Evening star., 1949-03-13
Protection Against Coop Sales
Souqht for Tenants in D. G.. Bill

the restrictive provision now on its
way to the House floor.
Commodore Rutter read let
ter from Commodore Dudley w.
Knox. retired, complaining of the
offer made him by the Westmore-
land cooperative. The Knox
letter said that for $49,7000 the
tenant would get only perpetual
lease for his apartment, but no
actual title" to anything. Fur
thermore he contended he would
be faced with the cost of future
maintenance of a building nearly
so years old, and his invested
funds would be under perpetual
threat" if he bought.
Another witness, Brig. Gen. Ed
ward S. Smith, retired. spoke for
tenants of East Florence Court, at
2155 California street, NV. He
told the subcommittee the present
owners were trying to sell this
41-year-old building to purchasers
of individual apartments at a
total price of $279,500. although
the building is assessed at only
$129.500. and in normal times
would not bring that much"
Danger of Losses Cited.
He predicted that if a co-opera-
tive were formed and "end in
bankruptcy, due to thousands of
dollars of repairs required on the
building, or by alterations to con-
form to the District egress laws,
the purchasers would stand to
lose their investments and per-
haps life savings"
Defenders of the co-operatives
were Edmund j. Flynn, who had
a major role in turning the Broad
moor Apartments on Connecticut
avenue, into a cooperative; and
Jesse E. Aiken, of the Home. Realty
Co., who said he had handled the
cooperative project for the Alta
mont Apartment.
MI. Flynn claimed the co-opera-
tive plan was Thoroughly consti-
tutional," and financially sound" :"
Senator Sparkman, Democrat,
of Alabama. whose name was
brought into the subcommittee
hearing by Representative Harris,
said later that he had been one
of those who did not buy into the
Broadmoor, and had moved out.
Senator Sparkman said that as
member of the Senate Banking
and Currency Committee he had
heard so many complaints against
co-operativeS in various parts of
the country, that he had joined
with others in approving restric-
tions on co-operatives put into the
national rent act last year.
Still effective until March 81,
this year, and approved by a
House committee in a new rent
bill to extend national rent con-
troll for another Is months, the
national cooperative restriction is
very similar to that now proposed
for the District.
Most Tenants Protected.
Senator Sparkman said he be-
lieved as a matter of fact that
the District, with it's separate rent
control bill. was probably the only
part of the United States where
tenants in apartments have not
been protected against the CO.
operative movement.
The new bill for extending Dis
trict rent control also would place
under control again all dwellings
where the cost of conversion had
been less than $1.500. Still de-
controlled would be those with
conversion costs of $1,000 or over
The House District Committee
yesterday also approved a bill to
permit the District Commissioners
to establish daylight saving time
for this summer only. The COM
mittee sent to the House floor with
this amendment, the Senate
passed measure which originally
had given the commissioners such
authority permanently.