Evening star., 1949-02-10
State Socialism Test
Seen if Curb Is Put
On Landlords Strike
Question Is Being Asked
Whether Government Viii
Force Business at Loss
Bv David Laurence

A most significant trend in re-
cent weeks has been the an
nouncement of many landlords in
several cities that they intend to
engage in their lawful right to
strike.
Heretofore it has been assumed
that only workers have the right
to strike. It has been contended
that a worker could not be forced
to labor against his will, as this
would be involuntary servitude. y
But when a group of landlords
decide that they do not want to
rent out any longer the houses
they own and wish to close UP
shop and go out of the renting
business, will the Government STEP
in and impose on them an obli-
CATION to continue in business at
a loss?
This will be one of the most
important tests Of whether the
Truman administration has en-
barked truly upon a course OF
state socialism. When the Gov
ernment steps in and, in effect
compels an owner Of property to
operate it at loss. or permits an
inadequate increase in rent to be
fixed, it must find some means OF
reimbursing the owner, and that
means a subsidy.
Subsidies Obligated.
Up to now whenever the prices
Of farm products have dropped
below a certain level, the Govern
ment has stepped in with sub
sidy. If it be found that the
owners of apartment houses. for
instance, cannot function at pres
ent-day costs. some one will have
to make up the difference.
Obviously mass evictions OF
human beings from their homes
cannot be tolerated. There are
not many places to which such
persons can go to live. Yet the
same problem faces the country
when a coal strike is called. The
arbitrary right to close down the
coal mines by ordering the min
ers to refuse to mine coal has
been accepted as a lawful instru-
ment to be used by citizens act
ing In concert.
The rent-control law provides
that owners may take over their
own property and evict tenants
II it Is intended by the owner "in
good faith" to occupy his own
property. This begs the real
question. For if there is no con-
stitutional right on the part OF
Congress to compel an owner to
maintain a lease with tenant
when it is Improbable for the
owner to do so. it is not allevi-
ated by the fact that the owner
may wish to move into his own
property. Either the owner has
an absolute right over his own
property, or houses and dwellings
generally have become affected
with a public interest" and are
subject to some inherent power"
of the President to control. The
use of the Injunction process
against landlords, while with
drawn from use against labor
unions, will present quite a con-
tradiction.
Left Over From War.
Rent legislation is one Of the
few controls left over from the
war. 1t has been accepted as
humanitarian measure but, on
the other hand, little attention
has been paid to the economics
of it. The property owners have
been faced with increases in the
price Of fuel and in cost Of main
tenance. If rents are frozen at
the same rates as existed in pre-
war years. there are many prop
erty owners who cannot possibly
make, ends meet. When the Gov
ernment interferes with the law
of supply and demand-as it does
when there is a scarce commod-
ity or a scarce facility-some re-
lief must be afforded to those
who are the owners of the COM
modities or articles or facilities in
question. Relief provisions in
Hardship" cases are supposed to
be applied under the rent-control
law, but this involves expense and
red tape for the landlords. The
smaller ones cannot afford it.
Encouragement of housin g
projects will, of course, ultimately
relieve the scarcity. But in the
meantime there is a concrete
problem involving the right of
property owners to engage in a
lawful strike by concerted action.
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