New-York tribune., 1919-05-06
Sixty Per Cent of Differ
enccs Between Landlord
and Tenant Are Settled
IN Court by Compromise,
Kew Are Real Profiteers
In Many Instances Justices
Advise That the Increases
That Are Asked Be Paid

Although 200 rent cases were heard
in the municipal courts of the city yes
,ertlay. not one eviction was made or
ordered. Sixty per cent of the differ
ences were settled by compromise on
the advice Of the justices. who OPP
posed ordering families into the street,
Between 90 and so per cent of the
cases we're adjourned for jury trial.
Adjournments were granted by the
Justices. who were willing to credit
stories of tenants that they were~oeng
dispossessed without cause.
The Second District Municipal Court
Of The Bronx was the scene of $50
landlord-tenant cases. The court is at
Brook Avenue and 1921 Street, in the
heart OF the district where the housing
problem is most acute. Justice Michael
J. Seaman succeeded in disposng of
~ eases by compromise.
No two of the $50 cases were alike"
said Justice Scanlan. at was case
Of sizing up the contending parties,
ascertaining the income and conduct of
the tenant and weighing these with the
evidence. In many Instances | was
forced to advise families to pay in
creased rents.
Only Two Profiteers.
II saw only two instances of actual
profiteering. In both these cases, the
would-be profteers were lessees, who
paid the owner certain sum and tried
TO milk the tenants for all they could"
-1.x-
practice on the East Side. said Justice
Hoffman, of the Second District MUM
opal Court. 2S6 Madison Street, and
Benjamin Horn, city marshal for the
district. More than $50 cases were
heard by Justice Hoffman, but no dis
possesses were ordered
A case of alleged profiteering was
brought to his attention by Assembly,
man Samuel Dickstein, member of
OF 96 Ridge Street. reported that his
rent had been raised on May l by his
landlord, Samuel Dubowitz, from S27
20 $50. A few days later it was
brought out, the property was decided
20 Dubowitz S wife who demanded S35
rent, saying her husband was 'too
easy" The case will be tried before
Justice Hoffman on Friday.
Will Have Free Rent
Becky Gold will live at "a Essex
Street rent free for the next three
months. Her landlord, the IA Essex
Street Corporation, sought to increase
her rent from S25 to $50 month. Mrs
Gold. whose only son had been reported
missing on the casualty lists, said she
had been "scraping the $50 month to-
gether somehow" but could not afford
20 pay $50. Dickstein invoked the SOL
-.,a o,l ,a1iaf clo
vas given three months rent free by
the court pending the receipt of held
up allotments.
Wealthy residents of the West Side
locked to the Third District Municipal
Court and pleaded for postponements
on dispossess notices. To the 250 who
appeared stays were granted in every
case.
Negroes IN the Seventh Municipal
Court. 125th Street and st. Nicholas
Avenue, told Justice Friedlander that
hey were unable to find quarters and
we're seriously contemplating putting
up tents in parks and vacant lots to
5helter their families
To Be Evicted Wednesday
Numerous evctions have been sched-
lied for Wednesday. Nathan Hirsch,
chairman of the Mayors Committee,
and Captain c. A. Goldsmith, U. S. n,
retired, his field deputy, announced
hat the Methodist Episcopal churches
viii be prepared to accommodate the
homeless families. The United States
Quartermaster Corps yesterday with
drew its offer Of 1000 cots, declaring
the army regulations forbid the ap-
preparation Of military property for
civilian use
Captain Goldsmith Immediately COM
inunicated with Governor Smith, re-
guesting the use Of state guard cots,
mattresses and blankets. The Cover
nor replied that 600 cots and blankets,
now al the arsenal on Seventh Avenue
and 800 blankets az Camp Blauvelt
can be placed at the disposal of the
Mayors Committee as soon as the
Board Of Estimate pledges their re-
turn in good condition. Cots and
D'ankets have been proffered by the
War Camp Community Service. They
ill be available when the 77th Dvi-
sion returns TO Camp Upton for de
mobilization.
Three Mass Meetings
Three mass meetings Of tenants were
aeld IN the Brownsville section of
Brooklyn last night TO protest further