Evening star., 1945-01-09
Patrick TO Seek !.
Probe Of D. {.
Rent Control
House Members
Tell Of mobility
To Find Decent Homes
BY GARNETT D. HORNER.

Irked by difficulties Of new menu
,ers Of Congress in finding places to
i've here at reasonable prices. Rep
Patrick, Democrat, OF
Alabama introduced In the House
,oday resolution calling for an in
Of the housing shortage
md alleged rent-control violations.
He drafted the resolution after
sitting In on an informal meet
ing Of the House District Com.
mittee late yesterday, at which q
score OF new House members aired
their housing troubles.
Chairman Randolph said the COM
plants indicated that it may be
for Congress "to look into
the entire housing situation in
with view to improve
ment from the standpoint Of price
and availability"
Doubts Inquiry Needed.
If there is reason to believe that
everything Is not as it should ,e IN
the Washington rental situation,
then 1t should be investigated and
remedied," Mr.. Randolph asserted.
He indicated, however, that he did
not believe such probe is necessary
at present.
Chairman SABBATH of the House
Rules Committee, who had charged
on the House floor earlier that many
members of Congress are being held
up and robbed" through high rentals
here, also said he doubted if an in
vestigation was necessary-but for .
different reason.
Everybody knows rents here are
excessive" Mr.. SABBATH commented.
I'VE don't have to have an investi-
cation to find that out"
He said, however, that as Rules
Committee chairman he would give
a hearing to Mr.. Patrick,s proposal.
The Patrick resolution provides
that the proposed investigation
shall be conducted by the House
District Committee or a subcom-
mitee Of the group headed by Mr..
Randolph.
Wants Results.
What I want is results" Mr..
SABBATH emphasized, in declaring
that he would press for action on
his resolution for Government con-
struction Of two apartment build
ings near the Capitol to house men,
bers of Congress and their STATS
at reasonable rentals"
In this connection, he said he
would agree to construction and
management Of the buildings by To-
cal concerns, as proposed in tele-
gram sent him by the Home Build
ers' Association OF Metropolitan
Washington, II he could be satisfied
that the rents under such an ar
rangement would be as low as If
the apartments were financed by
the Government.
At the House District Committee
meeting yesterday, Arthur Har-
nett, secretary Of the. Washington
Hotel Association, assured nine
members present who now are liv-
Ing in hotels that they would not
have to give up their rooms until
they arrange for permanent quar-
ters.
II Find Quarters.
Mrs. Ellen Harper, director of the
War Housing Center, said every
thing possible was being done to
assist members of Congress in find-
ing places to live. Applications
have been received from 81 MEM
bers and 81 congressional employees,
she said, and of these 10 Congress-
men and Z employees have been
placed in suitable quarters. Avail
able accommodation have been re-
ferred to all those applying, she
said. Some of them were not ac-
ceptable, and some applicants are
still looking"
Representative Doyle, Democrat,
of California, who is living in q
hotel while looking for permanent
quarters, asked, Shall we depend
on the War Housing Center to find
something or shall We 60 looking
on our own?"
Mrs. Harper advised him to fol-
low any possible lead you get any
where"
ChA0ren, PetS Banned.
She promised special efforts to
help Representative Chelf, Demo-
crat, Of Kentucky, who said he was
staying with friends now, but
wanted q home for his wife and
three small children and had run
into mo pets and no children"
rule wherever he looked. It can't
drown the children" he remarked.
Mr.. Patrick said he finally had
rented house after two months
search, but complained bitterly
about what he said were excessively
high rents. He asserted a hotel room
he had lived in here during pre-
vious terms in Congress, at a rental
OF Sis . month, now was priced
at $3.50. Regarding apartment and
house rentals, he charged that
people are paying bonuses and
cutting corners" to evade rent CELL
ings.
Representative Traynor, Demo-
crat, Of Delaware, said he was COM
muting between his home in Will
nlington, Del, and Washington un-
til he could find a suitable place
to live here.
| Asks About Ceiling.
Charging that rents here are "all
out Of proportion with other places
In the United States" Mr.. Traynor
said he as an apartment builder,
rented better apartments in VIII
mington for from $40 to $50 q
month than he could find in WASH
ington at from SIS to $50.
He said he wondered If there Is
an OPA rent ceiling here, and when
assured by District Rent. Control
Administrator Robert Cogswell that
there Is, remarked, TT must be 4
high one"
To his colleagues who haven't
been as lucky !. as he in finding q
place to live. Mr.. Patrick COM
mented:
Il don't believe I'd let anybody
know you are Congressman until
you get place-it1l save you
money, no matter what Mr.. Cogs-
well says"
7 -