Evening star., 1947-07-18
Tenants Unitinq
In D. {. Area 10
Fight Rent Rise
Groups Are Formed
In City, Virginia
And Maryland

N ~
Organization of tenants In Wash.
ington and nearby Maryland and
Virginia proceeded today in an at.
tempt to halt increases under the
new Rent Control Act.
A group of Silver Spring renters
last night organized the Montgom-
cry County Tenants Association.
haywood Gardens residents made
plans for mass meeting of all
renters in the Mount Rainier area.
A special committee was formed by
residents of Buckingham In Arling-
ton and District residents protested
before the rent control agency here.
Action in Montgomery County
was taken at a meeting called by
the Organizing Committee in the
Silver Spring Dispensary Building
after a talk by David Carliner,
Arlington and Washington attorney
who has been recommended as
candidate for the Virginia State
Rent Advisory Board.
Tenants Urged to Act. :
Mr.. Carliner urged that Virginia
and Maryland band together in
clipping the wings" of the land
lords. He expressed the belief that
if sufficient public sentiment Is
voiced, Congress will extend the
rent control law.
THE battle can only be won II
we all fight together" the attorney
asserted.
Meanwhile, 100 tenants of the
haywood Gardens met in the Mount
Rainier Town Hall last night to
protest undue pressure on the part
of the management" in asking for
rent increases.
Jack. Collins, who was elected
chairman of a special committee
of residents of the apartments, said
the management is attempting to
have 18-month leases signed by
August l which would increase rents
10 per cent.
Plans were made for a mass meet
ing of all Mount Rainier residents
at 8 pm. July "a at the Mount
Rainier High School.
Tenants Rights Discussed. ::
Isadore Bassoff, chairman of the
committee at the Silver Spring
meeting, explained it was called to
protest rental increases affecting ~
tenants at Spring Knolls develop
ment of Eastern avenue and to
discuss tenants rights under the
new Federal rent-control law.
The group was temporarily Or
ganized several weeks ago when ten
ants of Spring Knolls affected by
the rent raise banded together to
fight an increase for two-bedroom
apartments from $67 to $75 per
month without prior notice" Last
night they abandoned original plans
to confne membership to the Sill
area and v0ted to estab.
nanent countrywide orr
Exptsssike dissatisfaction with a
recent hearing before the area rent
director on increases at Spring
Knoll the association adopted a
resolution requesting the regional
administrator to review the action
Of the rent director for the Mont
gomery-Prince Georges County de-
fense rental area.
Lack of Repairs Cited.
The resolution further requests
that the AZ orders be held In abey-
ance until the proceedings are re-
viewed.
Tenants of the 223-unit Skylands
Apartments, Twenty fifth street and
Good Hope road Sc, protested at
District Rent Control Administra-
ton hearing against rent-increase
plea of a landlords representative.
Leaking ceilings and infestation
of laundry rooms with rats were
cited, along with alleged failure to
make repairs, as evidence that the
management had not maintained
the earlier standard of service.
Miles Montgomery of Charles E.
Koones & Co., rental agents, said
operating costs in 1946 were nearly
$4,000 more than in 1941, and that
it was anticipated they would in
crease by $4,000 this year owing to
increased taxes and other expenses.
Decision Expected Aug. 1.
Robert T. Smith, rent examiner
before whom the case was heard,
said a decision probably would be
reached by August /.
In another case the District rent
agency granted fiat $3.50 increases
for 80 apartments located on Web
ster street and Hawaii avenue NE,
which averaged about per cent.
Rents ranged to $45. Eight units at 81
Hawaii avenue are owned by G. T.
Martin and "a units at 66 and 10
Webster street and IS Hawaii ave-
nue. are owned by Ella Steuart.
Robert B. Kennedy was elected
chairman of a tenants committee
of the Buckingham Apartments in
Arlington. y ,
His election came at a meeting
of 400 tenants at the Beth El Evan
gelical and Reformed Church, Glebe
road. Representative Kunkel, Re-
publican, Of Pennsylvania explained
the Federal Rent Control Act. I.
Another meeting has been tenta.
lively set for July "a.
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