The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-06-25
BY Fred'k M. Kerby
Special Staff Dispatch.

WATERBURY, Conn.,. June 25.
-Efghty-four per cent average
increase OF rentals in two years
and two months Is what the
workingman of Waterbury Is up
against.
This is the official finding of a
state commission appointed by
Gov. Marcus II. Holcomb after an
exhaustive investigation which in
cluded testimony by landlords, as
well as tenants, and personal in
spection as well as sworn evil
dence.
This commission, headed by
Herbert Knox Smith of Farming
ton, julius Stremlau of Meriden,
and Marshall o.. Wells of Hart
ford, was instructed by Gov. Hol-
comb on Dec. 5, 1917, to "investi-
gate. ascertain and sreport" on
rent profiteering In Waterbury.
5000 Families Come.
They found that in the past
three years 5000 workmen and
their families have come to Wat
erbury in response to the govern
ment's urgent plea. whereas the
housing facilities of Waterbury
increased in the same period only
enough to take care of 1000 fam
lilies.
They found that on the aver
age rentals jumped from $15.16
to $2796 in this two and one
sixth-year period.
This is an average increase of
$3.50 house. The average
number of rooms in these 102
houses was So.
Transporting these cold fig
ures into the hard facts which
face the individual workman and
his family says the commission,
they are indeed impressive. The
practical doubling of his rent in a
little over two years, taken with
the rise in the other costs of liv-
ing, means to that workman and
his family, deprivation, increase
in disease, material lowering of
the American standard of living,
and a marked decrease in his
working efficiency"
Some Cases More.
The commission found that in
50 our of the 102 cases which
they personally investigated, the
rent was doubled, or more than
doubled, in the period covered.
One three-roOm tenement was
raised from $3.50 to SIC; a four
room tenement was raised from
Sill to $50, and another five-room
from $13 to $40.
Others did their bit in helping
prevent the workmen from living
decently by boosting from $3.50,
SIS and SIG up to $35, and from
SIS up to $45 a month.
When rents rise to a figure
such as given above for five and
six-room tenements like $50 and
S35 and even $45 a month, it is
obvious that the fundamental re-
Quirement that the wage Garner
should not pay over one week s
salary for his monthly rent, has
been violated.
No repairs Made.
Out of l02 cases referred to-"
says the report, "55 were reported
as either in poor condition or as
showing no appreciable amount
spent on repairs in the last year
1t was entirely clear to the mem
bers of the commission in man,
of the rents that they inspected
that any claim that high rent
should be justified by high COS,
Of repairs, was an absurdity, be
cause the repairs did not appear
The commission found, as q
matter of fact that in the tene,
ments found in fairly good condi
ton, the increase in rent was 7a
per cent; but in the tenements
where no substantial repairs ap.
peared or where the condition was
bad, the average increase in rents
was S5 per cent. In other words
the worse the condition of the
property the more the patriotic
landlord had soaked the tenant!
The landlords further claimed
that the 1915 rentals were abnor.
mally low and the comparison
therefore unfair. but the commits
sion fortunately had accurate
figures which showed that the