Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-05-03
GOVERNOR HITS
PROF|TEERINC
HOUSE RENTERS
Moves to Prevent Exorbit-
ant Charges for Housing
In Industrial Places.
WILL ENFORCE THE
SANITATION LAWS
Judges Of Courts Asked to
Aid Campaign Against
Landlord Eztortion.

duStrial centers and to insure proper
health precautions in tenaments were
made Monday by Governor Holcomb
on recommendation of the Connecticut
State Council of Defense. The action
| of Governor Holcomb was the out
growth of the investigation of Excess
sive rent charges in Waterbury.
The course decided upon by the
governor and the defense council, in
cludes moves to protect tenants in all
parts of the state from profteering
such as the commission found has
been practiced by a small group of
Waterbury landlords. The remedy de-
cided upon has resulted in Governor
Ho1comb writing to judges of courts
throughout the state, as follows:
THE extraordinary demands upon
our industries for production of mu-
nitions and other war material has
created very serious conditions in
some of our cities because of made
quate housing facilities. The great
body of our citizens is endeavoring to
meet the situation in a patriotic spirit
but some property owners seek to take
undue advantage in extortion of IN
reasonable and unconscionable rents
and in some instances by failure to
comply with sanitary laws and regu-
lations Their unpatriotic conduct is
seriously affecting our Industrial
workers and is detrimental to the in
terests of the Government in the pres
| emit emergency and against the public
welfare.
t"The State Council of Defense has
with my approval taken action in
this matter and among other things
| has passed the following votes:
| "VOTED: That the Council re-
quest the Governor to request the
courts appointing prosecuting officials
that they require such officials to see
that all laws and municipal ordinances
relating to the public health be rigid
ly enforced, and that the, Governor be
requested to notify all such prescott
ing attorneys and all Grand Jurors
| that they make special endeavors to
have all laws and municipal ordi-
nances. relating to the public health,
rigidly enforced, and that he will hold
them to a strict performance of their
public duty.
VOTED: That the Governor be
requested to issue request to all
courts having jurisdiction of actions
of summary process that they cause
prosecuting attorneys or Grand Jur-
ors in their Jurisdiction to be given
notice of such actions within their
Jurisdiction and by requiring such Of
ficiafs to appear in said action, inves-
tigate each case and if it appears that
the national interests or public safety
is seriously jeoparded by unreasonable
and exhorbitan rent charge for the
non-payment of which eviction is
sought, that such officials move for
the continuance of the case until the
present emergency is passed, provided
the tenant shall tender to his landlord
in full payment of rent due, such
amount as said official shall deter
mine to be the fair rental value Of
said premises due.
I'm compliance Herewith hereby
request that you adopt the course in
dictated in each of these votes in so
far as the subject matter is within
your jurisdiction.
"'In this connection beg to call to
your attention of the appropriate pro-
scouting officers the provisions Of Sec
ton A of the Public Acts of 1917 I'M
der which I am directed to render to
the Government of the United States
in the present crisis any assistance
within the power of the State, and to
that end and for the purpose of pro-
viding for the public safety I am
authorized to exercise any and all
power convenient or necessary in my
judgement, and under which it is the
duty of every public official in the
state to furnish me such information
and assistance as I may require in the
execution thereof.
The commission appointed by Gov
ernor Holcomb declared that a small
group" of Waterbury landlords has,
in ''cold blood extracted the full ad-
vantage for themselves out of the
economic situation and the imperative
needs of the workmen. 1t also said
that while majority of Waterbury
landlords have, to their credit, re-
fused to take advantage Of the stu
alton, a few 'have charged extor-
: Tomato rents far above any fair level
have failed to make elementary re-
pairs have maintained disgracefully
unhea1thful conditions and have fur
nished a housing not worth even q
| normal rent"
A summary of rent increases found
by the commission as result of an
investigation in Waterbury, follows:-
Taking 100 cases together without re-
gard to the number of rooms in the
particular rents, the averages were
as follows: Average first rent, $15.16;
average last rent, $27.96; average in
crease 80; average number of rooms
per rent So
The percentage Of increase in 7
cases of three room rents was "a; the
percentage of increase in IT case of
, four room rents was 76; the percent
age of increase in "a cases of five
room rents was 81; and the percent
age of increase in 20 cases of six
room rents was 90.
}, The report of the commission also
showed that a survey of rent con1i-
lions in several cities made in 1912 by
the Bureau of Social Research of
Providence, R. L, showed that rents
in Waterbury then were higher than
, in three other cities studied, therefore,
showing the useIessness of an a1lega-
ton that the first rentals" used by
the commission were ahnorma Iiv low