Evening star., 1949-02-27
House HEARINGS
0nD.C. Remit Bill
Open Tomorrow
Lively Controversy
Expected on Extending
Hearings Tomorrow
By Harold B. Roqers

ciary subcommittee of the House
District Committee.
Legislation under consideration
will be a bill sponsored by Repre-
sentative Harris. Democrat. of
Arkansas to extend the city's rent
control law to June 80, 1851, with
some changes.
Mr.. Harris will preside at the
hearing. He is chairman of the
subcommittee.
Many witnesses are scheduled
to appear, with prospects of lively
controversy over the issue. Sew
eral of the spokesmen will be
those who testified at recent pub
lie hearings held by the District
Commissioners on the same Harris
bill
CogsweIl to Testify.
The Commissioners are expected
to lay before the subcommittee
a report on their own hearings,
Will
Other witnesses will include:
Robert F. Cogswell. District rent
administrator; William H. Press,
secretary of the Board of Trade;
Charles Rush, Washington Real
Estate Board; Rufus Lusk, Dis
trict Taxpayers Association;
Frank E. Wheatley, District Hotel
Association; Ben Paul Noble.
Public Vehicle Owners Associa-
ton; Kenneth Clarke, Progressive
Party; j. M. Kyle. CapiHl Room
ing and Boarding Hovse Associa-
ton.
The Harris bill woc+d. extend
for more than two years the city
rent act which expires March 81.
Two principal changes would be
made in the present law. One
would provide that additional
housing accommodations created
by the reconversion of existing
business would be brought under
control if they were completed
after March 81. 1948.
The other would prevent evic-
ton of tenants from cooperative
apartment houses unless at least
IS per cent of the units were
owner occupied at the time the
cooperative gained control OF the
property. This provision is in
tended to prevent eviction OF
tenants who do not want to buy
into the co-operatives.
Pay Raise To Come Up.
A proposed pay raise for classi-
fed employees of the District gov
will come up again this
week before both House and Sem
ate Civil Service subcommittees.
The $3.50 annual increase for
classified city workers is favored
by both units. but is linked on
both sides of the Capitol with
controversial measure for raising
salaries of cabinet officers and
other high-level policy makers
of the Federal Government.
The House Civil Service sub
committee, headed by Representa-
tive Murray of Tennessee will meet
again at 10 am. Tuesday to con-
slider the problem. This subcom-
mittee is divided over several
phases of the high-level bill. II
it should agree on a bill, includ-
ing the District workers. the meas
ure would come up at 10 am.
Thursday before the full Civil
Service Committee for action.
Senator O'Conor of Maryland
chairman of a Senate Civil Service
subcommittee said he hopes to
get his group together early this
week to act on the high-level pay
bill including the city workers,
He had not fixed a date last night.
Teacher Pay Raise.
Decision on pay raise for
teachers now is expected to go
over until a meeting of the House
District Committee March 7, ac-
cording to Representative Davis,
Democrat. of Georgia.
Mr.. Davis said he still favorS
a pay increase of $3.50 for teachers
to match the same figure for po-
licemen and f1remen contained in
pending bill for these three
groups. The teachers figure, orig
inally at $3.50 in the Davis bill,
was cut back to 5000 by a joint
session of three House District
subcommittee on fiscal affairs, ed
ucation and public service. The
teachers, however, have been in
sisting they should have an in
crease equal to that for policemen
and firemen. The issue is eX-
pected to be settled by the full
District Committee.
A provision to take care OF about
400 unclaSsified employees of the
District who are not included in
either the pay raise bill for classi-
fed workers or the one for po-
licemen, flremen and teachers is
expected to be put into the latter
measure.
To Weigh Home Rule Bill.
Senator Kefauver, Democrat, OF
Tennessee said last night he plans
to call a meeting some time this
week of his Senate District Sub
committee to consider in executive
session the form of bill for Dis
trict home rule.
Wide difference of opinion
cropped up at recent public
hearing as to whether the measure
should contain only an elected city
council city manager form of gov
ernment, or whether it should
also contain provisions to reor-
ganize the city machinery.
The Senate District Committee
normally would hold its regular
monthly meeting Tuesday morn
ing, according to its schedule, but
it was not clear last night wheth-
er Chairman McGrath would call
or cancel the session.
PoekviIla Groun pInns pInv