New-York tribune., 1920-09-04
Owners Bluff
Tenants inPlOt
To Raise Rents
Housing Committee Told Of
10000 Dispossess Notices
Sent From Single Source
to Harass Dwellcrs Here
Few Buildings Underway
Realty Men Suggest Repeal
of Existing Rent Laws as
One of Remedies i'm Crisis

Charges that group of landlords
hnd attempted to bulldozc thousands
OF tenants into paying higher rentA by
serving them with disposscss notices
were made before the Joint Legislative
Committee on Housing at the City
Hall yesterday by Stewart Browne.
president ot the United Real Estate
Owners Association. At least 10000
Of these notices have been sent out
from one source alone, with the object
of "bedevling" the tenants into pay
ing higher rent, he said.
Mr.. Browne declared that his organi-
zation had been invited to join in the
notice-serving scheme. When asked
by Elmer G. Sammis. counsel for the
committee, to divulge the identity OF
the promoters of the scheme the wit
ness said:
Il don't think that would be fair. 1t
came from common source. stopped
1t so far as our own and affiliated
organizations are concerned There
was only a suggestion that our orgar-
ization send out the notices in order
to protect the landlords. l considered
that it did not pro,ect the landlords,
but that it stirred up strife. The real
object was not to make the tenants va
cate, but rather to bulldoze them into
paying higher rents"
Landlords Honesty Assailed
Mr.. Browne asserted that the ma
tority of landlords were mot mentally
honest" and look ucon all questions
from the "standpoint of their pockets" :"
The committee which is obtaining
data for the Legislature, when il meets
In special session on September 20 to
deal with the housing situation, invited
Alexander c.. McNulty, of the Real Es-
tate Boards legal bureau. to present
asserted that speculative builders who
erect 90 per cent Of the tenement
houses find i imrracticable to do busi-
ness under present conditions.
Mr.. McNulty submitted list of rec
concentrations which he said his board
desired brought be ore the Legislature
The recommendations were:
Repeal or amendment Of the exist
ing rent laws. The board says that its
conviction is that the housing situation
IN New York City will go from bad
to worse unless the Legislature repeals
forthwith the so-callcd new rent law
or passes amendments that render
them inapp!icabIe in certain cases.
from income tax. Entirely exempt in
tcrest on mortgages on real estate
from the operation Of the state in
come tax and use its good offices to
have Congress enact q similar eXemp-
tion from the Federal income tax
"Amend the banking law to bring
interest upon the debentures and other
securities Of the Land Banks clearly
within classifcations of investments
that are exempt from the exemptions
OF the Federal income tax. and to au-
thorize the State Comptroller, in his
discretion, to invest surplus revenues
and other public funds in the securi-
ties of the bank.
Priority Urged for Building Material
"The board urges tie Interstate
Commerce Commission to grant prior
ity of service to shipments cf build
ing material and also to coal billed
to the manufacturers ot such. material.
THE board recommends tho enacting
of amendments to the tenom ant house
law that will permit the ira 1sforma-
tion Of old single family dwellings,
into three or four family tenement
houses. 1t recommends the enacting
of law requiring the licensing of
subjecting their business to reasona-
Bile regulations under state auspices.
ut recommends tha. form Of stat
utory lease be devised that will ad-
just satisfactorily the relations of
landlords and their tenants for the
term Of ono year or less.
The board opposes the following
proposals, which are deemed uneco-
non,ic:
Fixing of rents based on net in
come.
Restrictions as to business build
ings.
Making rent laws more drastic, and
lengthening stays.
"Exempting new housing from taxa
ton.
Repeal of the usury law.
"State or municipal housing"
The committee adjourned to meet
next week at the call Of Senator
Charles G. Lockwood, the chairman.