New-York tribune., 1919-10-01
Press Everything OH Wheels
Into Duty and Van Men
Auction OFF Services to
Street Corner Bidders
$500 Bonuses for Flats
Warehouses Swamped, Fam
lilies Double Up and City
Tangled as Never Before

New York yesterday resemhled
gigantic Red GulcN during a mining
boom. Only the canvas-topped prairio
schooners were lacking to complete
the picture, and had there been any
10 have they would have been busy
along with the varied collection Of
vehicles used in moving the hclong-
ings of New Yorks migratory army
of apartment house dweliers.
To-day is the third day of tho
peak in the most congested moving
season New York City ever has had.
BY tonight it is estimated that Ia
600 families in Manhattan and Tho
Bronx alone Will have changed quar-
ters, if they are fortunate enough
to have places TO which to go, or VIII
have stored their belongings and viii
have established themselves in tcm-
porary quarters in the hope the sit-
uation will improve later
Many of the thousands who moved
yesterday found the apartments they
had engaged and hoped to occupy had
not been vacated. The occupants OF
the apartments, in the absence of
houseboats, tents or other means of
shelter. could not be budged. Finally.
I in community spirit, the furniture
for five, six and even seven room
apartments WAS piled up in one room
and the two families devised means of
camping for the night in space meant
for one-half that number.
ANY Place Looks Good
Usually on New York's moving day
i trend IN definite direction may be
noticed, but this Is AN unusual Year.
AT one time most OF the population
was iockng TO The Bronx. at others
they chose new homes on Washington
and Moraingside Heights or in the sub
urbs. THIS year they count themselves
as mem' crs of the elect If they have
any place to which to go. There never
was such dcma nd for apartments. and
the usual requ, It has bcon for small
housekeeping apartments, where the
servant problem could be sldotracked. q.
In the absence If sufficien. apartments
to take caIr of the thousands whose
leases exp'ted yesterday trading IN
small priva's houses has been brisk.
"Bonusee varying from $3.50 To $500
have beer o'fer' 4 Tor aid in getting TN
apartmept' said Edward G OH. man
ager of tho lease & Gilman branch on
West Seventy y-sccond Street, yesterday.
II think, however, that many of these
bonuses VIII not be pad There are
simply no apartments TO be had md
1t looks to me as though many fami-
lies VIII have TO camp IL the park"
5000 Vans at Work
Eight thousand moving vans. each
carrying from three 10 four loads,
struggled all day yesterday to keep
the stream of furniture and household
q n nfvl 90 -r1ty u
town, and VIII work a. hard, or even
| harder, TO-DAY. Not street was with
out It's COR plement Of vans with their
crews of burly. sweating men, work
ing under the direction OF tired,
strained housewives
Much of the confusion and dciav
yesterday vas caused by lack Of Gle
Vator space in the apartment hors q.
Often two or three trucks would me
up in front Of a large apartment house
aid wait two, three or four hours be-
fore The could unload. So great was
the DEL on an uptown street that
the crew OF large motor truck
stretched themselves out on makesh!ft
beds and fell asleep. Members Of the
Van Owners Association of Greater
New York. of which Charles S. Morris
Is president, are charging $40 an hour,
as are 5000 smaller indepe ndent NOV
ing men. But the numerous "outlaw"
vans, which have been recruited .
take advantage of the crisis, are cnare-
ing what they can anything from
SIS to s25 an hour-and in some m
stances are holding impromptu auc-
tions, selling their services to me
highest bidder at n street-corner sale.
Sedans. limouslncs, r ord cars and
trailers. horse drawn carts and trucks
in fact, antking on wheels 70 being
used to mako up for the shortage Of
vans. Furniture is piled up in from.
of storage warehouses; and remains
there for hours before it can be carried
in.
Because OF the shortage Of apart
ments, many of the temporary inhab.-
tants of - Cpney Island bunga iows
are TO re. ain at the resort during
the winter. large number Of ncw
bungalows are being built in all Sec
tions Of tlo island and gas radators
being Installed. Samuel VI. Gum
pertz. bead OF he Brighton blythe
Sea Company, estimates that - par
cent Of the present occupants viii C.