Show Profiteering Can Be Halted T PHE THE HE federal office of price administration has been asked by civilian defense authorities authorities authorities ties in Utah to designate Salt Lake and five other counties of the state as defense rental areas and thus institute governmental control control control con con- over rents It is unfortunate that such action has to tobe tobe tobe be taken in Utah It is due solely to the selfish selfish selfish self self- ish desire of a few landlords to capitalize on the war emergency to make a profit Lawrence Lawrence Lawrence Law Law- rence A. A Johnson director of housing for the state defense council says there have been few complaints against real estate men Unreasonable Unreasonable Unreasonable Un Un- reasonable rent increases are usually the work of individual property owners he says Its It's a shame that because of the unpatriotic unpatriotic unpatriotic un un- un- un patriotic profiteering of a few individuals it may be necessary to impose rigid governmental tal control over home rentals in a large part of the state Lest there be any doubt in the mind of any landlord who seeks extra profits profits' as a a result result re re- sult of defense demand for housing we might that the provisions of the price act make drastic enforcement of rent limitations possible Under the act authorities can secure secure secure se se- se- se cure c court urt injunctions injunctions' against landlords and license rental properties Tenants who have been overcharged may sue for triple damages Landlords who are convicted of charging excessive excessive excessive ex ex- rents may be fined up to and I sent to jail for up to two years There Ther is pl plenty nty of power there here for enforcing enforcing enforcing ing any regulations regulations and and landlords can be sure that such regulations will be vigorously enforced along with regulations controlling all sorts of profiteering if they do not voluntarily voluntarily voluntarily volun volun- cooperate in the nations nation's war effort by keeping rental rates at reasonable able levels |