The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-11-30
Rent Control
Extension Now
More Likely

IWlll proDaDiy llVe until next Mdfcf
81.
President Truman helped revive
it Nov. 27 by formally requesting
the 'lame duck" session of Con
gress to reconsider the whole ques
tion in light of "pressures being
created by the defense program"
In letters to Sen. Burnet r. May.
bank Cd, SCI, chairman of the
Senate Banking committee, anc
Rep. Brent Spence Cd, Ky), chair
man of the House Banking commit
tee, the President said three.
month extension is necessary to
give the incoming Congress in
January time to act on new law
"Unless this extension is made"
the President wrote, "many COM
munities may be decontrolled by
the operation of the present law
before they, or Congress, have been
able to examine the problems be-
fore them, and with results that
may be damaging to the national
defense"
Truman pointed out that an ex-
tension would still allow local auth
critics to decontrol rents, but asked
particular attention be paid to
areas around military camps and
defense plants.
Further blood was pumped into
the proposed extension by both
banking committee chairmen. May
bank, who previously had agreed
that "short extension" might be
necessary, said he would call a
meeting of the Senate committee
Nov. 28. Spence said he already
had the legislation ready for intro
duction in the House and that he
doesn't think Congress will turn
down the Presidents request for an
extension.
"The situation has changed"
the Kentucky Democrat said, $50
that there would be more difficulty
if Congress allowed the control
measure to expire than if it ex-
tends it."
Rep. Jesse P. Wolcott mich. },
ranking Republican member of the
House Banking committee, came up
with a bit of musical-comedy rea-
soning for his opposition to extern
sion. Wolcott, who has voted
against rent control in the past,
said the proposed extension is Gun
fortunate" because it will encour-
age city officials to think controls
will be extended and then they may
wait too long to do anything about
it.
No matter what they do about
the rest of the country, it is almost
certain that Congressman will vote
to extend rent control in Washing
ton-after all, they live here.
Senate District chairman Matt
hew NJ. Neely Cd, W.Va.) is draft
ing bill to give five-month ex-
tension so that a new law may be
considered. The present District
rent-control law ends Jan. 81, a
month later than other cities.
A ruling by the US Court of APP
peals here gave cheer to Los
Angeles tenants who have been
battling to reverse the decision of
their city council abolishing con-
trolls since last June.
On Oct. %, Tighe f. Woods,
Federal housing expediter, reject
ed resolution calling for rent in
creases by the LA city council
after listening to a wire recording
of the "public hearing" at which it
was passed. Woods said the evid-
ence did not warrant rent decon-
troll. A Federal District Court judge
told Woods he did not have auth
ority to Judge the evidence and
directed him to sign the decontrol
measure.
The Court of Appeals ruling up
held the ruling of the lower court
Woods authority, but it
said the councils resolution was
illegal because it was not adopted
by Ordinance" in accordance with
local law.
Because the resolution adopted
by the City Council was not pub
lished or posted or held for 80 days
pending a possible petition for al
referendum, all as required by the
city charter for valid legislative
action, we must hold it is not, as
yet, adopted in accordance with
local law and therefore not effec-
tive for the purposes of the FEEDER
al statute" the court held.
The decision throws some doubt
on the status of rent control inI
about 900 cities. More than 400
have removed rent controls, and
500 have continued them by reso
luton rather than by ordinance.
Elsewhere on the rent control
front:
New York-The City of Geneva
and Seneca county were recontroll-
ed at the request of the US AirI
Force to protect military person
nel called to duty at Sampson AirI
Force Base and the ordnance de-
pot at Romulus. Rents will bel
frozen as of Oct. /.
Missouri-Laclede and Pulaski
counties, adjacent to Ft. Leonard
Wood. were both recontrolled be- |