hearings
mandatory since the Rent Control
Act went into effect one year and
four months ago. At the same
time, however, the administrator
how requires each landlord to fur
nish information under oath before
allowing increase in rate or change
IN meal service standards. To pro-
tect the tenants from unjustifiable
price increases or changes, the ad-
rninistrator simultaneously invokes
for the first time his licensing power
and makes it obligatory for each
boarding house operator feeding
more than IS persons outside his
Immediate family, to obtain and
display rent license and to post
rates and keep a room register.
Order Goes in Effect.
Failure to comply with official
regulations, false or misleading
statement in application for such
rent license, or in claim for relief
under the new order, is sufficient
cause for revocation of the rent
license. Anyone operating a board
ing house without a rent license
after this month is subject to a
fine of $1,000 or year in Jail or
both. The new order, called Gen.
eral Order No 8, went into effect
today and gives boarding house
operators 80 days in which to
comply.
The Rent Control Act has always
been interpreted to control not only
rent but also meal charges in board
ing houses. 1t sets the legal price
rate at that received on January
l, 1941, and prohibits price in
creases or reduction of service
standards except when so granted
by the administration. For some
time landlords have claimed that
labor troubles, shortage of supplies
and equipment, food rationing prob
lens and rapid rise in prices makes
1t impossible to maintain any spe-
cific standards of meal service as
contemplated by the Rent Control
Act.
In General Order No. 8 the ad-
ministrator recognizes that gen.
eral increase in operating costs
has occurred and that great op-
Grating difficulties exist. To the
same extent he will grant increased
meal rates and changes in meal
service standards, bringing them
into line with prevailing conditions.
Will Issue Temporary Licenses.
Temporary licenses will be issued
to boarding house proprietors on
application. After he has posted
his rates schedule in his establish
ment, and these have been reviewed
and adjusted, If necessary, a per-
manent rent license and an ap-
proved rate schedule will be is
sued by the administrator.
A proprietor holding either tenn
porary or permanent rent license
may petition for increased rates or
reduction in meal service. He fills
out a simple form and notifies his
tenants personally or by posting
notices in each room. After vertical
tion of facts or in absence of con-
Trajectory information, the request
ed rate or service change may be-
put into effect in whole or in part
on recommendation of the admin
istrator's representative.
If the proprietor is not satisfied
with the result, he abandons his
claim under the new order, and pro-
ceeds in the old manner of petition
for adjustment.
To achieve the new simplicity and
speed of action, the combined room
and meal rate must be broken down
into two parts: Room rate and meal
charge. Boarding houses serving
meals to IS persons or less outside
the proprietor's immediate family, do
not come under the new order unless
they wish to do SO. BY written re-
quest they will be licensed and be-
come eligible for increased rates or
reduction in meal service.
F.: The number of persons receiving
room and board in the District has
never been established, but it is as
sumed that the average establish
ment serves meals to 20 tenants.