The Daily Alaska empire., 1951-06-20
Strikers, Shipowners Confer on Coast WaLkout
RENT CONTROL VITAL NATIONAL DEFENSE
 SAYS TIGHE W00DS|

National Housing Expediter Tighe E. Woods declared here today that rent control in Alaska is vital to national defense.
 He told the Juneau Kiwanis club it keeps the lid on the price of housing until more housing can be built for the military and civilian personnel who are making Alaska frontline bastion against Com muniSm.
 The fight against imitation re- quires sacrifices on the part of the Alaskan landlord just as the fight against Communism requires sacri- fees on the part of the Alaskan infantryman," he added.
 The housing chef declared the Korean war had changed the ques- ton of rent control from local matter to one of national concern. He charged that local option re- moyal of controls "is making grim farce and mockery of Federal rent controls" He said local option on rent control could be compared to giving Akron, Ohio, the right to say whether or not the price of tires should be controlled.
 Open Discussion
 An open discussion followed Woods talk in which it was brought out that a defense housing bill is bottled up in the House Rules com mittee that would materially aid housing construction in defense areas.
 Woods said that new defense production bill, now pending in Congress, if unchanged on the floor, would control all rental properties including commercial units.
 Woods, accompanied by Harvey w. Wertz, of the San Francisco Public Relations staff and Rich ard Done, regional board executive, also of San Francisco. left this afternoon for Anchorage on his threeSday inspection tour of the Territory.
 Yesterday many tenants in Juneau were surprised by visit from the housing expeditor.
 Alaska Problems Vary
 Housing problems vary in Alaska and while high costs of housing in Anchorage and Fairbanks are the result of population compositions in military areas, Juneau's problem is one of disparity in rents between controlled and uncontrolled units, Woods.
 In Alaska to confer with Gov. Ern- est Gruening and It. Gen. William E. Kepner and Gen. w. Baker, re- garding charges of rent-gouging near military installations and in the Territory generally, Woods and Done spent a busy "A hours here conferring with the governor. With the local advisory board and with A. Bandettini, area rent director for Alaska, and Wertz.
 Woods, Done, Wertz and Bandet- tini were Pacific Northern Airlines passengers for Anchorage today and have a busy schedule lined up for meetings in Anchorage, Fairbanks before they return south.
 Construction vs. Rents
 In Juneau Woods explained that the Juneau boards principal inter est is in informing local residents of the reason for differences ln the price of rental units.
 Rent Control has no authority over housing built or converted since 1947, Woods explained. In the meantime housing in newly built rental units is costly due to doubled and tripled costs of construction,
 While conversions have filled a need for more housing, the differ ence in the rent of an apartment under rent control and a converted apartment, not under control, has created problem for the local board, Juneau landlords and ten ants.
 He mentioned specifically an et- ficiency apartment in a controlled unit that is still renting for $45 and one bedroom apartment in con- verted unit that rents for $125.
 Present Act Expiring
 The present Rent Control Act ex- pires June 30 and rent control will come under the new Defense Pro-
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