The Mankato free press., 1911-01-20
TEST THE BLUE LAWS,
STOP SABBATH TRADE
SUIT INVOLVES REAL ESTATE
DEALS IN NEW YORK.
Sunday Excursions Are Too Numer'
GUS; Land Spectators Ply
Their Trade the Day That God
Designated for Religious Observ-
ance; All Property Sold Could
Be Seized BY the Court.
Especial TO The Free. Press.1

lSp8Cldl. .li6 fTeS-
New York, January 1S--A suit
which involves all the real estate
corporations of New York City in
battle against the 'blue law" re-
formers is set for hearing today, in
the court of special sessions. The
Sunday Observance association Is
back of the prosecution, alleging
that excursions to suburban proper
ties conducted by realty companies
on Sundays are in violation of the
law. 1t is stated that 80 per cent
of the real estate sold in New York
and vicinity is inspected by the, .inteud-
ing purchasers Oh Sunday. 1t has long
been the custom of. development COM
panies to run Sunday excursions to
their properties, as a majority OF
home-seekers are unable to make
such trips on any other day Of the
week. Under a literal interpreta-
ton of the Sunday law, all of the
property SO sold. involving billions
of dollars. could be seized by the
courts and sold at auction. Conse-
quently. a strict observance Of the
letter of the law, as demanded by
the Sabbath reformers, would in
validate the titles Of nearly all
home-buyers and would cause the
worst real estate panic in history,
Could Seize All Property.
Under the Sunday statute Of New
York the court is compelled to seize
all property of any kind offered for
sale on Sunday and to sell it within
a day TO the highest bidder. The
real estate interests insist that it is
absurd to, apply such law to real
estate, and if the the prosecution, is
continued they threaten 10 go before
the legislature and ask the repeal: Of
the entire law regulating Sunday OBJ
servance. 1t is alleged by the real
ty brokers that the law, If enforced,
would work great hardship upon
prospective buyers of homes, as
we'll as sellers. inasmuch as the
average. property hunter would bo
deprived of the opportunity to spend
his Sundays in looking around" for
the property that --best suited his
taste aud pocketbook. ,ssas Il. s.
Many Children In 'Tenements.;
That 80 per cent of all the chill
dren in Manhattan are, being
brought up in tenements; and that
10000 New York children are in
mates of charitable institutions arc
among the startling statistics, made
public today at the opening of, the
exhibition and conference of the City
Child Welfare association. AT the
series of conferences to be held lin
connection with the show, men and
women who can speak with author
ity on the problems presented by
child life in large cities will deliver
addresses illuminating the lessons. OF
the exhibits. Among these will be-
Jane Addams, Of Hull house, Chi
cagO; Mrs. Florence Kelley, of the
National Consumers league, and
Miss Lillian d. Wald, initiator of tffe
Childrens Federal bureau idea Mrs
il. Borden Hartman is chairman OF
the committee, and many other
wealthy society women have inter-
ested themselves actively in the
show, among them Mrs. W. X Van.
derbilt, Jr., Mrs. William Jay Schief-
felin and Mrs. Arthur Iselin- !-.s
tuberculosis is especially the dis
ease to be warred upon, and in this
connection the cottage system will
be advocated for orphans aud de-
pendent children.