Evening star., 1950-12-03
DC. Rent Curbs
And P| |anninq
Due for Study
Hearings Also Slated
On Communism Here
And Crime Lows

On Communism Here
And Crime Lows .
By Harold B. Rogers
Congressional District COM
mittees this week will consider ex-
tension of District rent controls,
reorganization of the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, and strenthening of
crime laws.
Communism in the District will
be the subject of public hearings
Wednesday morning by the House
Committee on Un-American Ac-
tivities. Sixteen witnesses are
being subpoenaed. This follows
previous committee hearings in
June and July, 1949.
The Senate District Committee
will open public hearings tomor-
row morning on legislation to
amend the city rent act. and ex-
tend it for one month to Febru-
ary %. Proponents Of the meas
ure are scheduled to appear to-
morrow. and opponents at a sec
ond hearing Tuesday morning.
The measure would recontrol
apartments in hotels which rent
most of their rooms to transients,
but the transient accommodations
still would continue free of con-
trolls. Also placed back under
curbs would be housing accommo-
dations created by conversion of
cid property.
Planning Bill to Be Studied.
The House District Committee
has scheduled an executive session
for tomorrow morning to act on
the Senate-passed measure to en-
large the Park and Planning Com
mission and set up a new system
of cooperation between the COM
mission and planners in nearby
areas regarding the placement of
new Federal agencies in the en-
virons.
Several members Of the House
District Committee. however, were
reported last night to be out of
the city, and there was some ques-
ton as to whether a quorum could
be mustered.
Chairman Mcmillan of the COM
mittee said he also may discuss
informally with committee men,
bers the problem of extending rent
control. He has not yet decided
whether to introduce legislation
on the House side.
Further study of pending legis-
lation to tighten curbs on crime
here will be taken by a House
District subcommittee at a series
of sessions beginning at 7::30 pm.
tomorrow.
Judges Invited to Session.
Chairman Davis of the subcom-
mittee investigating crime has in
vited all judges of District Court,
Municipal Court of Appeals. NUM-
cipal Court and Juvenile Court to
this first discussion conference. 1t
will take place in executive session
in the House District Committee
room.
Mr.. Davis said last night he
hopes to work out provisions of
the proposed new bill quietly "be-
tween ourselves until we get it all
ironed out" He plans to make
public no results of the conference
until later when terms of the bill
are approved.
Two District nominations prob
ably will be acted on tomorrow by
the Senate. Approved Friday by
the Senate District and sent to
the executive calendar for action
were: Andrew j. Howard. jr.,
to be judge of Municipal Court,
succeeding the late Emory Smith,
and John A. Remon to be a men,
ber Of the District Redevelopment
Land Agency.
Wiretapping in Washington
may receive attention this week
after the expected return from
the Orient of Senator Pepper,
Democrat, of Florida, chairman
Of the special Senate District Com
mittee which held extended hear
ings on the subject. Pending leg
islation to ban wiretapping here,
is to be considered by the Pepper
Subcommittee and later by the
full District Committee. A re-
port Is being prepared on findings
of the hearing.
Meantime, House District Com
mittee members have been show
ing an increased interest in pos
sible amendments to the District
sales tax because Maryland now
has raised the exemptions for it's
sales levy.
Tax Problem Considered.
To provide information for study
of the problem, Committee Clerk
William N. Mcleod has obtained
from District Assessor Edward A.
Dent. estimates of the revenue
losses the city would suffer from
similar increased exemptions here.
To eliminate the tax on restau-
rant meals, which starts at $1.25
would cost the District $780, 900 in
revenue Mr. Dent nSfirn toe