New-York tribune., 1918-06-23

20 lace again In BROWNSVILLE.
Unrest Stretches
Over Five Months
Five months ago small tradesmen in
Brownsville were paying their $14, SIG
and $18 for the months rent with no
more Of cloud on the horizon than
an untidy janitress might cast. In this
five months, however, there has been
history making In the Brownsville
rents; and q dozen cases decided, some
for. some against the renters, has not
laid the ghost of their unrest-our un-
rest it may be, for it isn't only
Brownsville rents that are going up,
some of US may hold the peculiar view
that the landlord has the right to raise
the rent as he pleases, this opinion is
extremely at variance with advanced
thought in Brownsville.
This is the story.
Through the winter Brownsville suf-
tSIcd AkOiA tAC SOAOlCtOLo 0ASStAAs
everybody else, no hot water. no heat,
no gas, and in the house of one Spain,
a landlord Of 14S2-14S6 Pitkin Avenue,
no cold water, though it has been al
legged that the bins were full Of coal
the whole time. Spain, in common
with other landlords of his standing
that is. owners of several apartments
or tenement houses-took this in
auspicious moment to raise the rents,
81 to Sc a month; though $5 raise
on SIS fiat seems as good as a notice
TO move; the landlords acting with the
expressed motive that "if you don't
make money in war time you won't
make it at ALL" No new houses going
up and "for rent" signs being almost
nil in Brownsville, and the tenants un-
derstanding that the increased taxes
justified a certain raise, all worked
into the landlords hands.
But in two or three houses or groups
of houses-173 Amboy Street, 563 Hop
kinsop Avenue, and the house Of Spain
water and plumbing repairs. included
in the old rental, were not Forthcoming
under the new. In the Spain group, for
an example-though others suffered In
kinda further raise of 80 cents wa:
made, and again raise, until $1.60 was
added to the original rent. But in
these houses was group of capable
young Russians, capable of thinking
beyond the older tenants with only 9
pocketbook education. All of them were
tenants of from two to seven years
residence in amiable relations with
their landlord. The Spain houses are
made up Of four room fats, $14 to SIC
shops below, entrance and halls In
tenement house condition.
First Meeting
OF the Tenants
After the last raise in rents, the
more intelligent Of them called a meet
ing of all the tenants, inviting Spain
to be present, and then and there was
drawn the historic agreement that led
to the strike. The tenants agreed To
pay the new rents il Spain would give
and lukewarm three days, attend to all
reasonable repairs and not make an
other raise for six months, and then
only in case of heavier taxation. All
signed but Spain.
A few days later Mrs Stein. who
passes now as the ringleader of this
group Of strikers, having been the first
one thrown out, met Spain and asked
him il he would not sign and If he
really meant to give them the hot
water, promised but not as yet de.
livered, adding that they had a righ,
to withhold the rent until it was. Mrs
Stein was informed that she would be
eyicted. When! On the following
Monday.
The atmosphere Of Brownsville is
distinctly foreign and there is more OF
the Ghetto about it than any similar
district in New York, though it lacks
the outwardly picturesque features OF
Hester Street. If the majority Of its
inhabitants was born in this country
it 10 because that majority Is under
ten years Of age. The children all
speak Yiddish until they pick up Eng
lish in the streets or in school, and II
is possible 70 spend an afternoon in
the crowded streets without hearing a
word Of English.
Mrs. Stein the next Saturday morn
ing stopped long enough in her search
for hat to go to the synagogue. Com
ing home she found her store OF world
" possessions. from thu rics nudd;rr