Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-23
6. 0. P. 10 Seek
S Months More
OF Rent Control
White House Meeting
Also Decides to End
RFC in Mid-1954
By Joseph A. Fox


President Eisenhower and his
top legislative lieutenants decid-
ed today to seek a five-month
extension of the rent control law
beyond April 80 and then turn
the problem over to the States.
Under this plan, when the five
month period is up, the Federal
Government would continue to
watch over rentals only in de-
tense areas, where the housing
situation is critical.
The District OF Columbia has
its own rent control law and
will not be affected. Maryland
and Virginia, however. come
within the scope of the proposed
arrangement.
The program was announced
by House Speaker Martin after
a two-hour White House con-
ference between Gen. Eisen-
hover and Republican legisla-
tive leaders.
Mr.. Martin also announced
the group agreed to let the Re-
construction Finance Corp. die
June 80, 1854. RIGS authority
to make loans to small business,
however, would be continued in
another agency.
Decision on OffshOre Oil.
The conferees also decided to
let the Senate Interior and House
Judiciary Committees decide on
the mechanics for handling tide
lands oil legislation. Mr.. Mar
tin said the House will pass the
bill to give the states control
over the disputed coastal lands
a week from Wednesday. There
is no doubt of passage, he said.
The group talked about eco
nomic controls but did not get
into the controversial nominal
ton of Charles E. Bohlen to be
Ambassador to Russia. However,
Senator Taft of Ohio and Chair
man Wiley of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee stayed after
the meeting for a brief talk with
the President on that subject.
Mr.. Martin said Gen. Eisen-
hover wanted the States to have
sufficient time to prepare for
assuming rent controls, and he
felt that the five-month leeway
would be sufficient to mitigate
any hardship involved in the
changeover.
Offices to Be Closed Soon.
Emphasizing that additional
legislation will be needed for
the extension, the Speaker said
THAT'S the rub" limiting at the
opposition which may be ex-
pected on Capitol Hill.
In telling of the plan to get
rid of the RFC, Mr.. Martin said
the conferees decided that there
would be a progressive reduction
in loans by the agency and it
is expected that about so per
cent of the RFC Offices through
out the country will be closed in
go days.
A bill by Senator Byrd, Demo-
crat, of Virginia would end the
! RFC, which was set up in the
Hoover administration. at the
end Of this year.
Treasury Secretary Humphrey,
who sat in on today's conference,
said the RFC already has put a
81 million ceiling on loans.
New Agency Planned.
The Secretary of the Treasury
and Secretary of Commerce
Weeks will work out a plan for
creation of an agency to handle
small loans both for defense and
non-defense purposes. Mr.. Mar
tin thought the unit, for which
legislation will be needed, will
be put in the Commerce De-
partment.
The tidelands discussion con-
cerned two proposals for dealing
with the lands and their sub
surface oil deposits.
The House, according to Mr..
Martin, favors single bill while
the Senate proposed two-one
dealing with land--up to the
historic boundaries of the States
and the other with those ex-
tending to the continental shelf.
In addition to Mr.. Martin,
Senators Taft and Wiley. those
who sat in on today's confer
ence included Senator Bridges
of New Hampshire, President
pro tenn: Senator Knowland of
California, Policy Committee
chairman; Senator Millikin of
Colorado, Conference Commit
tee chairman; Senator Salton-
stall of Massachusetts,, whip.
Also House Majority Leader
Halleck; Representative Arends
of Illinois, House whip, and
Senator Capehart of Indiana
and Representative Walcott of
Michigan, chairmen of Senate
and House committees. which
handle economics controls legis-
lation.
More Tremors Level