The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-06-01
Local Option Rent.
Bill Approved
By House Group

| Washington (LPA) - After less
THAN an hours discussion, the
House Banking committee on May
1S approved the Spence bill to al
low cities to continue federal rent
|controls until June 80, 1951-pro-
vided they vote to do so before
Dec. 81, 1850. The vote was 13 to a.
Efforts to strengthen the Spence
bill probably will be made on the
floor of the House, and in the Sem
ate Banking committee, which will
act on rent curb extension short
lly. Present federal controls expire
June 80. Unions would prefer ex-
Itension of the present law for an
other IL months.
All Democratic members present
voted for Spence's bill. Four Re
Ipublicans, only ones to vote mo, Z
were: Jesse Wolcott (Mich.), Ralph
iGamble (NY), Clarence Kilburn
I(NY) and Donald Nicholson
| (Mass.).
President Richard w. Gray Of the
building Trades Dep't-AFL. and
Legislative Representatives Donald
Montgomery of the Auto Workers
land John Edelman of the Textile
Workers, were very critical of the
bill sponsored by Banking commit
ltee chairman Brent Spence Cd,
Ky.). Spence told them bluntly he
prepared his bill after a survey OF
members of the House; that there
has been a Gloss of strength" be-
cause of the states like Texas and
New York which have either voted
to decontrol or substitute state for
federal rent laws.
Spence's bill would lift controls
Dec. 81, 1850 in all states or cities
where the governing bodies have
not voted to continue federal con-
trolls until June 80, 1851.
an view of the very simple
method of obtaining decontrol
available to every community
under the present law, Gray told
the Congressman, 1--WE are frankly
at a loss to understand why it is
necessary to consider a proposal of
this kind. Moreover, there is grave
danger that unless such a proposal
lis surrounded with adequate safe
guards, rent control will go by de-
fault in many communities even
though a majority of the citizens
recognize a continued need for it.
"a lethargic city council or one
in which real estate interests were
heavily represented might fail to
take the necessary action required
to retain rent control in its COM
lmunity."
/ Underscoring this gum e n t.,
Montgomery insisted "there is no
justification whatever for imposing
upon state and local governments
1.-THE requirement that between now
and Dec. 81 they take special ac-
ltion to retain the protection which
since April a year ago they could
have got rid of, but have chosen not
to get rid Of"
The real estate lobby's own sur
lvey of rent increases in cities that
have been decontrolled proves, the
AFL's spokesman maintained, that
IT) Nationwide decontrol would re-
suit in rent increases for millions
of families. y Rent control is just
as much a problem in many small
areas as it is in the large cities"
| The cold facts are, Gray said,
that "the renewal of rent controls
lat the present time would have the
same effect on millions of workers
as nationwide pay cut"
| Expected rent increases, Mont
Igomery reminded the Congressman,
"are the equivalent of wage cuts
of five, six, eight, and even 10 per
Icent."
| Claims Of the rent control oppon-
ents that the housing shortage is
ended are simply not true, both
AFL and CIO witnesses said. What
newly built rental units are avail
Table are high-cost, and either ex-
clude children or are too small for
la family, Montgomery charged.
I"The same real estate industry that
persuaded Congress to its course of
callous indifference and inaction on
middle income housing is now urg-
ling that you inflict the final degree
of punishment upon these families
by exposing them to the mercy of
landlords who will take full adj
Vantage of their desperate need for
shelter"
Real estate witnesses, Gray told
the committee, overlook "the fact
that last years volume of housing
construction was not very much
higher than in 1925, year when
there were 35 million fewer people
in this country. 1t also overlooks
the fact that the overwhelming pro-
portion of the housing built during
the past year has been for sale and
not for rent" Vacancy rates in
large cities show, he said, that "the
housing shortage is still very much
with u.s."
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