Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-26
TN the popular estimate Judge has

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TN the popular estimate a Judge has
an easy time of it. Court is opened
at 9 in the morning and closes ear
ly in the afternoon. The actual court
duties, however, are but small part
of the careful, patient labor required
to study UP cases, search the law Tor
precedents and recent decisions and
investigate many side issues that bear
on the administration of justice in a
great city like New York.
Take, for example, the court of JUS
tice John Hoyer of the Second district
and presiding in the municipal court
at Jefferson Market, graduate of the
New York university law school and
gentleman of long legal experience. He
is promptly in his seat at o'clock in
the morning, with whole room full
of people-witnesses and lawyers with
clients, to be heard in various cases.
On the morning to be described the
Justice seemed fresh and rosy, but
was really fatigued, for he had been
looking at briefs in important cases
and studying vital points of law, be-
sides visiting some poor people that he
had known down in Madison street,
near his home, and who were about to
be evicted for non-payment of rent. He
knew them to be Industrious and hon
est, and he made it personal matter
to see that they did not suffer because
of recent illness in their families and
their inability to earn money enough
to pay their rent for that particular
month.
The first cases of the morning con-
cerned tenant and landlord. Pitiful
stories were told by honest looking, in
dustrious women and men. These
cases continued until noon, when the
justice gave me an interview. In reply
to inquiries he said he had risen at Z
in the morning, shaved and read the
paper while at breakfast.
''I am a good feeder" he said, land
generally have coffee, potatoes and
steak, or a couple of eggs and chop
and then go to court, making it a point
to be there at o'clock sharp. The
first thing is to hear the landlord and
tenant cases. They average from ten
to fifteen each morning. The judge is
supposed to stand between the unfor-
tunate tenant and the landlord.
at find these cases are steadily in
creasing in number, and many are pa
thetic, exciting one to indignation and
sympathy. Rents have increased 20
per cent, while tenants, as a rule, are
still working for the same old wages,
having no increase, while provisions
and all kinds OF merchandise have ad-
vanced with rents. A tenant often finds
himself pushed to the wall after few
weeks illness, and unless he can raise
money to pay his rent a heartless land
lord will evict him.
Some Changed Conditions
"a curious change in the conditions
OF New York landlordism has come
about. The Italians seem to be at the
front in many kinds of business and
particularly in house letting in tene-
nent districts, 1t is a curious fact that
they are driving out the Irish-Ameri-
can tenants at the slightest provoca-
ton. They jump at any kind of a
flimsy excuse to get the tenant out to
make room for one of their own race.
Italians are rapidly increasing and are
becoming in evidence everywhere in
the thickly populated districts of the
city.
"Such cases as many that come be-
fore our courts are extremely pitiful,
and 1t is here that the law steps in.
In some instances it seems impossible
TO do anything. The other day I ex-
tended the time of eviction because the
tenant was poor, helpless woman with
a babe at her breast. She had good
recommendations and was employed as
a cleaner in a big building downtown.
She certainly would not have held the
position il it was not all right Illness
had kept her at home until she had
fallen behind in the rent. A certain
clergyman protested against my
leniency, saying it encouraged shift
lessness and poverty. In reply / gave
the woman a months rent out of my
own pocket and told the clergyman
that she was worthy and that justice
should be done In such cases.
''The chief cause Of Increasing pow
erty and misery just now" continued
the judge, arise from the bad wealth
er. Our winter has been unusually Sc
we're. The railroads, city piers and
streets have been bloekaded with snow,
stopping business and throwing tens
at thousands Of men out Of employ