Evening star., 1948-10-16
Uncle Sam as a Landlord

racy which The Star seeks to achieve in its
news stories and the greater freedom it permits
itself in its editorials is interesting. At least
the October 13 editorial on "Uncle Sam as q
Landlord" indicates such q difference.
The gist Of the editorial is that the National
Capital Housing Authority should be subject
to the District rent control administrator In
trying to support its contention it mentions
and then brushes aside "the argument in court
that Uncle Sam was benedcent landlord" and
says, THE fact that public housing rents may
be lower than comparable rents in private hous-
ing has no bearing on the case" Purpose of
the rent law" it says, was not to regulate
landlord-tenant relations or to fr tatr rentals"
dtalcs supplied. If that Is 50, why does the
administrator permit rent increases? THE
purpose" 1T says, was to prevent increases in
the cost Of living for tenants"
This Is an instance Of the partial statement,
or half truth so often used in propaganda.
The stated purpose of the act (section - is "the
national emergency and the national defense
program Cd have aggravated the congested
situation with regard to housing accommoda-
tions existing at the seat Of Government; (O
have led or will lead to prohteertng and other
speculative and n,antpuatue practices, ETC. dtalcs
suppliedD. For such reasons ut is the purpose
Of this act and the policy of the Congress during
the existing emergency to prevent undue dtalics
supplled) rent increases which may tend
to increase the cost Of living or otherwise
impede the national defense program"
Says 1t Made No Sense.
Out of this clear statement the editorial
takes from its context the phrase increase the
cost Of living" and by emitting the word tend"
gives quite different meaning to increases
In the cost of living" If the word "tend" had
been quoted then there would be obvious ref
erence back to the "profteering" and the
speculative and manipulative practices" which
the act was intended to prevent. That, to
use the editorials words, makes sense" The
editorials paraphrase does not.
The editorial ignores the fact that Congress,
after passing the District Of Columbia Rent
Control Act in order to curb prohteering
speculating and manipulating in private hous-
Ing, passed other acts to implement public
housing designed to relieve the housing short
age, and decreed the way In which their rents
should be set
The editorial says that NCHA 'up to this
time has bHsstuHy dtalics supplied) ignored
local rent control" and in its final paragraph
again gives a false impression. It says, "The
surprising thing Is that since 1941 the Ma
tional Capital Housing Authority has been
able as landlord to use its own judgment in
raising rents while every other landlord in
town had to depend on the Judgment Of the
Rent Commission"
In fact, the authority conferred with the
rent control administrator soon after he took
office and reached an agreement that, as 1t
did not charge rents above the economic or
cost level (Which does not include an owners
profit he was not concerned with the changes
in the rents below that level which involve
subsidy. In May, 1912, q report by the rent
control administrators ofnce dismissed case
because of ,"lack Of jurisdiction"
Deferred to Rent Administrator.
A year ago last winter. the authority found
that private rents were rising so far above its
economic level that Its prospering tenants,
while able to pay more than Its cost rents
could not afford private rents. So 1t again
consulted with the rent control administrator,
who, at its request, set rents on all OF its non
war housing developments at amounts which
private owner would be permitted to charge.
The authority used these rents as comparable
rents" As an added incentive to seek private
housing, it has charged them to tenants whose
increased incomes warrant it.
So, while not legally under the jurisdiction
of the rent control administrator, the authority,
instead of using its own Judgment" has de-
ferred to his judgment. Moreover the courts
have on three occasions confirmed the author
ity's legal right to do as it has. The Court
of Appeals has reversed these decisions, but it
may be that the Supreme Court viii reverse
the Court Of Appeals.
There is another point that the editorial
quite ignored. Having brushed aside any ques-
ton of landlord tenant relations; having said,
THE fact that public housing rents may be
lower than comparable private rents has no
bearing on the case"-aS practical matter 1t
has q very real bearing-it ignores the fact
that NCHA reduces rents as well as increases
them in accordance with tenant income. Dur
ing the fiscal year 1948 it decreased the rents
Of 1853 of Its tenants. Having done that in
order to prevent hardship, should 1t be pre-
vented from increasing them If the incomes
Of those tenants are restored or even raised
above their former level? Or does The Star
think that once reduced they must stay re-
duced? This would mean that many tenants
who do not need it would be subsidized, have
part Of their housing costs paid from public
funds Does The Star advocate this?
Sees Slur in "Pet Theories"
fear I have overrun the space, equal to
that Of the editorial, which The Star allowed
me for this response. But have had to use
part Of my space for quotations from the edi-
torial that I would like to comment upon II
space permitted. I hope. however, that may
be allowed brief closing comment on the
editorials minimizing opening paragraph. The
key sentence is, 'If sustained, the (that) find-
ing by the Court of Appeals could play hob
with one of the pet theories under which the
National Capital Housing Authority has run
its public housing properties in Washington"
The editorial merely slurs by the words
pet theories" without giving any description.
May T. therefore, say what the pet theory" is2
1t is "theory"-I prefer to call it convic-
tion-that the United States is a land Of oppor-
tunity; that the Nation which occupies this
land has grown rich and strong by keeping op-
portunity open to the mass of its people; that
from the founding Of the Republic until today
this has been the theory" which has triumphed
in every contest with those who would re-