Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-26
HOUSING
Both Sides
Debate D. G..
Bias Law
Continued From Page B.

Continued From Page B-l
ton doesn't work in other
places because the people do
not want it to work"
"Are you going to have a
member Of the Corporation
Counsel's office in every real
estate concern to make sales
men take out and show prop
erty to everyone who comes in
the office? Is an officer of the
law going to be stationed at
every apartment house to make
sure that all tenants are ac-
cepted? If a tenant is turned
down, will the Government tell
the owner 1t knows more about
selecting tenants than the
owner himself or an agent?"
Urges Study Of Laws
Robert M. Weston, chairman
of the subcommittee on hous-
ing Of the Council on Com
munity Affairs of the D. C.
Federal Bar Association, urged
the Commissioners to model a
fair housing regulation here on
the best existing laws and
ordinances in other jurisdic-
tons around the country.
Allen Taylor, representing
the Greater Washington
Chapter of Americans for Dem
ocratic Action, said his group
supports the lawyers commit
tee regulation Gin it's entirety"
Mrs. Margery Ware, repre-
senting Neighbors, Inc. said
that her group generally in
dorses the regulation proposed
by the lawyers committee.
The corporation counsel's
proposed anti discrimination
measure, which is the draft Of
a fair housing bill prepared at
the request of a House District
subcommittee, bans racial and
religious discrimination in
sales, rental, advertising and
financing of housing.
This prohibition would cover
the home owner as well as the
professional real estate man.
The measure exempts owners
of duplexes and single-family
homes living in these struc-
lures who rent out rooms or
apartments.
$500 Maximum Fine
Also exempted would be re-
ligious and fraternal organiza-
tons which operate housing
units.
The corporation counsel's
measure provides a maximum
penalty of $500 or a Today
jail sentence for violators.
In many respects the regula-
ton proposed by the Lawyers
Committee on Fair Housing
Regulations is similar to the
corporation counsel's, but three
other main differences are:
1. Under the corporation
counsel's proposal the Commits
Sioners are given the power to
conciliate complaints, an au-
thority they could delegate to
their Council on Human Rela-
tons or some other agency.
If Cancellation fails and the
complaint appears to be justi-
fled, the only remedy Is prose-
cution by the corporation coun-
sells office.
However, under the lawyers
committee proposal the present
advisory Commissioners Coun-
Gil on Human Relations would
be renamed the Commission on
Human Relations and given ad-
ministrative authority to issue
orders calling for compliance.
If the offender fails to COM
ply with the orders, the cor
poration counsel's office would
then take action to enforce the
commissions order.
2. Under the corporation
counsel's proposal, the District
would wait for complaints
about housing discrimination.
The lawyers committee meas
ure not only provides for re-
ceipt of complaints, but also
would authorize the Human
Relations Commission to init
ate complaints.
8. The lawyers committee
proposal provides for action
leading to the revocation of
the licenses of apartment own
ers and real estate brokers who
violate the regulation. This
type of penalty is not included
in the corporation counsel's
measure.
The Commissioners have said
that the effective date Of the
regulation they decide to adopt
will be mot less than is nor
more than 80 days" after the
present session of Congress.
probably some time this fall.