Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-02-01
Fairmac Policies Hit
Al Senate Hearing on
Rent Curb Extension

Policies of the Fairmac Corp,
owner of Harrington apartments in
Arlington County, were criticized by
tenants yesterday at Senate sub
committee hearing on proposed ex-
tension of National rent controls.
Robert E. Reynolds of the Fair
lington Association, civic organiza-
ton Of tenants, critic of Fairmac,
called on the committee for elimina-
ton of the so-called voluntary"
provision of the present National
act which expires February 20. 1t
authorizes IS per cent rent increase,
If tenants agree to leases. Mr.. Reyn-
olds also asked that no such pro-
vision be included in any new law
extending controls.
Senator Cain, Republican, Of
Washington, and the witness tangled
over charges made by Mr.. Reynolds,
accusing the apartment management
OF using the weapon of fear" to get
tenants to sign leases with higher
rent.
Defended as Legal.
Some of Fairmac's activities, as
shown by it's notices to tenants, Of
fering about two years leases with
increase in rent, were defended by
Senator Cain as legal.
Later testimony by Mr.. Reynolds,
In which he alleged that threats OF
EVICTION had been used by the cor
poration, and that new applicants
for apartments had been asked for
rent increases, led the Senator
to say the testimony would be care
fully considered by the committee.
AS chairman of the Senate Bank
ing and Currency Subcommittee, the
Senator inserted in the record a
document by the darlington Asso-
citation urging tenants not to sign
leases.
Calling attention to the rent act
of 1947, still in effect, Senator Cain
told Mr.. Reynolds: You have urged
others to consider that law passed
By Congress has no validity, and
should not be observed. On the basis
of your own testimony you are pretty
Rullty Vi GhCIClO1Il6 SOCASAO1l A6 o3AA'S
the apartment management
The Senator said he wanted the
Senate committee to have complete
testimony on the whole matter. He
asked if any representative of Fair
mac was present. No one responded.
After an hour and half session.
Senator Cain proposed that one
question raised-whether new APP
picant for an apartment could be
asked for an increase in rent over
the current scale-should be taken
up with the Housing Expediter.
Expediter's Aide Heard.
Henry G. Vanveen, representing
the Housing Expediter as an OBJ
server at the hearing, was asked by
the Senator if the question could be
settled by the expediter's office.
MI. VanVeen proposed that if the
Harrington residents had speclflc
case to be tested they should take
1t up with 1. Chance Buchanan, in
charge of the eXpediter's local office
at Clarendon. Mr.. Reynolds said he
would bring the matter before his
Rent Committee for consideration.
Mr.. Reynolds insisted his group
was directing it's criticism at the
law which permitted Fairmac to
perform the acts of which he COM
planned. He insisted that some ten
ants had told him Fairmac repre-
sntatives had threatened to evlct
tenants unless they signed leases
with higher rent. But so far none
hao been evictcd, he aaid.
Declaring that Fairmac had
bought darlington for less than 1t
cost the Government, Mr.. Reynolds
said the new owners had, not ap-
pMed to federal officials Tor a rent
increase on the basis of Hardship"
Fairmac however had used arsu-
nents about increases in cost OF
maintenance since it bid for the
property. he said.
Parkfairfax Cited.
On the contrary, Mr.. Reynolds
told the committee, ParkfairfaX, a
large apartment development in
Alexandria, owned by Metropolitan
, Life Insurance Co., had offered leases
to its tenants with no increase over
rem, levels which ARE directly in
hne with darlington rents"
Many veterans among new ap-
plicants for apartments AZ Fair
lington, the witness said, were being
offered leases at Is per cent above
the levels which many old tenants
we're still paying under the current
law.
There is serious doubt whether
this treatment of new tenants is
even legal" he told the committee
He quoted lawyers who have studied
the question as saying they find
no basis for distinction under the
Federal Housing and Rent Act be-