The sun., 1919-04-30
RENTS FORCE MANY
TO BREAK UP HOMES
Procession of May Day Vans to
Carry Household Goods
Into Storage.
MOVING PRICES GOING UP
More Cases Of Profiteering and
0usting Shown to Mayors
Committee.

indicate that while they are well booked
up for May 1 movings there isn't going
TO be any unusual May day rush to-
morrow.
A large percentage Of moving vans
that will leave apartments will go
straight to storage warehouses. Several
storage men declared last night their
places will be full up after the last
loads arrive tomorrow. The great de-
mand for storage space is due to a
shortage OF apartments. Unable to find
homes which will Mt their purses many
families have been compelled to store
their household belongings and rent
ments.
The scarcity of apartments Is the
main reason why moving men will not
have more work than they can con-
veniently do. Realizing the inability of
tenants to obtain new apartments
landlords increased rents. Thousands of
tenants decided to pay. knowing they
would be without a place to call home
In case they were dispossessed. Many
cases of this kind have been called to
on rent profiteering.
There are others who figured II would
be cheaper to satisfy the demands Of the
profiteering landlord than incur a bill
for moving, as moving charges, like
rents. have gone up. One well known
moving man said last night that Job
N tnh aaCtt t. n
to SIS.
Mandate Sent to Owner.
Nathan Hirsch, chairman of tho
Mayors committee, sent yesterday a
mandate to Mamie Sidman, owner of
apartments at 534 and $40 Powell
street. East New York, to explain why
he boosted rents to forty-six families
twenty-three IN each house, on April
j. A committee of indignant tenants re-
ported at the committees headquarters
IN the municipal building that many of
the families were In danger Of being
dispossessed. They said one woman,
who was dispossessed. is a mother of
five children. One of her sons is q SOL
der in France.
y. +. Purdy. a tenant" who didn't
give any address. sent this letter to Mr..
Hirsch's committee: II see by the news
papers that the so-called rent profiteers
are to be investigated next Wednesday,
April 80. What would like to know Is
whep the so-called rent profiteers will
have chance to investigate the city
whose tax rate In 1908 was $1.61 and
I'm 1913 Is $2.40 with increased valua-
tons. Everybody Is profteering, there
fore be logical; investigate everybody.
Rent Is the cheapest necessity In the
I1Nn at fn-dn
cheaper cut out the city automobiles 70
through the different city department. Is
and weed out useless employees with big
salaries. There are three men in every
department doing the work of one, II
your committee will do this, then IL will
have done something worth while and
would deserve the thanks of the COM
munity. But will 1t? 1 can answer (.
No."
Return on Investment.
A tenant In a thlrty-three family
apartment house with five stores in West
150th street informed the committee the
rentals total s14,5so annually. or 1874
per cnt- OF tn valuation of $4,000,
which is about what the owner paid for
the property two years ago. The build
ing Is assessed at $4,000. The operat-
1926 taxes: water rents less than
$500; insurance 5000; interest OF first
mortgage t7s.50o). 1886; interest on
second mortgage ts5,000), $500. and
$1,000 for depreciation.
Col. G. o. Shields, president OF the
League OF American Sportsmen. United
States Volunteers, Civil War. living at
lilo Simpson street, The Bronx. told of
q series of rent boosts and added: IT
am veteran Of the Civil War. 10 years
old. and my only income is a pension
os S35 a month. so that hereafter I am
allowed the munificent sum OF Sc a
month for food. clothing and all other
living expenses"
Emanuel Mehl, lawyer representing
dispossessed tenants. assured David
Hirshfeld, Commissioner OF Accounts
at a hearing OF a landlords yesterday
that there was an organization with
headquarters at 1909 Pitkin avenue
Brooklyn, known as the Landlords Pro-
tective Association. He said 1t was his
belief the landlords have been raising
rents systematically.
4 public mass meeting for sugges-
lions as to remedies for the situation
will take place at 40 =. VI. to-day
in the Board of Estimate chambers in
the City Hall.