New-York tribune., 1920-10-12
New Rent Laws
Constitutional.
Browne Admits
President of Realty Owners
Association Says They Are
Fairer to Landlords Than
Those Passed Last Spring
Court Collects 100000
Bronx Tenants Deposit Mon
ey Pending Outcome of
Their Boalts With Lessons

| Tenants Fastening to maks deposits
on their rent under the new laws gave
the I'd District Municipal Court
the aspect of a fourishing bank yes
terday, yet Stewart Browne, president
of the Real Estate Owners Associa
| ton, declared at a meeting Of that
body last night that the new laws not
only were constitutional, but were
much more favorable to the landlord
than those passed last April.
Inc court clerks were as busy as
the busiest receiving telers in a most
prosperous counting house as thew
TOOK IN the money which throngs of
rent payers thrust at them to be held
by the court pending the adjustment
of disputes with landlords.
Before the shades of evening nut an
end to the run on the court the busv
clerks had taken in more than $780,
as deposits on rents, and Robert
fowers, deputy clerk. was compelled
to send out an SOS to Presiding Justice
Aaron ]. Levy.
\, AS temporary measure Of security
the clerks were armed with automatic
pistols, and with these weapons in one
band they raked in the money with
the other. Currency Of various de-
nominations was piled three or four
rect deep upon desk. At the close
OF the days business the money was
put In safe in the office of County
Clerk Robert L. Moran.
Tenants Score Victory
While the rush was in progress
Justices William E. Morris and Michael
>. Seaman came 20 the aid Of tho
tenants by announcing that hereafter
they would limit the number of cases
70 thirty day. The justices declared
they, were determined to prevent any
Wholesale litigation. During the day
they heard seventy five actions against
tenants, most Of which were dismissed.
tenants scored another momentary
triumph when Supreme Court Justice
faber in Brooklyn refused to grant
temporary injunction requiring tenants
10 vacate large apartment house at
Gil Ocean Avenue, Flatbush. Justice
taber made this decision On the ground
that temporary injunction would be
anticipatory of the decision Of the
trial judge. The tenants, however, were
ordered to pay the amount of their
rents into court pending trial. The ac-
tlon is one of the cases designed to
test the new rent laws.
Arthur J. w. Hilly, chairman of
the Mayors Committee on Rent Prof.
teerlng, In statement yesterday de-
clared that he would enter the fight on
behalf of tenants if landlords make
their threatened fight on the constitu-
tionallty Of the new laws. The Real
Estate Board announced last Saturday
that such actions would be commenced
Immediately in combination with two
other organizations.
Hilly Defends New Laws
Mr.. Hilly said that there was no
doubt Of the legality Of the new laws
under the police powers inherent in
the state government. He said he
would intervene to the limit to assist
the renting public in defense Of its
rights.
Senator Charels C. Lockwood said
| there was very little possibility of
landlords being able to defeat the pur-
pose Of the new laws by getting new
tenants under q false cooperative ar
rangement. He said the cooperative
laws fully protected the tenants and in
all such cases good faith must be
shown.
The new law covering this point he
said was carefully drawn up and had
been submitted to Justice Spiegelberg
and Chairman Hilly before it was
passed. II offers no loopholcs unless,
perjury is INDUCED in, he said.
Realty Owners Meet
Some of the speakers at the meet
ing Of the Real Estate Owners Asso-
citation at the Hotel Astor in the even
ing expressed somewhat the same views,
and one of them, Isidor Montefiore
Levy, an attorney. declared that un-
scrupulous lawyers were responsible
for many of the disputes between land
lords and tenants.
Dar
lords and tenants had created most of
the misunderstanding between the two
camps. he asserted.
The Real Estate Board" he added,
representing as it does real estate
brokers rather than real estate owners.
has not properly represented the land
lords. 1t has defended acts that were
indefensible and has given out state-
ments that were pure bunk"
Mr.. Browne, who presided, said the
new rent laws not only were constitu-
tlonal, but were more desirable from
the landlords point of view than those
OF last April, and that the best course
landlord could take in dispute with
tenant was to seek a compromise
be ore the Mayors committee
Cries Of protest at this statement
went up from many in the audience,
and Mr.. Browne retorted Indignantly:
1--WE never known of single dele !
gate Of Che Real Estate Owners AS
sociation who went to the war! Your !
troubles are mostly financial ones and
chiefly concern delay in collecting rent,
and that is nothing compared to the
loss those families sustained whose
sons were killed in the war"
Mr.. Hilly reiterated his statement
that in his opinion the new laws were
constitutional, and said that the lack
of building was due to the "hoggish
principles" Of dealers in building ma
terials, who were keeping stock out of
the market to maintain a fictitious
price. He appealed to those at the
meeting who had had dealings with
building material men ITO come for
ward and tell the facts to the respon-
sible authorities"
Building Ceases in Boston
BOSTON, Oct. 11.-Although this city
is experiencing serious housing
e ~ L,:lJ,,r.