New-York tribune., 1919-08-14
rayor's Committee Chair
man Owns apartment
Where Onv Increase Is
Reported as 50 Per Cent
BOARD Promised
To Halt ProGteers
"lsn't 1t Queer?'' Asks
One Resident of Jumps
in Investigators House

Nathan Hirsch is chairman of the
Mayor's Committee on Rent Profiteer-
pp which has been hunting down goug-
ng landlords since April He has been
Instrumental, too, in obtaining legisla-
ton designed to curb greedy property
owners. and asserted with other mem
hers of his committee that "the most
obvious method of lighting extortion-
ate rentals was by the use of pitiless
publicity
Mr. Hirsch himself owns a tenement
house at AZ East Eighty eighth Street,
Manhattan, q fivc-story structure with
basement, accommodating eleven fam
lilies. Tenants there told reporter for
The Tribune Yesterday that the rentals
have been increased in some cases as
high as 81 per cent within the last two
years.
For two apartments on the ground
iour which netted S25 each a year ago
last May, say the tenants, S34 and s39
is now charged, q boost in one case
o. s3S aid in the ether of 50 per cent.
Another family on the second floor
said their rent had been raised SS
within the same period, with VARYING
increases distributed among the other
tenants.
Mrs r. Oppenheim. widow with
two children, who occupies the s34
apartment on the ground floor, has
been there for twelve years 81 don't
know whether ought to complain or
not" she said, when | consider the
fact that neighbors across the way
lave had their rents increased from
SIC to $50 a month for apartments
SIMILAR to ours.
Resides, | wouldn't want to say
anything about it. You know. Mr..
hlrsch is head of that committee look
ms after these profiteers, and he
wouldn't want i known that he him
seF has been raising TIE rents this
way. But isn't it queer. though 2"
Mrs. L. Jacob lives in the S38 apart-
ment on the ground floor. She moved
m Two months ago. She said. Mrs. Op-
penhem declared that this was s225
apartment year ago last May. The
rental vas given considerable boost
tor the new tenant, she said.
Mrs. Morris, who had her apartment
on the second floor raised $S, said that
Maurice Wertheim, d real estate agent
VINO handles the property for Mr..
airsch, had written all the tenants last
ady that there would be no more boosts
dntli May of next year She explained
mat ne had been raising the rates to
al the families in the house during the
uonth.
Mrs Jewell, who occupies an apart
ment on the third floor, complained
taat che hoped it would stop some
Wnere. u haven't been raised as high
Is some OF the others in the house" !"
she SAID, still | was boosted $4. They
couldn't possibly have added more to
.ae apartment | have here. It's Just
ABOUT as much as we can stand. [
uhaerstand, though, that Mr.. Hrsch is
very nice man and has something to
20 20 with getting after greedy landlords.
nlt i;,l what can You do? If you don't
IKE ln H. We'll, you can't just do anything
out, get out aud hunt"
Mr. Hlrsch was head Of the Mayors
.olhmittee on taxation and inves-
.gatlon OF mortgage loans when
the rent situation became acute last
april, and the Mayor urged him to ap-
polht "a committee to look into the mat
Yer, s.. with himself as the head, the com
MIttee on rent proiiteering was CON
s'uled as follows: Peter j. Brady.
ppIIperVlsor pIish of the City RECORD; Henry
Diucn, real estate lawyer, of 80 Mas
Sau S street; Edward !. Hannah, presi-
ae1t aea OF the Central Federated Union,
sna ,ha In, ehe Key A. Ray Petty, pastor of
;n' ;ne oudson Memorial Church, 55 Wash
ington Square.
,.ii IN requesting Mr.. Iiirsch to create
s.aS w. committee Mayor Hylan urged him
70 take such means as would be law
Az A.; ana proper to put an end to a con-
dltlon which is most despicable in the
eses OF al our citizens"
.. al1er INVESTIGATING thousands of
cases Mr.. Hirsch announced that 40
per cent OF the landlords are profiteer-
,ng' and many would have attempted
20 make 40 and so per cent on their
Investment if they had not been de-
lieu IN one way or another"
,,sn. maurice Wertheim, Mr. Hirsch's
rssa rsen'' declared last night that the
,s" ,a'es tor the apartments in this house
tba 1.ae iair and considerably lower than
'"WSe "y OF neighboring houses.
h. iou must take into consideration"
~, saio' that the tenants are fur
s.sned sna steam heat, hot and cold water
shu shs electric lights. In the period that
sae increases were made our expenses
sr'e AZ. gone up. from 80 to 40 per cent.
Lsr isn; hirsch, however, has been very
of ~. with his tenants, and | know
s,r AZ 'east two cases where he has in
ord. lived me to lower the rentals in
tensn+a 70 equallze the rate with other
"sahts s IN the house"
ton. - Al Oahaoa lor a Vaca-