Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-10-05
HOUSING COURT
TO HEAR CASES
OF so AT MEET
Ending Profitecring by Greedy
Property and Home Owners
in Rock Island.
NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS MADE
commander All Places Where
Landlords Refuse In Obey In
StructiOnS on Rates.

Pronteeriug is being wiped from
Rock Island.
More than thirty cases where
,reedy property and house own
as have attempted to raise their
rents unnecessarily, are scheduled
n be brought before the board of
directors Of the Rock Island
branch of the United States homes
registration bureau next week for
hearings.
Offenders in these cases have
heen notified to reduce the rents
being charged tenants by them,
hut have neglected or refused to
,fter being brought before the
hoard. the houses implicated will
be Communicated by the registra-
ion branch and rented under gov
eminent supervision.
George r. Stephenson, manager
and investigator for the local bu-
reau, reports that pTOfiteering
cases are arising daily. Property
owners without cause are found 10
Increase the rates to the tenants of
heir houses. The local bureau
permits an increased rent Of % per
cent in cases where the owners
can prove that they are being put
10 an additional expense or are
paying for improvements made
necessary by unsanitary conditions.
One Rock Islander, reported to-
day by Mr.. Stephenson, sent an
unwarranted notice TO one of his
tenants. informing him that the
rent on the house being occupied
was TO be increased from $I3 to
SIS per month. Investigation on
the part of Mr.. Stephenson i'm
meIiately followed with the result
that the owner was notified that
a rent of SIG would be allowed
This was objected TO by the owner
implicated, who has started court
action
Cases of every description are
continually reported. the majority
Of which Mr. Stephenson is able
TO settle, but numerous owners of
houses object TO being limited as
TO the rents they charge
Not house has been cOmman-
deered by the local registration
branch to date, but officials in
charge OF the registration work are
under the impression that com
Wandering of houses Will result
from more than one case when the
board session is held next week.
Enforce Sanitation.
Sanitation conditions are also
aF
Stephenson, who reports the find
ing of numerous places where
plumbing conditions were found to
be anything but satisfactory.
In one instance d well known
property holder of this city was
found to have neglected one of his
houses for the last 10 years. The
party implicated even mentioned
that a visit had not been paid to
the house for that period. Action
on the part of Mr.. Stephenson re
suited in the immediate starting of
Improvement work.
Employees at Rock Island arsenal
are given particular attention by
the home bureau here, Mr.. Steph-
enson making it a point to probe
e0SA anu every d. where Leueidl
workers are concerned Every
precaution is being taken to see
that living and sanitary conditions
are Of the best for the tenants who
are spending their working hours
on the island.
A session. the time of which is
not set. viii be held by the board
during next week. Members of the
board are. H. II. Cleaveland,
chairman. Colonel Leroy T. Hill
man, commandment of Rock Island
arsenal. Lieutenant J. Reed Lane,
c. A. Hallgren. T. A. Pender, c. z.
Shields. J G. Huntoon, T. b. Reidy.
Dr. G. L. Eyster, l. S. White, H.
2. Simpson. r. w Olmsted, +. II.
Guyer and +. ". Bender.