Evening star., 1946-07-02
Most Rents Remain
Stable After Pledges
By Realty Owners

Pledges of real estate dealer.
to impose their own controls
until Congress enacted Others
apparently was keeping rents
within reasonable bounds today
though there were some com
plants of "gouging" in the
Washington area and elsewhere
in the Nation. ,a. o..
The self imposed controls seemed
to be working all right in nearby
Virginia, though there was one re.
port of a real estate broker who
elevated rents on two Falls Church
apartments from $50 to S120 anc
Increased the rental on a house
from $40 to $3.50.
While Congress began working
out a legal brake on runaway rent.
the Governors of three States made
sure their constituents would be
protected by imposing rent-freezing
executive orders. BY this action New
Jersey. Alabama and Iowa joined
New York, Massachusetts, and the
District as islands of immunity
from gougers.
Congress Petition Voted.
How the average renter feels
about his exposure to a landlord S
Whims was demonstrated last night,
when 500 residents of the Park
fairfax apartment development in
Alexandria voted to petition Con-
gress for a resumption of OPA.
Economic Stabilizer Chester Bow
les plea to Governors of all un-
protected States to use emergency
powers to stabilize rents seemed
headed for a negative response in
Maryland. While awaiting advice
from the attorney generals office
Gov. O'Conor said he had been ad-
vised Informally such rent freezing
probably was unconstitutional in
Maryland.
Nearby Maryland had assurances
from several quarters that rents
would be held in check for the
present. J. Ingram Medley, presi-
dent of the Montgomery County
Real Estate Board, said a majority
Of the 40 affiliated real estate offices
had agreed there should be no ac-
ton until the situation is clarified
An exception was made in hard
ship cases"
Freeze to Be Asked.
President Charles T. Hartley of
the Prince Georges County indie
pendent Trade Association, said
Gov. O'Conor would be asked to
freeze rent "at not more than IS
per cent above the June 80 levels"
Although the Maryland Apart
ment House Owners Association
recommended status quo, there
were reports of many increases of Is
per cent and others as high as 35. 65
and los per cent. OPA reported
tenants of one entire block of 80
homes in East Baltimore had re-
ceived notices to vacate in a month.
Nationally, there were reports
rents had been increased as much
as 400 per cent in Minneapolis. De-
spite an appeal by the Denver Board
OF Realtors, some rents had in
creased 100 per cent in the Colorado
city, and many rents had doubled
in Dallas, Tex, it was said.
On the other hand, generous land
lords actually lowered rents in Mil
waukee, Wis, and Phoneix. Ariz.,
but these cases were few and far
between.
Checkrein Urged.
In response to an appeal by Boyd
Bernard, president of the National
Associa ton of Real Estate Boards,
to keep a checkrein on rents, apart
ment house associations in Milwau-
kee and San Diego, Calf, ordered
no increases, or small ones.
Mr.. Barnard said that nationally
there was no prospect for immediate
"across-the-board" rent increases
and that boosts generally would not
exceed 10 per cent the next IL
months.
Meeting in the community play
ground. the Parkfairfax tenants first
heard Representative Savage, DEM
ocrat, Of Washington, declare that
the Nation has not yet reached the
point where the OPA could safely
be taken away"
Financiers Attacked.
Specifically attacking the "finan-
ciers of Wall Street" he continued:
Every interest in the United
States but that of the common peo-
pie has been trying to get their par
ticular interests written into the
OPA bill"
Other speakers included Mrs.
Harold A. Stone, vice president of
the National League of Women
Voters; Harry Magdoff, economist
of the Commerce Department, and
William Bourne. representing the
ParkfairfaX Community Association
A committee consisting of Charles
r. Hague. Herbert Stats and Mr..
Magdoff was formed to draw up the
resolution to be sent to Congress
asking for the return Of price con-
troll.
1t was also voted to commend
President Truman for his courage
Gus action" in vetoing the amended
bill.
Although there was no direct
comment from the Metropolitan
Life Insurance Co., owners of Park.
fairfax, earlier in the day the Elk.
ecutive Committee of the Alexan.
dria -Arlington-F Fairfax real Estate
Board expressed the opinion thai
rents in the area would remain
static at least for the present.
30-Day Notices Required.
l. Chance Buchanan, OPA rent di.
rector for Arlington and Fairfa,
Counties, Alexandria and Quantico
reminded tenants that under Vir.
ginia law they are entitled to 30-day
notices of eviction or rent-raisine
for reasons other than nonpaymen
of rent.
The same advice was given by
Frank E. Taylor, area rent director
with headquarters in Silver Spring
Md.
Both Mr.. Buchanan and Mr.. Tay.
lor said that if former provisions O.
the Price Control Act are renewed
rent ceilings, eviction controls ane
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