Evening journal., 1919-11-11
COMKI.TEE HEARS
OF HIGH RENTALS
Loeber Property Nets llH
Per Cent. on Investment,
Investigators Learn
INQUIRE INTO OTHER
TENANTS CHARGES

TENANTS CHARGES
Charles Loeber, son OF Mrs. c. b.
Loeber. Of No COZ West sixth street,
occupied The centre OF The stage at The
hearing OF the Mayors House Rent
pr0niecring Committee last evening,
and before the commission had finished
with him. rs members had called him
pronicer and rcbukod him for some
OF his statements.
l.oeher was summoned 20 appear be-
fore The committee, at IFS meeting next
Monday night, % explain about another
ease OF what the body considers proi-
iecring.
IN addition. ihe committee Is anxious
20 have Mrs. Loe5er his mother appear
before IL and answer a few questions
concerning house and apartment rent
ing. repairs. or rather lack Of them:
fair profits or gouging. and conditions
spperiaining 20 places owned by her In
The city.
.Other cases OF alleged proilieering
were also taken mp last evening. The
hearing was more than two hours in
length. 10 was held in ihc city Council
chambers.
Briefly stated, tho charge against The
mother and SON. which they are called
upon to face next week. is that Of
Jumping the rent on a row OF six frame
houses on Peach street, beyond Third
street bridge, from 50 a month TO 50 q
week. without making them habitable,
and while there is sufficient water in
their cellars $50 you can row a boat
from one end OF them Go the other asl
)ne Of their occupants put 90 last
svening.
Charles L0eber's own expression of
IS attitude toward the conditions COM
planned Of was well. I'm one OF the
kind who believes il tenant doesn't
Ike a place he's living in, he should
move"
The first case in which Charles Loe-I
Der figured concerned an apartment
louse at No. i03 West Eighth street.
tenants OF which complain that they
are forced 10 pay excessive rents. get
little heat or hot wafer, and that the
property needs repairs. The alley be-
side 10 is often unsaniiary, the tenants
said.
Prior to Loeber taking the stand, Car
roll w Grimth testified he was the
agent FOR Tie LOebers In collecting the
rents from The Eighth street property, |
but had nothing whatever 10 do with
ils maintenance or repair or the fixing
OF the rents charged
Later in The evening. when the
charges concerning the row OF houses
on Peach street, owned by the LOebers I
arose. Mr. Grflth stated he had given
up his agency for them because OF Mrs. /
Loeber's insstent demand for more
money from their occupants.
As to the apartment house, at No.
i03 West Eighth street, Griffith testi-
fed Mrs. Loeber had dismissed the
janiior some months ago anrhad sub
stituted her son, Charlie in the Job.
lie said the property had cost Mrs.
Loeber S6JO0 and Mr.. Griffith read al
statement showing the total income
was $500 a year from it, while the
operating cost was S76S. This gave a
net profit OF II IA per cent. on the m
Nesiment.
Charles c. Kurtz, OF the committee, /
asked II 81 "a per cent. was a big re-
turn on so safe an investment Mr.. /
Grifilth said he did not know.
Don't you think that is proiltceringg'
persevered Charles C.. Kurtz.
DO yOu?n retOried Mr. Grinlth.
man should he put in jail for getting
that amount"
Mr.. Grinth then said he thought 10
was a very fair return 10 the owner" "
Yes, very fair" dryly remarked
George n. Lyon. chairman Of the COM
mittee.
Mr.. Griflih said the raise i'm rent was
made on instructions from Mrs Loeber,
Who had told him 10 make it III The
tenants would stand for it,
He said he considered the tenants
are good and admitted That II he
"Nvere getting the money and not
merely collecting it, he would feel
guilty."
Charles Loeber here was sworn. lie
took the witness chair with iaunty
ar and smiled. lie was quizzed as TO
the cost Of repairs 90 the apartment
house He said he didn't know the
exact amount spent, but was willing to
swear that 40 per cent had been eX-
pended, If not more.
Loeber considered n 81 per cent. a
fair profit on The apartments, allow
ing be said. for probability Of the place
becoming vacant an times lie was asked
il he intended TO make the present ten
ants pay for the investment lie re- ,
oued he couldn't help that" As to
u ia per cent investment. he re-
marked you can't set that on every
property |,
You bet you cantw inlerjected Mr.
1yon
Loeber was 80 sure there was no
oronteering that the committee agreed
here was no use questioning him.
Hes too far beyond reason for me 20
deal with" said Mr.. kurtz
William p White. OF the committee,
asked LOeber II he considered A IA
per cent as a minimum profit on an in
vestment. Loeber went into "A long eX- {
PLANTATION as to costs, but didn't give a !
direct reply. whereupon Mr. Kurjz and {
Mr.. Lyon questioned Loeber's state
inenls Loeber said he was zone Of that !
kind who believed If a tenant did not {
like a place be should move"
Yes. and IL YOU didn't know that /
your tenants did not have no place
30 move, you wouldn't be SO brazen,
declared Councilman Mcarns, Of The
cOmmitlee
L0eber here was excused and left the
room still smiling Afier a number OF
other cases had been heard a group of
men ami women, tenants from Nos.
f.llo . ~ st- .f.1.t .sa...f .