Smyrna times., 1946-02-07
RENT CONTROL
WILL CONTINUE
Periodic Surveys Will Con-
tinue to Determine When
Rule Can Be Lifted
NEED is STRESSED

Periodic survey have been made
and will continue to be made to
determine the advisability of con-
tinuing rent controls in Delaware,
according to a joint statement is
sued by Charles w. Hardesty,
OPA director, and John L. Walms-
ley, area rent control director.
Need Is Stressed
The OPA statement pointed out:
Surveys in Delaware indicate
there is still a need for rent con-
troll, but surveys will be conducted
periodically to determine whether
rent control should be continued.
AS soon as it is found that the sup
ply of rental housing units is
catching up with the demand, then
definite recommendations will be
made by the rent control Office to
de-control the area" u. S. Rep.
Philip A. Traynor, also took di-
rectors of the Chamber of Com
merce to task for their action, par
ticularly because it was in reversal
of a stand taken by the directors
on the same question less than a
month ago.
Joint Statement
The joint statement of Mr..
Hardesty and Mr.. Walmsley fol-
lows: mo one is more anxious to
remove wartime controls than the
Office of Price Administration and
as soon as it is demonstrated that
there is no longer a need the public
may rest assured that these con-
trolls viii be relaxed" This is par
ticularly true of rent control which
was initiated not on a nationwide
basis but as and when the housing
shortage in given area became SO
acute that infationary rents
would result if they were not con-
trolled. Rent control will be lifted
in this same maner, area by area,
as it becomes apparent that the
need for it no longer exists, and
that will be when the supply of
available housing units is sufficient
to meet the demand.
Supply, Demand
"We believe that no serious
minded persons will quarrel with
the theory that normal prices of
anything are governed by supply
and demand, and when the demand
far exceeds the supply prices and
rents will soar and continues to
soar unless controlled. Witness,
for example, the current selling
prices of homes. These may be
forced sales but for the most part
they are forced in that returning
service men, newly created family
units, families that have been liv-
ing doubled up, and returning in
dustrial workers cannot find houses
or apartments to rent, and are
therefore forced to buy. While
rent control may not have stopped
imitation it cannot be denied that
it has stopped the imitation of one
of the largest single items of the
living expenses of the average
man." he continued.
Value Of Control
with respect to increased costs
of maintenance, any real estate
holder can show that his net in
come is substantially less than it
was before rent control and that
the rents that he is receiving for
his properties are less than those
his neighbors get for similar
dwellings, can get his rents in
creased sufficiently to relieve the
hardship. There are many In the
real estate profession who, while
they are not entirely in accord
with all the provisions of the rent
regulations, which are the same
throughout the nation, who recog-
nize the value of rent control and
it's continuance.
Extension Asked
Congressman Traynor recon-
mended that rent control be ex-
tended, rather than discontinued.
Declaring that rents on CONNER
cial properties have scared recent
ly, the congressman said that op-
orators of stores selling such
necessities as food and clothing
should be protected from increases
in the expense by bringing such
properties under rent control. AS
for removing the controls on rents
of housing accommodations, DR..
Traynor declared the effect would
be the same speculation and rent
boosting already being experienced
in commercial properties. He
added that he will vote to retain
tho OPA for another vear-inolud-