New-York tribune., 1918-01-17
Landlords and Coal
If Some Got 1t Last Summer, Why
Couldn't Others?
he Editor of The Tribune,

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: When, on January 2. wrote you ex-
pressing my belief that the landlords of
greater New York are alone responsible for
the suffering caused through coal shortage
Tits winter | did not expect that the letters
written in defence Of the landlords-if any
were written-would do so much to prove nv
contention. 1t is happy hour for an attor-
ney when his opponent at the bar presents
just the evidence that disproves said oppo-
nent's case, anc | appeal to yourself and all
Tribune readers to determine how far nv
statement has been upheld by the various
replies to my letter which have so far been
published
On January Mr.. r. T. Childs simply ques-
tions your right or judgment in printing such
stuff" as my letter, and threatens us poor
tenants with no place to lay our heads in
future if you persist in allowing tenants to
express their opinions in print
Does this man intend to have the law Of
supply and demand repealed? That law will
IN future, as in the past, take full charge
or the question of housing and heating New
York City.
On the same date one Of the landlords also
tells us that his tenants wouldn't WORRY last
summer when he couldn't get coal or at
least wouldn't worry to a sufficient extent to
go down into their pockets and help him nav
Tor the coal he ought to have bought at that
time Well, why should they worry then. or
ITO" lhe'r leases probably call for heat,
ana tnlnk there have been legal dctermina-
'lohs or what heat" in a lease means If
"oc already made entirely clear, the present
crisis VIII remedy the matter. note this
not have raised it, and then bought coal even
at a greatly increased price? He is GER
'alnly much fairer man than MANY in Man
hattan VINO raised rents to pay for increased
price OF coal and then forgot to get in sun
ply.
A patriot from Brooklyn suggests that
investigate before making statements. Well
nave done some investigating of this mat
Ter, but If my critics will all do as we'll as he
mas done' and tell us that not only few.
but hundreds perhaps, of Germans have their
cellars full of coal, then will rest nv case
with the judge and jury, secure that nv op-
ponents have proved it for me-
May ask how did these Huns get GOA, .
fossloly they paid for it at greatly increased
prices. Some landlords in Manhattan have a
supply OF coal bought last summer at a nr;ce
but little greater than they paid the previous
year. ana much less than they paid during
me winter OF l9l6-I'. County fuel admin
istrators IN upstate counties found in some
instances that various townships had laid in
supply OF coal for this winter much l,rgor
than last winters supply.
nose people in nearly every case bourht
iol 'he'r own use, and they probably paid a
nttle more than the price of former ve..s
Now as to my initial statement. that thc
railroads could have moved more coal viii
simply state that 1 have investigated this
ana ana l know that it is so. Possibly they would
nave moved less building material and other
,hoh-essentlals, but an insistent demand would
nave moved the coal, and that demand should
nave originated l suggested.
raerlotism being defined as "enlightened
triotlcally,
New York, Jan. 16, 1918.