Evening star., 1951-06-24
Time Runs Low
On Rent Laws
And Supply Bill
Congress Must Speed
D C. Matters Before
Fiscal Year Closes

OlUk4d4 4GIlb COllIU1S dS well do tllC
District supply bill for 1852 now
are in a race against time-the
ending Of the current fiscal year
next Saturday.
Apparently, the way is paved for
prompt action this week on all
these issues but House and Senate
differences could cause trouble
some delays.
II the worst happens. continu-
ing resolutions could be adopted
to prevent any breakdown in the
programs and to carry on until
new laws were on the books.
A Senate Appropriations sub
committee, headed by Senator
Hill, Democrat, of Alabama, will
meet early this week to write up
its version of the $137.7 million
District supply bill passed by the
House.
The bill is expected to call for
a full $12 million Federal pay
ment, which the House for the
second consecutive year proposes
to cut by 10 per cent or $1.2 mil
lion.
May Act on Jobs Cut.
The Senate funds group also is
expected to take a stand on the
recommendation of Senator Fer
guson. Republican of Michigan,
for a 10 per cent cut in the Janu-
airy estimates for hire of personnel
in the city government. Senator
Ferguson has won adoption of
this formula on same national
appropriation bills but has indi-
Gated he would agree to some
modification in its application to
the District budget.
District Budget Officer Walter
L. Fowler has submitted reports
from all city agencies as to how
the Ferguson plan would affect
their operations. These have been
received by the Hill subcommittee
but were not released yesterday
because members of the Senate
group have not yet studied them.
Rent Action Due Tomorrow.
The Senate is scheduled to take
up extension of national rent con-
trolls tomorrow as a part of the
legislation giving new life to the
National Production Act. A SINH
lar bill is awaiting action in the
House.
The House tomorrow is to act
on separate bill for extension of
the Districts own rent control
law. This is similar to the Dis
trict measure passed last Thurs
day by the Senate. There are
three important differences in the
House and Senate bills. however,
that probably will require a con-
ference agreement before the bill
can go to the President for sigma II
ture.
Both the District bills would
allow 20 per cent increase in
rentals over the 1941 freeze levels. Il
Both would continue to exempt
hotels from controls and both
would re-establish controls over
housing built since 1948, freezing
their rentals as Of last January /.
Bills Vary on Length.
The Senate-passed District rent
bill would continue controls for
one year. The pending House bill
would make the extension for 81
months, to the end of next March.
Also, the Senate bill contains
penalty provisions for violations
that were dropped out of the
House bill. The two District bills
also differ in provisions under
which tenants may be evicUed
from apartments that are turned
into cooperative enterprises.
There are differences also be-
tween the House and Senate Fed
eral rent control bills. For one
thing, the Senate bill would ex-
tended controls for eight months
and the House bill would add a
full year to their life.
The Senate committee report onE
the Federal bill stresses the i'm
portance of local controls, while
advocating national. curbs where
found necessary, in critical ma
tional defense areas.
The Senate report on this point
declares that ''rent control, wher-
ever possible. should be handled /
by local law and local authorities. +"
1t adds: while circumstances
of the moment necessitate that
Federal controls be continued,
where local controls are in effect |
and are adequate they should be
permitted to continue and the
Federal Government should not
be permitted to reimpose its con-
trolls"
In the District the local rent
controls have been in effect prior
to the adoption Of the national
law. |,