Evening star., 1953-04-29
Speedy Action
Continues Rent
Control Here
President Expected
To Sign Bill Today
For 3-Month Period

VI O-IVtOIIlU TSTIOO
District rent controls over
more than 10000 homes and
apartments will be continued for
three months to July 81 by legis-
lation passed by Congress and
expected to be signed by the
President.
Congress completed action late
yesterday on a bill to extend
District curbs to the same date
already authorized for Federal
controls.
The measure was approved
first by the Senate, rushed to the
House and passed swiftly there
without debate.
Only the formalities of getting
the bill to the White House and
the Presidents signature remain
to prevent District controls from
coming to an end at midnight
tomorrow.
Almost Sets Speed Record.
The action by Congress was so
swift and simple that it almost
set a record for speed.
In the Senate the bill was
passed by unanimous consent
after only a brief explanation
by Chairman Case of the Senate
District Committee.
Rushed to the House by mes
senger, it Immediately stirred
House leadership to a quick study
OF procedure.
House Speaker Martin, Repub-
lican Leader Halleck, House Dis
trict Committee Chairman Simp-
son and Representative O'Hara,
Republican, of Minnesota con-
ferred and decided on the action
which speeded the bill to the
White House.
Action Takes One Minute.
Republican Leader Halleck of
Indiana arose and asked the
House to consider the Senate
passed bill. Speaker Martin
called for a vote on passage and
by voice vote the bill was ap-
proved and ordered sent to the
White House. The entire House
action took about one minute.
When the bill will reach the
White House depends on how
soon the enrolled copy can be
signed by both the House speak
er and the President of the Sen
ate. But it is fully expected the
measure will reach the President
in plenty Of time for him to
sign it before the present law
expires.
Increases Had Been Planned.
District Rent Administrator
Robert F. Cogswell said the ex-
tension will be warmly welcomed
by renters who live in the 150,-
600 or more units here because
OF many threatened increases in
rent.
His office, Mr.. Cogswell said,
has been Swamped with COM
plants from tenants who re-
ported they had already received
notices of substantially higher
rents, to go into effect May /.
The complained of increases,
Mr.. Cogswell said. varied from
about Is per cent to 43 per cent.
Congress was late in acting on
the District extension, although
the Commissioners had long ago
recommended two more months.
Staff Continues Functioning.
Mr.. Cogswell said he has kept
his staff virtually intact and will
be able to continue functioning.
There are now 20 persons in
the organization. he said, and
only three more will be needed to
carry through the rest of the
authorized period. They are one
clerk and two stenographers.
Employees, however, have been
without pay since March "a and
next Tuesday will face their third
payless payday. Appropriations
already approved by the House
and now pending in the Senate
provide $4,000 for a period UP
to April 80. How soon this
money will be available depends
on passage by Congress of the
fund in a pending supplemental
appropriation bill.
More money will be needed for
the extra three months opera
tion.