Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-06
ACTION ON RENT
PROF|TEER|NG
House Takes Action, Following
Move Made by Newark
Women, Pleading for Relief
Ru sp,ctnl rorresronden.

81 Sperfdi CorreSE ondenf
TRENTON, May 6.-An apathetic
legislature has at last taken heed to
the demands for action on the acute
housing and rem profiteering situation
throughout the state and there is 20 be
an investigation by a joint committe
and a bill passed before this session
IS over to relieve the conditions In
many of the cities OF the state. AS
semblyman Henry @. Hershfie.d, Re-
publican House Leader, planned to-
day to be in Newark TO appear at he
housing hearing before the Newark
city commission and later Will go to
Jersey City TO confer with Director
Ct Revenue and Finance Cannon, OF
a municipality. who has been TO
Boston studying the system OF RELIEF
there.
Senator William n. Runyon brought
the housing question to a head in the
upper branch of the legislature yes
terday afternoon when he
a resolution for the appointment of a
Joint committee of three senator's and
three assemblymen to make an inves-
LEGATION of the situation n report
back to the legislature. Runyon's &C
ton was tho climax of success TO the
day and previous night of effort upon
the. part of the little band OF Newark
housewives. who came to the state
capitol to camp upon the trail of the
legislators until some action was aiken
to protect them and those they spoke
for from the ~gouging OF the profteer-
ing landlords.
Unskliled in the def art of lobbying
nevertheless tho women were so per-
sistent in their claims for considera-
ton that when the Runyon resolu-
ton was u to a vote in the senate
1t went over with a band and short
ly afterward the House OF assembly
c%oncurred. Speaker Glover. of the
House Immediately appel tel Messrs.
Hershfeld, and Evans, of Passaic, RE-
publicans n Barrett, of Essex. DEM
. ocrat, to represent the House enc of
the investigation. Senate President
Case will announce his appo!ntees
probably today.
Assemblyman Hershfeld thinks
that a bill can be drafted much along
the lines of the one passed In New
York state to cure this situation. It
limits the rent to a certain percon-
tage of the fair value of the prop
arty. He also hopes 10 have incorpor-
ated some of the features OF the
housing bills now pending In the legis-
lature.
Governor Edwards, who yesterday
told the Newark women that the rent
proateering in this state is "crimi-
nal" is solidly behind the plan for
the investigation and the proposed
VI lhCPhDAICdH 1.tdOtI
Hershfeld. The representatives OF
the rent payers left the state house
much pleased with their efforts yes
terday. after expressing their thanks
TO the governor, Senator Runyon and
Leader Hershheld and all others who
helped them.
The situation when Runyon arose
In the senate to ask for consideration
for his resolution bordered on In
dramatic. Only a few minutes before
Republican Senate Leader Allen, OF
Salem. had called the women's plea
a pet" idea. He said it was a COM
panion pet" to the teachers mini
mum wage bill which Senator Heath.
of Mercer, was fighting for. Allen
was opposing Heath's move when he
characterized both the housing and
teachers propositions as he did The
teacher bill was killed.
W have seen today" declared
Senator Runyon, "a delegation of
women. a helpless company, come
here to wrest some sort of relief for
a pitiful situation. One of these
m the victim of the profiteers,
gave two sons to the country in the
recent war, and one of them paid the
supreme sacrifice. Another of these
women has been victimized by rent
raised in two months from SIT to
s45. There are pregnant women in
this company who are about to be
dispossessed.
in the city of Newark three arti-
sans were forced to put their children
fin a poorhouse because they could
not obtain homes. after being forced
out by landlords demanding higher
rents. Let this legislature crown It's
closing hours by taking some appro-
pirate action in an effort to relieve
the condition"
The senators passed the resolution
Immediately, although some like AL
len, from the country districts where
there is no housing problem did not
vote. The Newark women accom-
panied by DR.. w. G.. H%anrahan. who
IS fighting the proiteers IN North
Jersey. cried and then laughed they
were so much affected by Munyon's
speech and the successful culmina-
ton OF their day of activities in their
new field of lobbying.