Evening star., 1951-06-18
D. {. Rent Curbs
AreApproved
BySenate Unit
Measure Indorses
20 Per Cent Boost
Over 1o4l Rates
By Harold B. ROGERS

The Senate District Committe
today approved and sent to tn
Senate floor for action a bill t
extend District rent control TO
one year to June 80. 1852. an
make several changes in the pres
ent law.
The measure may come up TO
a vote on the Senate floor to
morrow when the Senate calenda
is called.
If the Senate should approv
the measure and send it to tn
House it would be similar to a bill
which the House District Com
mittee plans to act on tomorrow
morning.
Facing the deadline of June 80
Congress apparently is in posi-
ton to extend District rent con
troll before the present law term.
mates, unless some unforeseen
obstacle develops.
20 Pct. Boost Authorized.
The measure would authorize 9
20 per cent increase in rents or
most housing over the 1941 level
But any increases in rent since
that time would be considered 9
part of the 20 per cent raise.
New construction erected since
1948, which has been free of curbs
would be placed under control O.
the rent administrator with 6
freeze of rates at January / O,
this year.
The criminal provision for VIC.
lation OF the rent law which some
time ago was removed, would bt
restored to the act. Hotels, board.
ing and rooming houses would re,
main free of controls as they art
now.
The District Committee referred
to its judiciary subcommittee ths
House-passed bill for more effec.
tive prevention, detection ane
punishment of crime in the Dis.
trict.
Plans Careful Study.
Chairman Johnston of the ju-
dietary subcommittee said he
wanted to make a careful study OF
the important measure to deter
mine whether public hearings
would be needed.
Senator Welker, Republican ot
1oaho, said he had studied the bill
1elt 1t was a worthwhile measure
out there might be parts of it to
which he would object and some
Language to be revised. But, from,
his personal point of view, he felt
ne would be ready to act on the
bill without the necessity of furth-
er hearings on the Senate side of
the Capitol.
transcripts of elaborate hear
ngS held by the Davis Crime SUBJ
committee of the House District
Committee will be studied by the
judiciary subcommittee.
The District committee in busv
out relatively short session an
proved and sent to the Senate
calander for action possibly to-
morrow nine bills including the
rent measure. Six went over for
future consideration including the
crime bill.
Trespass Measure Passed.
The legislation approved by the
committee would:
Make entry on public propert,
such as school grounds a violation
OF law similar to the prohibition
against trespass on private prop.
erty; authorize the destruction OF
dangerous weapons seized from
prisoners; authorize blood tests
for alcoholic content in the cases
OF persons involved in automobile
accidents.
10 require payment of wages in
the District on Semimonthly ba-
Sis with a proviso that those who
WISH to receive their pay on a
monthly basis could do so; REQUIRE
premarital syphilis examinations:
to amend the District Teachers,
Leave Act.
10 establish a central DEPART
ment OF food services in the public
schools for control of all eating
establishments in the system. and
extending retirement privileges to
employees; amend the act incor-
porating American University here
to change the name of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church to Metho-
dist Church and to allow the
appointment of three-fifths of the
university Board Of Trustees from
persons belonging to that church
instead of the present two-thirds
OF the board now required by the
charter.
Bills passed over by the Dis
trict Committee for future con-
sideration because no member of
the fiscal affairs subcommittee
was present to make a report on
them included the Crime bill, one
to regulate optometry and others
to authorize cancellation or settle
ment OF claims of the District
against estates of old-age recipi-
ents; remove the limitation on the
numerical strength of the White
House police force: granting
policemen and f1remen compen-
satory time for working on holi-
days and authorize redemption
OF certain District tax stamps
which had been damaged.
Tnn Nixnini. Fnuxl lI.knII.