New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-13
NEW EAST SIDE RENT WAR
Landlords. Belieoing Tenants Help
less, Squeeze Them again.

IN. landlord. are squeezing the East Side again.
Not satisfied with two raises of rents in eighteen
months they have started in a third. A year
$50 last Msy they raised the rents. Last May
they raised thera again. Now comes the third in
crease After this month three and four room
apartments the lower East Side that were So
IN SIS month will rent at from SIS to 81. while
apartments that were $50 and thereabouts will be
s22
The worst Of Il IS that the East Side has no re-
Dress and the landlords know it A year ago the
tenants could give Up their places and go TO
Brownsville in Brooklyn. but since then the iano-
lords have bought I'D Brownsville. put UP the rents
there ard now there nothing for the poor tenant
to DO but walk where he formerly rode on car
asi.1p his food g BIT, which was scanty enough
before. and pay the extra rent.
Before Brownsville was bought up, the East Slider
figured that he could go there at a somewhat tower
Now by the time he has paid carfare with tne
higher rents there It is cheaper for him to stay
where he is and stand the landlords raise
The landlord has the tenant on the hip in another
way. It might bs supposed that the tenant could
eav: Here, t4ss your fat put your rent back
to where it was and then leave the place the
landlords hands But there is only one East Side,
and every immigrant who enters New-York turns
thither naturally as 70 his home So the landlords
Do not care whether the present tenants go or
stsy. There are plenty more coming.
The only thing the East Side tenement house
eweIlers can do is try again what they tried a
year axp with small success, and that they
are preparing TO DO. They are organizing a society
They are piedging themselves 70 get out rather
than pay higher rents and il they have to go out
they promise TO make it their business to see that
no one else moves in the apartment thus Nacated
The trouble with the tenants before was thaI they
could not hold together long enough to fight q win
ming battle The landlords slept uptown in luxury
ard the evicted tenants took the street corners
ard the park benches for their abodes. The result
rss that soon the landlords getting their new
rents from their old tenants.
Tha small storekeepers are being hit especially
Ia by this latest raise They are already paying
frrrn SO to SEQ than they paid q year ago
Nov they are having s. or $40 more added TO their
rants A man can move his family out or two or
three rooms days notice; but the storekeeper
must stay where he s or lose everything that years
of Industry brought him. Thus, the landlords
have an even better hold the small storekeepers
than the families. and they are not slow to make
use Of the opportunity.
The landlords explain the new prices by the TACT
year, while there has been great influx OF IN
habitants. Then they say, the tenement houses
are in much better shape than they were two
pears ago as regards plumbing, light and air. Their
taxes also higher and they must put up the
rents.
The tenants say the majority of the tenement
houses the East Side sold at least once a
year, and many of them once week. Each seller
want TO make little money: and so the rent must
be put up 70 make the investment give a good re-
turn. Speculation. they say, and not legitimate
csuses is responsible for the increased rents of the
Side