Evening star., 1950-02-18
Rent Decontrol
Exemptions Fail
In Virginia Bill
House Acceptance
Of Senate Changes
Expected Monday
BY Alex r. Preston
Stor Stoff CORRESPONDENT

by Alex K. Preston
Stor stoff Correspondent
RICHMOND, Va, Feb. 18.-
Senate amendments to State
wide rent decontrol bill are vir-
tually assured of acceptance by
the House of Delegates on Mon
day.
Before going into weekend re-
cess yesterday, the Senate beat
off all attempts by Senator
Charles R. Fenwick of Arlington
to exempt his home area as we'll
as Warren County and Danville
from the control repeal measure.
After denying a similar attempt
in behalf of Richmond, the Senate
then tackled on language to make
the repeal effective June 10. The
vote for passage was 20 to 5.
Delegate Frank P. Moncure of
Stafford, who added an amend
ment exempting Arlington, Fair
lax and Prince William Counties
and the City of Alexandria, before
the bill left the House, was asked
II he intended to pursue the fight
further.
mo. I'm through with that"
he replied.
Find Sentiment for Passage.
In striking off the Moncure
amendment and changing the
effective date of the legislation,
the Senate yesterday sent the
measure back to the House for
concurrence in it's version.
A poll of other Northern Vir-
ginla legislators indicated that
they felt there is no use in pur-
suing the matter further, because
OF demonstrated sentiment in
favor of the legislation.
Senator Fenwick's efforts were
opposed by Senator Andrew w.
Clarke, who represents Alexandria
and the counties of Fairfax and
Prince William. Senator Clarke
SAID he was opposed to rent con-
trolls in principle and that an
emergency no longer exists. He
said his remarks might constitute
his swan song" because OF the
action he was about to take.
Senator FenWick's first attempt
was to keep Arlington and War;
rem Counties and Danville under
provisions of the Federal rent law.
After this was defeated by voice
vote, he submitted an amendment
to keep these same areas under
controls of the State law by ex-
tending the latter act from it's
expiration date in June until July
/, 1852.
Draws Adverse Rule.
Lit. Gov. L. Preston Collins, who
once opposed Senator Fenwick in
Statewide contest. ruled that
the second amendment could not
be offered.
Arlington, Senator Fenwick
said, has had an increase in pop
ulation of 10000 since 1910 and
an estimated A per cent of it's
residents live in housing projects.
He said Senators from other
sections of the State had no way
OF knowing of the housing prob
lens peculiar to the Washington
area. At present, he argued, the
localities can take steps to de-
control themselves.
THE effect of this BILL" he
said, "is to deprive the localities
OF determining whether they need
controls. This bill is the worst
piece of State interference that
I have ever seen."
He prefaced his remarks with
the statement:
Il fully realize that the Fed
eral rent act has not been totally
equitable and has been abused in
some instances. But the Arling-
ton County Board and the local
rent advisory board have asked
to keep controls on. The amend
AAASAAo Az AOSoA w I'LL &C dlcdS dllu
would not affect the rest of you.
Regardless of my personal feel
lngs, believe that I must try to
get what my constituents want"
Senator Clarke waited until the
Richmond amendment was offered
by Senators Charles Crowder and
James E. Gardner before he spoke.
He declared, "We are confronted
with a principle of the Federal
Government attempting to leave
on controls which are discrimina-
tory and confiscatory. The Fed
eral Government has lifted con-
trolls on all other commodities"
The Moncure amendment had
received the support of Delegates
Armistead Boothe of Alexandria,
Edwin Lynch of Fairfax and Mr..
Moncure, all representing areas
included in Senator Clarke's ter
ritory. Yesterday Senator Clarke
said:
My delegation in the House
put every community I represent
in the bill (through the Moncure
amendment). They did not con-
suit me in advance and I had no
knowledge of their plans"