The sun., 1919-10-08
PORTIA HERE ENDS
DISPUTE OYER RENT
- ---
Hirsch's Girl Stenographers
Step Into Breach When
Men Are Busy.
ONE TENANT WILL STAY
4
Landlord Agrees Not to Dis
possess Him When Woman
! Pleads Case.
ONE TENANT WILL STAY

Nathan Hirsch, chairman OF the May
ers's Committee on Rent Prohteering, Is
proud Of the ability Of his four young
women stenographers to step INTO tne
breach when male arbitrators are up
70 their necks in work and preside at
hearings involving rent disputes between
landlords and tenants.
He was particularly pleased yesterday
over the common sense way In wnlcn
Miss Eva r. Ohlbaum, one OF the quar-
Get, conducted case and saved a ten
ant from being evicted even after
Justice of municipal court had de-
cided that the family would have to get
out However, the modern Portia IN
cidentally told the tenant Just where he
got off," and it was her advice to him
that was largely instrumental in In
'fiuencing the landlord to permit him
to remain.
The landlord was Morris Feldman,
living at 1914 Charlotte street. The
Bronx, and the complaining tenant was
Max Gorenberg, occupying an apartment
at $50 East 1920 street. Feldman
raised the rent from $29 to $S2 per
month, but Gorenberg said he didn't
object to the raise. What troubled MN
was the fact that he received q notice
to move and he didn't know where ne
was going to find home.
Hears the Case.
Miss Ohlbaum seated herself between
me excited tenant and agltated land
lord at the hearing and told them 10
IRE away, one at time.
Gorenberg, by virtue OF being COM
plainant, had the first say, and his sad
tale was enough to touch the heart OF
eny female judge.
II was like this: Mrs. Gorenberg was
4 designer and went out each day to
work. Mr.. Gorenberg. willing to do his
bit. remained at home, took care OF
the baby and kept things tidied up the
best he knew. Then along came tne
dispossess notice because the landlord
didn't like babies in the house, ana the
world looked mighty blue.
The landlord. however. said 1t was
like this: Gorenberg didn't take proper
care of the baby andy the rooms were
permitted to get dirty The tenant,
Furthermore, belonged to group OF
Socialists. Feldman said. and he didn
want him in the house. Whose house
was 1t, anyway?
Then both sassed each other and Miss
Ohlbaum argued with the landlord TOT
the sake of the baby. not the, daddy
nurse to be goodhearted and charitable
and permit the family to remain. Field
man saw the point (also the baby. wnc
was in it's fathers arms) and said
he was willing. whereupon the latest
Portia beamed and said he was good
fellow.
Then turning 10 tenant Gorenberg
Miss Ohlbaum said:
"Mr. Borenberg. IL you want to stay
in that house you have got to cut ou
that Socialist group. Neither can vol
dictate to your landlord. Remember
the property is his, and not yours. fou'
landlord seems to be real man. III
doesn't want to see your family pu
en- the street. He is father of sil
children himself. Respect him and als'
treat the janitress as lady. III
her duty to clean up. but don't max
any more muss than you can help. /
is up to you and your wife to be clean.
To Remain on Trial.
"Tn let him stay, in the house unit
November L. landlord Feldman said
"and, If he behaves he can stay on"
Good for you,Y said the lady Judge
Capt. Charles A. Goldsmith reopene'
the case later because Feldman mad
charges to the effect that Gorenberl
was holding what he called "Bolshevil
meetings" and had been reported t
the police of the Smith street station a
a "Bolshevik" The Captain made
careful investigation of the accusation
declared the charges to be unfounde
and reaftirmed Miss Ohlbaum's find
ings as to the basis for a settlement
Feldman and Gorenberg signed an agree
ment with the committee and Goren
berg will remain a tenant at the oil
rent.
Lille Grant, confidential secretary {
the committee, and Mary c. Tigh'
stenographer have successfully acted a
arbitrators in rent disputes on sewers
occasions.