Evening star., 1950-06-27
|SenateD.C.U Unit
Meets Today on
Rent Control
House Version of Bill
Up for Decision as
DeudIine Neors
By Horold B. ROGERS

it a measure passed yesterday by
the House in the form Of an
amendment to the bill previously
adopted by the Senate.
So different are the two YER
sions. it seemed likely the measure
might be sent to conference be-
tween House and Senate.
Chairman Neely Of the Senate
District Committee said today he
will study the changes made by
the House, but that he can not
predict what his committee will
recommend. He appeared dis
appointed the House did not ap-
prove the Senate measure and
send it to the White House.
Adds Coop Feature.
Newest feature added by the
House is a proviso designed te
protect tenants paying $85 q
month or less from efforts te
turn their apartments into CO.
operatives.
Representative Abernethy, Dem
ocrat, OF Mississippi. sponsor OF
the amendment, said it would re.
move the present laws provision
that tenants in 65 per cent OF
all units of an apartment house
must subscribe to a cooperative
ownership.
Instead, he explained, his
amendment would require only
that 65 per cent of those paying
$85 or less per month, agree to
join the cooperative movement
This might make it easier, he
said, for a large apartment house
with luxury" units to turn CO.
operative.
A committee of tenants in the
Westchester Apartments, which
has been fighting transfer of the
place into a cooperative, con-
tends a great majority of all
tenants there resist the change
Approved, 103 to 72.
In approving its version Of ex-
tended rent control by a stand
ing vote of 103 to ~, the House
sent the bill back to the Senate
The Senate could agree to the
House amendments, or it could
send the bill to conference to
compose differences between the
two versions.
Senator Nicely will be in charge
OF the measure and make his
recommendations to the Senate
late today or tomorrow.
The House named as its con-
.fereeS Tin case they are needed: :
Chairman Mcmillan of the House
District Committee, Representa-
tive Abernethy and Representative
O'Hara, Republican, of Minnesota
In addition to the new Coop
erative proviso in the House
version, there are three other
principal differences between
House and Senate versions of the
legislation.
Different Expiration Date.
The Senate bill would extend
city curbs for six months, from
June 80 to January / next year;
the House amended this to a
seven-months' extension.
The Senate bill would give the
District Commissioners power to
extend controls for another six
months after January /; the
House would provide any further
extension beyond January 81 must
be made by Congress.
The House added q new amend
ment to provide for decontrol of
an entire building. If and when
its rooms were decontrolled.
The House also approved pro-
visions similar to the Senate bill
decontrolling furnished, non
housekeeping single rooms, in
cluding those in hotels. It also
would provide that, if the District
rent administrator found q
majority Of the housing units
in a hotel are for transients, he
would have to decontrol the
entire establishment, including
apartments and family units.
During rent control debate on
the House floor, principal op-
ponent to any extension Of curbs
was Representative Phillips, Re-
publican, of California. He rec
commended leaving the District
without controls after Friday
despite the new national rent
control law extending curbs for
six more months.
He said the amazing" amount
of new construction he had seen
in the city and its environs are
proof enough to him that con-
trolls should end here.
Day-care Centers Up.
Meanwhile, the Senate District
Committee today also plans to
consider extension of the city's
six day-care centers, which would
close next Friday under present
law.
A Senate bill, passed weeks ago,
would continue the centers perma-
|nently. But the House yesterday
passed and sent to the Senate its
own bill continuing the centers for
only one year beyond June 80. with
100000 authorized for the pur-
pose.
Two other measures may be
considered by the Senate District
Committee. They would increase
payments under District unem-
ployment compensation law and
require regular payment of wages
here at not more than two-week
intervals.
The House. during District Day
yesterday, passed and sent to the
Senate bills to:
Amend the city law on registra-
ton of architects, permit banks to
postpone for "a hours posting of
checks, relax restrictions against