Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-20
LANDLORD PROF|TEER'
BEYOND PUNITIVE Law
Public Opinion and Remedial
State Legislation May Relieve,
Says Federal Official
PLAN NO PROSECUTION HERE

There is no legislation, either federal
or state, by which profiteering land
lords can be prosecuted, unless the
question of dependency upon a man in
the service is involved.
There Is such a thing as rent prof
teering in this city, in MANY cases rents
having been advanced as much as 80
to 70 per cent, an increase far in ex-
cess of any rise warranted by the in
creased costs of property maintenance
or construction.
The only method by which tenants
here can obtain a relief from this situ-
alton is to unite, gain theebacking of
public opinion and secure remedial leg :
islation through the state Legislature.
These statements were made today
by Assistant United States District
Attorney Achey in defining his stand
as to a proposed prosecution of rent
profiteers in all sections of Philadel- =
phia. He said:
ANY rumor to the effect that l am
about to start an active prosecution of
rent profteers here may be branded as
false because there is no federal legis =
lation which would give me the au-
thority to pursue such a course. Under
wartime legislation we have been prose =
cutting in cases where It was shown that
dependency upon a man in the service
was one of the issues and I may say
that such cases are still continuing
here, but in decreasing numbers.
There is real rent profiteering here.
For weeks I have received any number
Of requests from tenants in all sections
of the city, asking me to take some &C
tion in the matter. I know Of cases
where rents have been increased from
30 to Is per cent, which is an unwar
ranted advance.
Appeal to Congress Useless
"But there is nothing that I can do
In the first place this is a state matter
and any appeal to Congress for legis
lation would be useless. The \ rem
profiteer is product of recent times
and as yet there is no means of com
batting him. And as they realize thi
the landlords are becoming bolder.
There is only one course by whicl
the tenant can obtain relief from thes
conditions" continued Mr.. Achey. "Le
the various tenant protective assoCia
tions unite and appeal to public senti
ment until the state legislative bodic
are forced to pass some remedial legis
lation."
Complaints Of tenants against in
creases in rent which are said to b
exorbitant are becoming numerous. Th
advisory committee of the Tenants
Protective Association of West Phila
delphia has instructed tenants to refus
to pay unwarranted increases in thei
rent. One of the counsel for the asso
citation explained that the law unde
which leases are drawn never contem
plated placing the home renter in
position where he would be compellc
to pay any rent which might be de
manded.
Gougers Seek to Override Law
The attorney added that the funda
mental law is based on common sens
principles, and purposed to be fair
reasonable and equitable to both land
lord and tenant, but that the prohteer
and rent gougers are making an attemp
to override the law through the situa
ton which has come about in this city
1t is pointed out that where a fai
compromise is refused by the new pur
chasers of property the tenant is justi
fed to stand on his rights, pending tn
outcome of the appeal to the govern
ment and the decision of the Superio
Court in the Roach case from the south
western section of the city.
m this case which was argued
Richard T. McSorley the ejectment q
the tenant who refused to pay what h
regarded an exorhitant rental, has bee
halted since last spring, and he will re
main until the appellate court hears tn
, case finally in October next.