Evening star., 1950-06-09
New Witnesses
FaceQuiizinD.C
Rent Act Fight
Extension of Control
For Year Attacked,
Defended in House
By Harold B. Rogers

be heard after a lengthy hearing
yesterday. when the pending bill
to extend controls for one veal
more was both hotly attacked ane
defended.
Only IL witnesses out Of the IS
who had requested to be heard hao
testified when the session ad.
journed yesterday afternoon.
Lusk to Present Charts.
Among the first to be heard TO-
day, according to the schedule, was
Rufus S. Lusk, attacking rent con-
troll for the new Joint Committee
for Decontrol of District Rents. He
was prepared to present a number
OF charts, explaining in more de-
tail the argument begun yesterday
for the committee by it's chairman,
Oliver M. Walker, president of the
Washington Real Estate Board.
Mr.. Walker explained the Joint
committee spoke not only for the
real estate board, but also for the
District Building and Loan
League. the Home Builders AS
sociation Of Metropolitan Wash
.ington and the Washington Tax
payers Association.
He objected to the pending bill
which would continue the city
rent law for one year. This ex-
tension is favored by District
officials with some exemptions.
Complaints From Tenants.
A likely subject for more dis
cussion also vas the complaint
yesterday from tenants of the
big Westchester Apartments thai
new owners would proceed with
their plan to turn the project
into a cooperative. if rent con.
troll expires June 80. They charged
the owners who bought the West.
chester in 1947 for $4,197, 1884 were
trying to unload" the place or
tenants for ST million.
The Westchester tenants plead.
ed for extension of rent contro
so those who wanted to leave
would have time to find Other
quarters, instead of being forced
to buy into the cooperative. Un-
der rent control, they explained
the owners could not turn the
project into a cooperative unless
65 per cent of the tenants agree
to purchase apartments. A ma
jority do not want to do this, they
said.
Ernest Henry, who said he
formerly represented the West
chester, was given opportunity to
reply to tenants charges.
Senate Action Pending.
d Meanwhile, a proposal to extend
the District Rent Act, with some
notifications, by an amendment
to the bill for extension of Fed
eral rent controls is pending be-
fore the Senate.
Introduced by Chairman Nicely
of the Senate District Committee,
1t would extend the city act to
December 81 and permit an addi-
tional six-month extension, if the
city heads decided it was needed.
The Nicely amendment also
would include provisions for
changes in the District act pro-
posed by District Rent Admins
traitor Robert F. Cogswell. These
would exempt non-housekeeping
furnished rooms and would tighten
one technical requirement as to
proof in rent adjustment cases.
Witness Quizzed.
Witnesses both for and against
continued controls were ques-
toned by House subcommittee
members yesterday as to why most
of the new apartments going UP
in Washington are in the high
rent brackets.
Representative Abernethy, Dem
ocrat, of Mississippi asked why
more housing is not being built
here for the lower paid employees
of Washington. Proponents Of
control extension complained rents
would be raised under decontrol
hitting hard at the large low
income group.
Opponents of the bill contendec
there is a big demand for so-calleo
efficiency apartments" consisting
of a combination living and bed
room, bath and kitchen. They
said there is more money among
that group of prospective tenants
and more ncome to investors ane
developers.
MIR. Cogswen contended that
there Is virtually no housing goine
up here for the middle class aver.
age family and that. for the 'loV
rental bracket" there is mot 6
single housing unit to be found.
Outlines Contentious.
MIR. Walker outlined briefly thu
principal contentious OF the or
ganized joint committee agains
controls. He charged that "con'
trolls went out in 1947 on mos
all the products of industry, wher
Congress voted the OPA int
oblivion"
Both salaries and wages "have
sky-rocketed to an Astronomical
217 per cent of what they were ir
1941," he asserted. All other item'
that contribute to the cost of liv.
ing are up ITO per cent Of theil
pre-war costs, he added, but rent
have advanced only 13 per cent.
Frank j. Luchs, realtor, told thu
subcommittee that, in his opinion
there has been no need for rem
control in the District for the pas
nine months, but he presented {
proposed compromise plan.
Would Limit Extension.
# the subcommittee does no
eliminate controls entirely, he salt
it would be wiser ito extend tn,
act for a period of six month
only, with a limitation of a tota
increase not to exceed 25 per cen