The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-01
THREE AGENCIES TO
FIGHT RENT RAISERS
National, State and City Legal
Departments Are After
Profiteers.
LAWS TO BE INVOKED
Some Landlords 0usted De-
pendents Of Service Men,
Committee Is Told.

! Representatives Of legal departments
of the nation. state and city are work.
ing together with the Mayors Commit
tee on Rent Profiteering. OF which
Nathan Hirsch is chairman. TO check
rent pro1teering in the greater city. Re
course will be made to Federal and
State laws II necessary to punish the
| rent gouger.
| Hearings before the committee last
| week developed that a number Of land
! lords violated the provisions of the SOL
diers and sailors act by increasing
rents of families of soldiers, sailors and
marines. or dispossessng them from
their homes while the men were in the
service.
Gambler Cobb, Assistant United
! States District Attorney for the South
ern District of New York. is considering
| the evidence in number OF these cases
If he decides action is warranted he will
submit the facts to the Federal Grand
| Jury.
Col. James D. Bell, United States Dis
| trict Attorney for the Eastern District
| of New York, also will take up during
| the coming week similar cases which
have been referred to him by Walter s
| Kennedy. Assistant Corporation Coun-
sci. in charge of legal matters for the
| committee.
Robinson to Act.
| Charles Prescott Robinson, Deputy At
| torney-General of t.is State. will take
| up for consideration violations OF State
laws charged against corporations which
have been accused of profiteering. The
facts in three cases are ready for pres
| entation.
In one of the cases to be considered
by Mr.. Cobb the charge is made that
the landlord served dispossess notice
| on woman who is dependent on her
son now in the United States Navy. The
woman also has a brother in the same
branch Of the service. The tenant is
prepared to prove. she says, that the
landlord insulted the flag by declaring
that If "she raised it" Gas she threat
ened) he would raise the rent" This
particular tenant says the landlords
janitor, who Is an allen, made $3.50 a
month, while her son was getting $3S a
month from Uncle Sam"
Settlements Obtained.
Chairman Hirsch officially announced
last night settlements obtained by AS
sistant Corporation Counsel Kennedy in
cases where action was taken on behalf
of tenants. either sailors or soldiers, or
families Of men in the service, as fol-
lows:
L. Michel. 5S5 Rogers avenue, land
lord; William F. Kearns, tenant-four
sons in service, one killed in action Sep
TENDER 16. 1915. at Thiemont. Case set
tied by refund.
Charles L'Homme, landlord, 10 West
Forty-nfth street; Lieut.. Charles l..
Stanhope. U. s. A, tenant. Case settled
| by refund of 500.
NJ. L. Starrett. landlord, 404 Clinton
avenue. Brooklyn; Ralph J. Elliott, u.
S. A, tenant. Case settled by refund Of
$3.50.
Mrs. L. Butt, landlord. 1o4 West
Ninety-sixth street; Privates Whitney
and Mathewson and Sergeant Waller,
tenants. New owner OF two weeks re-
, duced rents to former figures.
Il Clarnece Z. Hutchinson, landlord, 232S
, Seventh avenue; Nicholas O'Neil. tenant
.J-four sons in navy. Rent increased
from $25 to $40. Case settled by reduc-
ton to original amount,
David Lamb, landlord; Paul S. Nc
CURE, U. S. N, tenant Dispossess notice
served August IS, 1919; case adjusted
satisfactorily.
/ French Corporation Company, land
lord, 2755 Creston avenue, Bronx /; raised
one tenant with son in the army 81 last
year and asked additional increase this
year of IS. Case settled by refunding the
81 monthly collected last year and al
lowing tenant to remain at old figure.
Honoye Realty Corporation. landlord,
1922 Crotona avenue, Bronx; refunded
increases made to men in service for
the time of their service. and allowing
them to remain at the old rental
DR.. r. Kornblith, landlord. 14S st.
Paul place. Brooklyn; refunded increase
charged to three men in the service dur
ing the past year and agreed to make no
J further advance.
!, .t..NN
| avenue, Bronx raised two tenants with
sons in army $12 a month. Agreed TO
return the increase that had been made
. last year and allow tenant to remain at
old figure.
, Josephine Vogel, landlord, 1S41 Han
over street. Brooklyn raised the rent OF
an ex-marine while In the service. Re-
mitted the amount collected and allowed
tenant TO remain at old rate.
Morris Markowitz, representing Me-
: chanics Leasing Company, 215 West
: l45th street; raised rent OF man in
service IS, Agreed to refund the amount
collected, with no further increase.
w. De Voc. landlord. 2125 Nostrand
avenue. Brooklyn raised tenant with
son in service IS per month RENTED
: the raise collected. Tenant remains at
! old price.
Krausman Realty Company, landlord
1905 University avenue, Bronx; raised
rents throughout house $12 and SIS a
/ month. Several service men living in
house. Raises on them were RENTED
D and they were allowed 10 remain at old
( price.
. Sam Samuels landlord, 244 West
{ i4Sth street. Refunded increase col
lected from soldiers family while he wai
in the service. giving lease for year al
old price.
E. Luts, landlord, 62s Wilson avenue
Brooklyn; raised tenant while overseas
S. Agreed to return the amount col
lected and allow tenant to remain at old
price.
Adelstein & Avrutino. landlords. 81
: West 1920 street. Returned to three
tenants overseas increase made last
: year, amounting to $3.50. allowing ten.
9 ants to remain at old rental.