Evening journal., 1919-11-04
PUBLICITY TO CURB
RENT PROFITEERING.
Committee Acts to
Protect Tenants by Ex-
posing Unfairness
SIX-MONTH LEASES
FIND GENERAL FAVOR

A campaign OF publicity win be wag-
ed the next few weeks by the commit
tee named by Mayor Taylor 10 curb
rent proilteering. Any citizen who has
complaint is invited 20 make II In
writing to the committee, which prom
ises TO investigate and lend every aid
10 right any wrong, II any IS found
Both sides Of dispute must be heard
before any decision Is given.
At the flrst meeting OF the committee
last evening In the Public Building
several cases Of alleged proilteering
were considered one. was settled on
hand, and three property owners were
cited to appear.
The article concerning the method OF
the Philadelphia Real Estate Board in
dealing with the renting problem, pub
lished in The Evening Journal, was
read.
A communication from John Govatos,
real estate agent, commencing the ap-
poiniment Of the committee and sug-
gesting that the real estate agents
meet and agree TO settle upon six
months leases instead Of the one
month leases now in vogue as a partial
solution OF the housing troubles,
caused much comment. Many mem
bers Of the committee were In favor
of the suggestion and the communica-
tion was received.
According TO Charles c. Kurtz. real
estate manager Of the Wilmington
Trust Company, in a statement before
the committee last night, any owner OF
a house under average present-day
conditions who has increased the rental
Of his property more than one-third
during the last year is pronteering. A
concrete case Of a house assessed at
$1,000 and renting for SO was suggested
TO Mr.. Kurtz by Elmer II. klund, city
tax collector. According to the real
estate man the owner was prOiteering.
Col Weller 4. Slower, who assisted
the committee in number OF the cases
made a plea for consideration Of the
manner IN which the prices OF materials
for renting houses have increased dur
ing the past few years. Il was In re-
sponse TO this that Mr.. Kurtz set one
third Of the former rent as the normal
increase tenants should expect from
their landlords because OF the higher
cost OF living.
City Solicitor John w. Huxley, al
though not a member OF the committee
assisted the members where legal ad-
vice was required.
The committee organized as fol-
lows: George T. Lyon. chairman
Councilman James c. Mearns. vice
chairman, and Homer C. Simmons, sec
retary.
Inasmuch as the testimony OF the
witnesses viii have an important part
to play in the work OF the committee
il was moved by /. NJ. Ryan that the
witnesses be sworn. This was done in
one Of the cases last night where tes-
timOny was heard.
One Of the cases called 20 the atten-
ton Of the committee was that OF an
invalid woman. who heard, walked and
talked with difficulty, and who said
she had been ordered 10 move from
her home by November 25. The COM
plalnant was Mrs Theodore Scudder,
who live sat No. 6O2 West Twelfth 81.
She told the committee after she had
been sworn that she was paying Si7
a month, but had been notified that il
she wished to stay after November q
she would have to pay S35 for the use
OF the downstairs portion OF the house
she is now occupying.
One communication, signed by Har-
Ian Cause, told Mrs. Scudder that work