New Britain herald., 1920-02-25
May Ask Council to Enact Ordinance to Prevent Landlords From Making Unfair Demands.
SHOWS HOW SOME ARE
 MAKING MORE MONEY

A1IdSLLC dCJlOH VIII De taken the common council to curb rent profit eering if an ordinance which Mayor George A. Quigley has under consid- , eration and will probably recommend following a consultation with the cor poration council at the March meeting of the council, receives the backing of other members of that body. The mayor has personally conducted an investigation of the properties and rents of one of the city's leading kickers against the proposed high tax rate for the coming year. and fig ures compiled by him have been sub nitted for publication. He takes cx- ception to a statement given out by the New Britain Taxpayers associa- ton yesterday to the effect that the increases in rentals have been due to the Quigley administration and lack of sound business judgment upon the part of commissioners named by him during his term of office and his fig ures, he contends, will show just how |, the rents have been raised and who is to be benefited by the increases.
 shameful Profteering."
 The property owner and landlord in question is the owner of three three tenement houses in the southeastern section of the city which comprise in all. 24 tenements. Some time ago a petition sign ed by each of the families was received by the mayor requesting that something be done to prevent the shameful profiteering alleged to have existed in those properties. As a result, the mayor investigated and he substantiates the statement today, that there has been shameful proti- teering in that instal ce.
 Reference to the books in tlet office of the board of assessors shows an assessment of $31,6 500 in 1919 upon which taxes were levied at the rate of 21 mills on the dollar. The land lords contribution ito the city was s6636o This year the properties have been jumped S2,000, making the assessment $SS.600. Figuring his taxes at a rate of 30 mills On the dol lars. his charges this year would be $1,OoS. an increase over 1919 of S344.40.
 Boosted All Tenants
 During the past year, 16 of the A tenements were boosted $7 per month and the remaining eight tenants paid an increase of $S iocr month. The in4 creases for the first group totalled Sl,544 during the year and in the case of the second group, the added charges were s76S. The rental i'm ct tracted from this is the increased tax of s3444O, which leaves a net gain, over the proposed increases in tax rate, of $1,767.60.
 The tenements were rented before the increases became effective as fol- ows: 16 Apa rtments at SIS per x month, $3,456: 8 apartments at $2o per month. $1,e20; total of all. $5.- 376 Since the increases became ef- fective the order has been as folloWs: 16 apartments at $25 per month, $4,- 800: 8 tehements at $2S per month. $2,6SS: total, $7.4SS. The increase of rental was $2,112.
 Some Increases Legitimate.
 "There are legal increases in rents" the mayor has said. but some of the men who are leading in the protest against the higher tax rate, as proposed by the board of finance ana taxation, are the ores who are cb- taining the great profit. In answer ing the statcm ent that his adnlinis- tration had been responsible for the increases in city expenses, the mayor said it should be taken into consider ,ation that approximately 12 mills s eaten up by the increases in salaries alone So that all may hear, he urges all citizens to attend the city meet ing Friday night in the Grammar school auditorium. ''rhe Quigley ad- rainistration has nothing to conceal, the mayor states.
 RegardinS the anti-rent prohteerlng ordinance, it will be necessary to con- suit the corporation counsel before It can be decided just how far such ruling can go Variations of a similar rule are in effect in several cities in New York state. It was intimc ted that an effort will be made to have incorporataI in the ordinance a clause whereby all landlords will be forced to slow sufficient cause before an ln- crease can become effective.
 Another PTofitcef
 The Aoard of assessors mas necn parent rent prC1tcoring. \ tenant called at the Cfficc and exhibited letter from his landlord in which he was told that assessments had been -hoosted 8 1-3 per cent. and it would be necessary. cCI SC sequently, to increae reAtals nearly 25 per cent When the properties were looked up in the books of the assessors office, it was found t1se no increases in assess mcnts had Teen made.
 McMahon Waxcs Warm.
 F. S McMahon, spokesman of the Taxpayers association, has a few caustic words to offer today with reference to the activities of the board of public works. Had the request of