Evening star., 1943-05-08
D. {. Rent Rules
Cited as Realty
Men Hit 0PA
Small Property Units
Declared to Be Under
Unjust Pressure
Special Dispatch to The Star.

OpeCiaA olop1tCu tO he StaI.
CHICAGO, Ill-Action on a series
of war-born problems affecting the
Nations real estate investment was
called for this week by the Board
of Directors of the National Asso-
citation of Real Estate Boards meet
ing here.
Citing the success of the District
Of Columbia rent control system
the NAREB directors reiterated
their demand for improvement in
OPA rent control methods. The
District OF Columbia system, which
is administered independently of the
national system of OPA, differs fun
damentally in its methods from the
national system. In general, the
District system incorporates the
methods being advocated nationally
by the NAREB.
A plea to OPA to accept changes
In method recently were rejected by
Price Administrator Prentiss Brown.
1--WE know that millions of small
property owners feel a deep sense
of injustice due to the fact that
rents hay been held rigidly to pre-
war levels, while other prices have
been permitted to advance" the
NAREB directors declared in a
statement. Property owners are
thus caught between the upper mill
stone of OPAs fixed rentals and the
neither milestone of constantly rising
costs. We can only conclude that
II this situation is not rectified, the
administration does not desire to
deal with all segments of our pop
ulation with even-handed justice" J"
Favor Pay-as-You-G Go.
In addition to reaffirming their
rent control stand, the .NAREB di-
rectors called for passage by the
Senate OF pay-as-you-go taxation;
recommended that the Federal Gov
ernment make payments in lieu of
taxes when it withdraws real prop
erty from local tax rolls by acquisi-
ton: called for extended home own
ership during the war and requested
that the Government take steps to
provide for orderly disposal of its
war-acquired properties.
Meeting at the same time as the
directors were the governing bodies
of its institutes and specialized
groups. Attending the meeting of
the directors of the National Asso-
citation of Home Builders were three
Washington directors, J. Wesley
Buchanan, w. Waverly Taylor and
J. Garrett Bethel.
Joseph Myerhoff, Baltimore build
er, was elected director of the
home builders organization.
II Objectives for Year.
Hitting at the increasing number
of publicly erected housing units
the home builders outlined II OBJ
jectives for attainment during the
year. Included in the goals was a
call for an expanded participation
of the private home builder in the
war effort Likewise called for was
greater cooperation between build
ers and Government agencies to in
sure the prompt and efficient use
of priorities; sponsorship of a ma
tion-wide unter-inlationary cam
paign to channel wartime surpluses
into purchase of building lots and
homes: and enactment of legislation
providing equally favorable financ-
ing for private housing and the
same subsidies as public housing.
Relationship between appraisers
and Federal agencies were taken ul
by the American Institute of Real
Estate Appraisers at the Chicago
session. Appearing before the gov
erning council of that organization
were a group of Federal officials in
cluding John j. Courtney and 1t
Comdr Frank Cahill of the Navy
Department appraisal section
Hardy Jacobs, chief appraiser fol
the War Department; Assistant At
torney General Norman M. Littel
and R. J. Luttrell and John V. Boyle
of the Department of Justice.
Other Groups in Session.
Also meeting at Chicago were the
governing bodies of the Nationa
(See RENTS. Page B-2)