New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-01
Bronx Tenants Led to Strikes
by Two Women and a Gavel
Organization Saved from Oblivion in Strife by Last Minute
Ieadcrs-Vgilancc Committee and Pickes Ready
to Cope with Landlords and Rent Increases

The great BronX tenants strike
which differs from other enterprises OF
the same name in that IL is not walk
out. really got under way at 6;O'
o'clock last evening. after four hours
Of enthusiastic debate The decision
would have not been reached so hast
lily, however. but for the fact that the
angry tenants had not leased the hall
for an evening session and the land
lord OF New Union Hall, which is al
go Union Avenue. had not overlooked
that fact
Al $3.50 there seemed little Likelihood
of agreement. A few minutes re-
NAMED, and Of the 400 present more
than 100 had lot been heard from. and
with only five or SIX speaking AZ
time, II readily could be seen there was
not time for each one Of the remaining
hundred 20 make his ten-minute expo
sition OF views.
Lyman Cohn. chairman. who Is pres
ident Of the Tenants League, had long
since given I'D his efforts at parlla,
mentary procedure. He had dropped
his gavel and sank into char TO lei
them talk 10 out. Benches had been
overturned. tables upset and sisles
damned. Women were iostled peril
ously. Every one had his or her own
idea Of how the strike against the land
lords should be conducted, and no one
would listen TO any one else.
And thus the Bronx tenants strike
WAS about 20 die 'a-borning. when into
the picture stepped Miss Esmeralda
Nalkail and Mrs. Anna Rappaport both
representing the Socialist Consumers
League.
Tenants flushed by Noise
Miss Malkail climbed upon benen
and made such a din with the lately
discarded gavel that the others stopped
their racket to see what the new noise
was about. When II was quiet enough
20 be heard the woman shouted
"ouit talking! Act! Unless you smut
nm and do something you are gong 10
End Yourself in the streets on Iuesday'
Now listen 20 me.
Miss Malkajl had faced dlsorganizea,
disrnnted crowds before. She organized
~rd led the striking shirtwalst worNers,
in 1911. The crowd quit wrhngHhg anu
listened. ~ vre Ran
In thirty-fve minutes, with NIT. Nsp
ranort's help. she had the strike-the,
go, AGAINST landlords in the history o.
tho city-formally launched, and more IRE
han two hundred had been signeu SI
20 face eviction rather than pay tng
ro;se in rent which is due TO-DAY ~
&c the second rent raise, ana III SUM-
noses the third. since October J.
A vigilance committee OF one ,,, socted
TOW, each apartment house aneeeeu
rs r.O named. and from that numoeL
" 90 committee Of five was picNeO
81 80 " sctive direction OF the striE C.
10 ma na.e committee will confer with law
rs "a discuss making a comPla'n. ~
~ Health Department about the n .Io,
tne - buildings. It is asserted Una.
Ing anv Of the buildings are heate e,
na'u,' mo legally required standard az.
up 70 sanitation is lacking. Ano'he'
ma meeting may be called lot !"
I ma 70 hear from the commit'ee %
ave we A sighting fund was s'sr'eu '','
$50 raised.
Socialist League Rules
uhsn the meeting ended the So SOFA
r nem League was the don
Nv 49, factor. and the Tenants beaeu'
mas nIo whose auspices the strike az "a
t;nr was started, had been suPP'S"'''