Evening star., 1949-03-01
House Group Weighs
Rent Control Curbing
Coop Apartments

A House subcommittee COllS1u-
erlng extension of rent control for
the District has before it the bit
terly contested issue of whether
to curb the growing trend here
toward cooperative apartment
houses.
The cooperative movement was
attacked vigorously yesterday by
tenants and as stoutly defended
by its proponents during an all
day hearing before the judiciary
Subcommittee of the House Dis
trict Committee.
Chairman Harris of the sub
committee said afterwards the
general feeling seems to be in
favor of extension of rent control
in the District for at least one
year. The present act expires
March 81.
The measure under considera-
ton by the Harris group would
extend the local law to June 30,
1851. It also would put teeth in
the District law against the CO.
operatives move to oust tenants
who refuse to buy apartments.
Nearly 80 Testify.
Nearly 30 witnesses were heard
by the subcommittee. Extension
of controls was urged generally by
spokesmen for tenants, the Amer
lean Legion, organized labor in
both the local AFL and C1O, the
Progressive Party of the District
and others.
The Board of Trade urged ont
year more for the present act.
Strongly objecting to the prin'
ciple of control, but making var
ious proposals for decontrols, were
spokesmen for the Washington
Real Estate Board, the Washing
ton Hotel Association, Washing
ton Taxpayers Association ano
several representatives OF room
ing and boarding houses.
Opponents of continuing rent
control contended there are many
vacant houses and apartments fol
sale and rent, according to private
surveys and advertisements in the
daily papers. They insisted free
enterprise is entitled to fan
profit and that the law of supply
and demand would control rents
under the competitive system.
Single Bill Backed.
Inclusion of District rent con-
trolls in the national rent bill, in
troduced in the House by Repre-
sentative Douglas, Democrat, OF
California was urged by Americans
for Democratic Action. and
spokesman for the American Fed
Grafton of Labor.
Several tenants, including re-
tired Army and Navy officers
asked the committee to approve
the provision to control co-opera-
tives. This would forbid eviction
of tenants who are nonmembers
of the cooperative, unless IS pei
cent of the occupants became
owners when control of the prop
erty passed to the cooperative.
Defenders of the co-operatives
insisted the provision virtually
would kill the cooperative move
ment.
Representatives of several
apartment houses were dragged
into the testimony, includ-
ing the Broadmoor, 1901 Con-
necticut avenue NV; the Alta
mont, 1901 Wyoming avenue NV.
and the Westmoreland 2122 Cali
fornia street NV.
Edmund j. Flynn, real estate
man, who said he had a major
role in turning the Broadmoo1
into a cooperative, was sharply
cross-examined by Chairman Har-
ris. The witness promised to sub
nit to the subcommittee COM
plete report on the transactions.
Chairman Harris contendec
that tenants at Broadmoor were
forced to buy or be put out" anc
that those who bought are making
payments Is to 80 per cent higher
than their rent used to be. Mr.
Harris repeated the charge made
earlier in the day by Rent Admin
istrator Robert F. CogsWell thai
the cooperative program was
move to evade" the rent-contro
loM and rent ceilings