The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-27
RETALIATION UPON THE
BABY-HATING | LANDLORD

matters. And this margin, Commits
sioner Cannon has decreed. shall be
utilized for humanitarian purposes.
IL the landlord will abide by the
ordinary generous and reasonable Gus
tom, wen and good: the city will do
discretion left to the city in taxation
the same. But If he rigidly insists on
everything he can legally get. very
well 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 a 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 an
undue advantage to a graspng land
lord Dwellings have recently taken
on scarcity value there, and the land
lord or his agent is in position to
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. in Jer-
sey City. after clamoring for men for
her Industries. refuses to provide
homes for their children, Babies are
of prime value to the city and the ma
ton. and their welfare must be pro-
tected. The landlord prohteer' must
be restrained
IIa Complaints Against Landlords.
The other day Commissioner Cannon
let 1t be known that he held this view
or the matter A few days later he
went to the meeting of the city com
missioners armed with a hundred and
ten complain from renters charging
either what amounted to eviction be-
cause OF children in the family or ex-
orhitant increase Of rents. All these
complaints were Investigated. and
nearly all were found TO be Justified
The commissioners placed the
whole legal machinery Of the city at
the service of these persons. Some
tunes. their leases were found 10 he
good, and the landlords were told to
subside. In other cases the landlord
had the technical rights in the mat
ter. whereupon Commissioner Cannon
asserted the technical rights of the
city.
1t is just as simple az that In the
case Of landlord profiteers" who raise
the rents the theory is from every pos
siDie angle of attack absolutely hole
proof for the value of any property is
based on the income il yields. In the
case of the merely baby-shy landlord,
who does not compltcate his offense
! by raising the rent, the method Is
equally legal and equally efficacious
II the landlord wants to fight It he
Will bump his head against the letter
of the law and against public opinion
nj the same time That isn't plea SAINT.
Gould your method be worked in
! another cityH" Commissioner Cannon
/ was asked, Surprising that city had
! a mayor who cared anything about
/ the people? In New York. for in
! stance?"
Certainty" was the prompt an