EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 13-A

NOW, THEREFORE, under the powers conferred upon me by Chapter 393 of the Laws of 1941, Chapter 251, of the Laws of 1942, and the inherent powers of the office of Governor of this State, I, HAYDN PROCTOR, Acting Governor of the State of New Jersey, do hereby order and direct that all residential rents in this State shall remain controlled, fixed and stabilized until August 1, 1946 under the same terms and conditions and with the same protection for both landlords and tenants as if the Federal OPA law, which expired at midnight June 30th, had been continued for another months.

To administer this responsibility and to implement and carry out this order, I hereby direct the Department of Economic Development, under Commissioner Charles R. Erdman, Jr., to take control of this situation and to use and employ all such facilities of the State Government as may be required.

In this grave crisis the State Administration is prepared to take every necessary and possible action to protect the citizens of New Jersey and their families from profiteering and rent gouging by those who would benefit themselves at the expense of human misery. While the situation relating to commercial rents also is serious, no OPA controls had been imposed previously upon such rentals and, therefore, no executive action will be taken at the present time.

As Acting Governor of one of the greatest States in the Union I call upon our people to support this program to the extreme limit of their ability to the end that widespread suffering shall be avoided. At the same time I am hereby warning those who would seek to profit from this situation, caused directly by lack of leadership in Washington, that the State Government is fully capable of controlling such profiteering at the State level if it is not accomplished on a national basis.