Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-19
OUR BIPED SHIPPERS
Chats With Real Estate Men on the
Frauds of Moving Time.
VERY FEW WHO LOSE THE RENTS,
Though One Organization Has to Calculate
on Over Fer Cent Loss.
DELINQUENTS LEARNING TO MOVE ON

mercial relations cause nowadays one is
tempted to ask if civilization be a failure.
1t is said that one of the prime virtues of
savages is to keep faith with one another,
although of course, there would be found to
be exceptions even among the uncorrupted
children of nature. Many barbarous peo-
pie have been noted for commercial honor
when trade was in the state of barter, but as
civilization advances itseems that atdishonesty
keeps pace and until heterogeneity in COM
mercial transactions forces business down to a
cash basis, it would seem that no laws can be
framed that will make men moral. Hume
says all moral codes are the result of expert
ence. Each advance in knowledge seems to
require new safeguards against dishonesty
and it is sadly noted by some that there is
an extensive class, that while it holds that
anything within the law is right, is at the
same time constantly laboring for fhe enact
ment OF laws that will conform to its prac-
tices Seine say that our moral standard
must be too high. The matter is worth
study.
There are shippers al hams, shippers in
cheese and in several other things, in some
instances performing good Offices as puri-
fers; but there is
ONE KIND OF SKIPPER
that neither landlords nor real estate agents
like, and that is the kind that skips by the
light of the moon, or in any other manner
that leaves the rent unpaid. In converse
ton with some agents yesterday it was
learned that this particular kind of skipper
is scarce when business is good, and un.
usually infrequent this season. Some of the
agents could not be found, but enough were
met to get the general drift of opinion.
GRABBING & Lyon stated that they had
but little trouble and that houses were in SO
great demand that it wasn't necessary to run
much risk, that plenty of good tenants
could be had.
S. J. Fleming stated that he didn't know
Just how he stood, but he did know that on
the rental of so houses he would not lose
more than 5000 in the past year. Much, he
SAID, depended on locality and class of
tenants. Rents are about the same as last
wear, except that they are higher along the
cable lines. In some instances the increased
assessment has caused the price of rent to be
put up. Some business houses also have
been rented at higher rates than last year.
for the reason that they were more in de-
mana tn6n tnen.
NO TROUBLE WHEN BRISK.
d. P. Black, of Black & Baird, said
they were very little troubled with shippers,
and their list of houses was going off very
fast. He also stated there was seldom any
trouble of consequence when business was
brisk, and incidentally remarked that most
people rented in March now, and that lists
were pretty we'll pruned by April 1.
Baltensperger & Co. find no special trouble
from shippers and have rented nearly all
their properties at about last years prices.
Pennock & Son reported similarly to the
above.
c. Beringer & Son have had some trouble
with shippers, but nothing serious. They
have been unabled to supply the demand
for small and medium-sized houses, and
like other agents under such circumstances
can dictate terms and choose security.
Samuel W. Black & Co. have had no
serious trouble with shippers, and find
themselves unable to supply all applica-
tions at shade higher rents than last year.
G. h. Love said his tenants were A /, and
he did not deal with any that were off-color
in the question of paying.
Alexander & Lee have had trouble with
but two, and can rent all their houses to
responsible people. They say they find the
the suburbs, that is to get the rents owners
think they ought to have, as many people
are disposed to want to deduct the cost of
travel to and from business from the rent of
such houses.
Mr.. Kelly, of William A. Heron &
Sons, said they didn't propose to be both
cred very much by the skipper class, and
that if unknown applicants couldn't bring
Endorsement from former landlords not
much risk was taken on them. If they
cannot show character they are not con-
sidered of much consequence and treated
circumspectly. If they catch Tartar they
let him have a months rent, and require
him to move on, only under exceptional cir
cumstances accepting an excuse. Most
people will pay rather than be forced to
move on with celerity, and not more than a
months rent need be donated.
Lashen & Rankin, 81 Fourth avenue,
said they had no tenants they were afraid
Of Mr.. Lashell said there was great de-
mand for houses, and he was confident he
could rent the whole of Coraopolis in a
week if he had it on his list.
LOSING OVER FIVE PER CENT.
An officer in the Landlords Protective
Association, an organization of 80 members
at No. 2211, Sarah street, Southside, about
to enter the third year of its existence, was
asked what percentage of its tenants took
advantage of civilizations lenity, and he
stated that it succeeded in beating them
out of something over 8 per cent of
their rental. In a rent roll repre-
senting about $86, 900 a year they have
had 800 dead-beats.
He says that the precauIion of taking
previous landlords receipts was ineffective,
for sharp skipper could easily forge a re-
ceipt. This association has its own land
lords receipt-book, with a heading and
private mark, so that even if the tenant un-
dertook to forge the entire book he would
be minus the mark and would come to grief.
He stated that the association did not
eject a man who might be in distress, but it
had ample facilities for knowing his cir
cumstances, and could not, as a rule, be i'm
posed upon very far. and dead-beats get
scant show. He thought that in short
time the organization would reach state of
perfection that would make its realizing
powers almost perfect, except in
cases where sweet charity demanded
leniency. 1t requires tenants to pay
monthly in advance, as TO contract, but
does not as a rule enforce il on deserving
people. The object of the provision is to
secure March rent, that being the month in
which scalawags generally try to get the
discount.
1t is the opinion of many observant busi-
ness men that our moral standard is too
high, and that man should be treated as a
rogue until he proves himself otherwise.
Sweer Bells tangled Out of Tune
Produce shocking disturbance. So do nerves
unstrung. Their weakness, originating with
oreo on1r3