The evening world., 1919-01-21
BRONX RENT STRIKE
TURNSSTREET INTO
CABARET-NURSERY
Six More Families Evictei
for Refusing to Pay In
creased Rate for Flats.

Imagine a combination or cab
aret. a day nursery and tho property
room or a theatre and you will get
a picture OF what East i72d street
from Boston Road to Seaberry Place
looks like to-day.
This is the block where a tenants
strike is in progress. Thirty: wo
families in the apartment houses at
No. $50. $50 and S64 East. 17ed Street
have been served with dlspossess
notices as result OF their refusal
TO pay increases in rent averaging ss
month. levied by W. II. Kellcrs OF
No. 20 Nassau Street, the owner OF
the buildings.
Six families were evicted tins
morning, their possessions he ng
added TO those OF three families who
were put on the street yesterday.
The whole block now is filled viii
furniture and all sorts OF household
utensils piled in heaps. Crowds Cf
children are in the street, some cry
ing and clinging TO their mothers
skirts, and others playing happily
one OF the big jobs of City Marshal
Joseph Donnclly and his helpers this
morning was TO get pianos down tho
long flights Of stairs, as almost every
one of the families owned a piano.
Then. after the pianos were taken out,
the owners proceeded to play on
them. and. several street concerts be-
Ing given at once, added to the Janglc
OF sounds in the block.
The families evlctcd to-day were
those OF Bernard Bengarsky and
Daniel Edenstcin at No. SEQ: Morris
Nicholas. william Kaiser and Joseph
Wartcl at No. $50. and Norman Le-
vine at No. SGi.
The families cvicted yesterday
were tahcn care OF, mostly, by neigh
bOrs last night, and, as room ~ scarce
N most Oi the surrounding apart
monts. the families were widely
scattered. There was much scam
pcrins and whimpCrinS or children
before they all got together agaA,
this morning and Campcd beside their
possessions IN the street
The block IL being piCkctcd 10y men
and women wearing placards with tho
Inscription We Are Rent Strikers"
and numbers OF women and mon be =
ing conducted To the apartments 10y
the ianitor 70 look them over for
renting are being urged not to NOV,
IN The opportunities OF tho pickets
caused the only signs OF disturbances
There was. however, no actual dis
order.
Abraham Stulpnihor. the leader oi
the strike. with whom Sl.Oj4 OF the
tenants money has been deposited
was still In possession OF his apart :
mcnt to-day. He was scheduled for
eviction Yesterday. but the proceed %
ing was put of on his plea that hi,
wife was too III To he moved.
The striking tenants have offered
TO meet the rent increases on q sO.5O
basis, hut are firm In refusing To pay
the prices asked 10y Kcllcrs They
point to the rent money deposited
with Stulpniker as evidence that they
are not trying 20 cyade their obliga-
lions.
Kolcrs Is obdurato. lIc saws the in.
crcascs must bn made In order 10 pro-
V.dc interest on his investment His
plan is - cNic' every ono Of the
thirty-two families served with no
ticcs as soon az sufficient man power
for the moving becomes available.
There are sixty families In tho
apartment. and 50 far only four have
agreed to pay tho Increased rentals.
Thc others. kcll,rs declares, VIII be-
put out when their rent becomes due
Il they rcfus" 10 Pay the increase.