New-York tribune., 1908-01-04
TENANTS QUIET TO-DAY
Jezcish Sabbath Will Not Be Marred
by Serving of Dispossess Warrants.

TIE rent strike was fought chiefly in the 18th
District Municipal Court. in Madison street. yester-
day, and there comfort for the tenants IN ths
words of Justice Roesch. who is handling al ois-
possess cases. The tenants said the number OIL
dispossess notices issued during the day and re-
turnable Monday showed that the dWeiieEs IN
the tenement houses standing firm Ihere
promises to be record breaking rush OF cases IN
the court Monday. and IT is also almost certain
that the number of notices issued will be Increased
every day next week 1t will be difficult II not
impossible. for narshals to enforce all these no
tees and the number grows the machinery OF
the court will be effectuaif~ clogged.
Justice Roesch said yaaterday that the annual
evictions in the whole district affected NUMBERED
about thirteen hundred families out Of total of
about twenty-six thousand dispossess notices Is
sued At the pace started yesterday there would be
290oo dispossess notices in a year, and there is
reason to suppose that the percentage of attempted
evctions in the begun yesterday will be much
greater than in the ordinary course of events
Justice Roesch dismissed case yesterday, of
those that argued technical grounds, and
granted adjournments in several others. In an
nouncing his decision in case he said:
With the economic side of this question i have
nothing TO do. No warrants to be executed to-
morrow will be issued from this court to-day. We
must respect the religion of these people.
1T is unfortunately true that the East Side is
suffering from sort cf absentee iandlordism. The
owners of the fee have, in many instances let TO
others, these to others, IN turn, and these second
lessees often to third parties. The original owner
stands aside now and looks with establishment at
the profit subseouen. lessees making his
property. The r+sa.e has been that the second and
third squeeze of nave raised rents in many
cases. to figures warranted by natural cOndi-
tons
After all. the ter-ant is the who must bear
the burden property. is out of the that
the landlord must get his rents and, In other
words must get his taxes. and Increase in taxes
means increase in rents. The lessening of oppor-
tunities for labor and the putting out of employ
ment of hundreds OF people during the last two
months all combine bring about CALLING con-
dition of affairs the East Side.
The socialists in charge of the agitation issued
another impassioned statement yesterday, and
asked sympathizers with the movement to send
hold an open air meeting in Rutgers Square. Last
Sabbath, quiet.
bore the names of fifteen landlords who had
granted reductions $40 families yesterday Most
interesting the withdrawal of the notice OF
dspossess served on the Arkin family. which
started the strike. by Jacob Wassernan, of the
tenement house at No. SIS Stanton street. Another
strike had been called there, but when the Arkins
forgiven it called Off
The executive committee of the Tenants Union
Of the Lower West Side met at the Victoria Hotel
last night. at which representatives of one thou
sand tenants present a resolution was
adopted urging the Legislature to investigate the
rent abuses in this city and to distribute reports
of its findings together with recommendations, II
any, legislation covering the present difficulty.