Evening star., 1947-06-12
|Conferees Approve
Rent Bill Providing
Voluntary Raises

house and senate cOn1ereeS
have agreed on bill extending
rent controls through next Feb
ruary 20 but permitting 'volun-
ttary" increases up to Is per cent
LII landlords and tenants sign
leases running through 1948.
Senator Taylor. Democrat, Of
Idaho said President Truman should
veto the bill to place RESPONSE
bility for destroying rent control
where it belongs, squarely on the
Republican Congress.
| But Senator Sparkman, Demo-
crat, OF Alabama said 1T looks like
| that bill or nothing"
Before 1t reaches Mr.. Truman's
desk, the measure still must re-
ceive approval Of the full House and
Senate.
Construction Cut Seen.
Lifting of housing controls as en-
bodied in the conference report on
the bill will mean this years pro-
duction OF new dwellings will be cut
by about 250, ,000-or one -third-a
spokesman for the Once of the
Housing Expediter said today.
Removal of the authority to limit
non housing construction, except
recreational and amusement con-
struction, also will mean that $2,-
$50 ,000, 600 more In non-residential
construction will compete with
housing for materials, the spokes-
man said. This, he added, may
have the effect of raising materials
prices still further.
In announcing the agreement late
yesterday. Senator Buck, Republi-
can, of Delaware said the conferees
will take a final look at the bill at
another meeting, probably this week,
before reporting 1t to their respec-
tive chambers.
The present rent control law ex-
pires June 80.
The length of the extension was
the final major point agreed upon
yesterday. The conferees accepted
the Senate-approved date of Febru-
ary 20. The House had voted . nat
extension to December 81, with
provision that the President could
proclaim an additional three-month
extension If he considered this nec-
essary.
House Comedies on Expediter.
The House also gave way on
Senate provision that the new law
should be administered by the Once
of the Housing Expediter. The
House wanted to turn it over to
permanent Government agency to
be designated by the President.
House conferees won out, however,
on provision in their bill to wipe
out all Government controls over
commercial construction and allo-
cation of materials after June 30.
The Senate bill had authorized
the housing expediter to require
permits for commercial construc-
ton. This was knocked out in con-
ference and the final version. Sem
ator Buck said, will require permits
only for amusement and recrea-
tional construction.
The bill also provides that hous-
ing units completed or converted to
housing purposes "on or after" last
February shall be freed from con-
trolls.
Some Democrats Dissatisfied.
1t retains a Senate provision for
the establishment of local advisory
boards to recommend raising or
abandonment of rent ceilings.
Members of these boards would be
recommended by Governors of the
States and named by the housing
expediter.
Several Democratic conferees ex-
pressed dissatisfaction with the final
form of the bill.
Representative Spence. Democrat,
Of Kentucky said II don't think so
much Of it" and indicated he may
not sign the report.
Senator Taylor declared this
Congress has given no better illus
tration of selfish interest running
riot than in the callous provisions
of this measure"
He said the bill "kills the vet
Grams housing program and for
all practical purposes ends
effective rent control for 10000
families in the United States who
have relied on its protection"
If the bill is vetoed, he added, ''it
will then be up to the public to
compel the Congress to create real
and effective rent control"