In the 1920 case of Block v. Hirsch, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Washington D.C. law that regulated rents and prevented eviction during a housing shortage following World War I. The plaintiff, Block, who was trading under the name Whites, argued that this law violated his Fifth Amendment rights by taking property without just compensation and denying him liberty to contract freely with tenants. However, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., writing for the majority in an 8-1 decision, ruled that such regulation constituted a temporary measure justified by emergency conditions (the severe housing shortage). He stated it did not constitute permanent confiscation of property but rather represented valid use of police power to protect public welfare during extraordinary circumstances.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Block, trading under the name of Whites, v. Hirsch was not available or does not exist. The Supreme Court records do not show a case by this exact name and year. It is possible that there may be some confusion regarding the details provided for this particular court case as it's common to have multiple cases with similar names but different years or jurisdictions.