New-York tribune., 1918-05-12
Retaliation Upon the
Baby-Hating Landlord
Higher Taxes, Water
Rates and Rigid En-
forcement of Regula-
tons Hang Over
Their Heads
By H. X. Moderwell

they noticed that all the future babies
looked worried. Why? The modern
fiat dweller knows they were worried
over what the landlord would saw when
they arrived.
In all the cities Of America there is
feud between the landlord and the
baby. And in all the cities but one
the landlord is usually the winner. Ba-
bies are not wanted in modern flats.
The owners of the real estate often say
so in cold print and still more often
say so by their actions in telling fami-
lies with children to 60 elsewhere.
Philanthropists and child lovers have
cried out against this injustice. But it
has generally been fruitless, for the
law has seemed to stand squarely on
the side of the man who owned the
property.
But one city official, James F. Can
non, jr, Commissioner of Revenue and
Finance in Jersey City, has been nos
ing about in the crevices of the law
and has discovered way Of assuring
to the baby its happy home. He has
already opened fire on the baby-shy
landlords of the city and dared them to
put another infant out on the streets.
Moreover, he offers his plan free of
charge to all other cities, with the
assurance that they can similarly make
use of it to protect Americas next gen.
Grafton.
Commissioner Cannon admits that
the landlord is within his technical
rights in choosing whomever he likes
for his tenants. But the city has tech
nical rights, too. And he saws to the
landlords:
every we'll, if. you insist on the letter
of the law the city will do the same,
If you insist on discriminating against
families with children the city will raise
your tax assessment to the limit. If
you try to come back we will fight the
case out before the bar of public opin-
ion. And you will lose. For JERSEY
City is on the side of the babies. and
don't you forget it'll"
Tired Mothers
Beg for Aid
Jersey City is. Commissioner Can
non is showered with commendatorv
letters. The story of his campaign has
been the newspaper feature of the week
across the Hudson. Each day tired.
earnest mothers file into his Office beg
glng for his aid, and he hears each one
patiently and sympathetically, and with
CLINT in his eye that means trouble
Tor one more heartless owner of prop
erty.
The legal aspect of the case is simple
enough. The city has the power to tax
and to appraise property for taxation.
1t is an unwritten law in all munich
palities that a comfortable margin
should be left between the assessed
valuation of property for taxation pur-
poses and the amount it might be ex-
pected to bring in the open market. A
plot Of land might fetch $4,000 in a
sale, but to be generously on the safe
side the city will usually call it $1,000,
or even less. In other words, there is
margin of discretion left to the city
in taxation matters. And this margin,
Commissioner Cannon has decreed,
shall be utilized for humanitarian pur-
poses.
If the landlord will abide by the or
binary generous and reasonable Gus
tom, we'll and good; the city will dc
the same. But if he rigidly insists on
everything he can legally get, very
we'll again; the city will do the same.
This is not all. In Jersey City the
Department Of Public improvements
can insist on the installation of water
meters at its discretion, and this means
the payment of additional water taxes
The Health Bureau can require many
improvements in the physical condition
of property, such as new sidewalks
And these departments, in the city
across the river, are going to give their
attention first to those landlords who
call attention to themselves by their
unsympathetic treatment of their baby
tenants.
To turn baby from an apartment
when his parent is ready to sign the
lease and pay the deposit is becoming
an act of public consequence in Jersey
City. The officials appreciate that the
city's recent war boom has given al
undue advantage to a grasping land
lord. Dwellings have recently taken
on scarcity value there, and the land.
lord or his agent is in a position ia
pick and choose his tenants and to
raise the rents almost at will, unless
some restraining power is invoked. II
is not private affair between landlord
and tenant, the officials insist, if Jer-
sey City, after clamoring for men fo1
her industries, refuses to provide
homes for their children. Babies are
of prime value to the city and the ma.
tion, and their welfare must be pro-
tected. The Landlord profteer" must
be restrained.
ITO Complaints
| Against Landlords
The other day Commissioner Cannon
let it be known that he held this view