The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-30
Tenants and Landlords Or
ganize for Contest
Over Rates.
EVICTIONS HAVE BEGUN
First Family Has Been Ordered
to Move, but Will Compel
Court Officers to Put Things
into Street.-The Quarter"
Is Owners Slogan.

@(1ANA III " SAaIS u IN &H'
controversy that is now on in the Hill
section of the city were resting on
their oars his morning, awaiting de-
velopments. The eviction that was to
have brought about the first clash was
not made this morning. although the
family affected was notified that if the
rent was not paid during the day they
would be put out by officers of the
court this afternoon or tomorrow.
The first family proceeded against is
that of Max Lipshitz, who came from
Russia two months ago. He refuses to
pay $12 for four rooms at go Prince
street, where the occupants Of a new
tenement have banded together to force
the rates downward. He has a child
suffering from croup, but declares that
unless the reduction is made he will
allow the officers to put him and his
wife and children into the street.
The strikers committee will hold
meetings this afternoon and tonight for
the purpose of enrolling tenants who
want to join their anti-high-rent or
ganization. They are organizing
thoroughly, with a general association.
and separate or subordinate ones in
each house. with committees likewise.
They claim to nave a large number CT
flats, owned by landlords against whom
they have no grievances, ready to move
evicted tenants into.
The landlords are soliciting members
to their association, and are preparing
to fight the strike with solid 'front.'.
Representatives will meet at the Offices
of their attorney, Edward Schoen, this
afternoon to form a set of rules and
! regulations that above all will preclude
any suggestion of giving in to the de-
mands of their patrons.
The exciting times will probably ar
rive Wednesday, when most payments
of rent will be due. The landlords say,
that If payments are refused eviction
proceedings will be started AT once. 1t
takes three days to oust a tenant, and
If what representatives of both sides
say is true transfer people may expect
plenty of business the latter part of the
week.
Nearly 1000 persons packed them
selves into Columbia Hall, at Prince
and Court streets, Saturday night, to
express their sympathy with such a
movement. 1t was not until the own
err of the, building, Freebooter Joseph
Mann, recognized the danger thai they
were stopped from further crowding in.
Hundreds were turned away in frowns.
At the same time 400 were attending
a meeting in the Socialists hall, two
blocks away. At both a unanimity of
sentiment and action was displayed.
Benjamin Gilman, a Socialist leader,
advised tenants to refuse to pay rents
demanded, and if reductions were not
made to force the owners to have them
evicted by the courts.
A. Soloman presided at the Broome
street meeting, where the speeches were
of a similar character and the enthusi-
asm as general.
Yesterday morning another meeting
was held at the Broome street hall,
which has been denoted the h~eadquar-
ters of the strike. The committee in
charge was practically in continuous
session. They gave out, through the
press committee, the following official
statement last night:
1.-THE Anti-High Rent Association has.
/ 900 tenants organized. We cannot
give names and places in connection
with the first strikes to be ordered, for
obvious reasons. We will win. Each
member on being enrolled is required
to pay twenty-five cents, and from this
source alone we now have sufficient
funds to pay the expenses of all who
are evicted tomorrow or next day. Sew
eral strong organizations arc behind us.
ready to furnish all the financial aid in
their power.
The landlords met yesterday after
noon at 2 o'clock in Michel's Hall at
South Orange avenue and Broome
/ street. While they were unanimously
in favor of opposing any organized
effort on the part of their tenants to
lower rents, they were at much differ
nee as to o such opposition should
be made. The meeting was a turbulent
one, the discussion running to the bor-
derland of excitement at times. They
spoke in both their native tongue and
English, and during special periods of
excitement a speaker would often shift
from one to the other between SEN
fences.
These officers were made permanent
yesterday, when abou $50 property
owners attended. 1t was decided to
Incorporate under the name previously
selected. One dollar was fixed as the
initiation fee and seventy-two enrolled
at once. Others will do so today. In
| the meeting were men who own nearly
half a million dollars worth of real
estate each, while others were there
who have small holdings, some having
fewer than a half dozen tenants. One
woman. Mrs. b. Weiss, was present
and took much interest.
! On motion OF Mr.. Okin the association
declared that there would be no reduclon
and that no member would rent rooms to
an evicted tenant.
1t is the announced purpose OF the strik-
ers to demand an average reduction of 20
per cent. Rooms that rent COR sis they
want put down to s12, and those that go
at SIC they want for $40, and so on.