Evening star., 1952-07-21
Citizens Argue
New Proposals
On Tenements
Fight Develops Over
City's Right to Enter
And Inspect Rooms
By Colt HendIey, Jr.


More than 100 citizens showed
up at the District Building today
to defend and attack proposed
new regulations to control tene.
ment houses here.
Most Of the controversy cen.
tered around a part of the regu-
lations which would give the city
the right to inspect the rooms
in the tenement houses. A tene-
ment house is defined generally
as an accommodation where the
tenant has exclusive use of one
or more rooms but not both .
kitchen and bath.
Charles j. Bauer of the Build
ing Owners and Managers Asso-
citation, led the fight against tho
right of entry which the regula-
tions propose.
1--WE are against this sort Of
provision" Mr.. Bauer declared.
1T Is unconstitutional, 1t In.
fringes on the rights of individuals
and is against public policy"
Objections Force Change.
Objections by Mr.. Bauer and
others already have forced a
change in the right of entry provi-
sion. AS previously drawn, tho
proposal would have forced man
ayers to obtain the cooperation
of their tenants for municipals in
spections.
The modified version, as pre-
sented today, says the District
shall have the right at all reason
able hours to enter and inspect the
premises occupied or to be occu-
pied by such tenement house."
Mr.. Bauer said the modified yer.
sion was silent on the very point
which is in controversy. He said
the regulation should spell out
that no inspections would be made
unless the tenants give permis-
sion.
He recommended that the pro.
posals be. sent to the Commission
ers' Building Code Advisory Conn
mittee for study.
9o-Day Delay Asked.
Grosvenor Chapman, represent
ing the Washington Building Con-
|gress and the Joint Committee on
Housing Enforcement, asked for
a 90-day delay so the regulations
could be studied further.
The joint committee represents
the American Institute of Archi-
tects, the Home Builders Associa-
ton of Washington, the Board of
Trade, the Washington Building
Congress, the Washington Hous-
ing Association, the Washington
Real Estate Board and the WASH
Iington Real Estate Brokers Asso-
citation.
Approval of the proposed regu-
lations was expressed by represen-
tativeS of a number of citizens
associations.
Mrs. Arthur Wagner Of the
Southeast Washington Citizens
Association urged adoption and
strict enforcement of the regula-
tions. She said large sections of
the city are suffering blight be-
cause Of housing conditions and
the situation will become worse il
the regulations are not enforced.
William L. Mackey and Mrs.
George s. Hoffman, also spoke for
the association.
Regulations Held Necessary.
Mrs. Harold Hinton, of the Pro-
gressive Citizens Association of
Georgetown. declared the only
way to prevent tenements from
becoming slums was to regulate
them to good standards and en-
1orce tne regulations.
Mrs. Allen Sheppard, also of
the Georgetown group, declared
the right of entry and inspection
must be granted. Another speak,
er for this group, Mrs. Frank A.
West, said the regulations would
end the "repulsive situation" Of
outdoor toilets in the city.
John r. Bates Of the Northwest
Boundry Civic Association, ap-
proved the regulations in general
but questioned the right Of the
District to enter without permis-
sion.
Group Indorses Regulations.
Joseph D. Malloy Of the Fedora.
ton Of Citizens Associations said
his organization had approved the
proposed regulations and felt they
were desirable to improve public
health and living standards. He
declared:
I'VE don't want visitors to COM
pare our Capital CITY to n Junk.