New-York tribune., 1920-05-07

tion Of rent paid prior to April 1st.
1920. and If SO, where is YOUR anthor;ty,
"2 Do you claim jurisdiction over
rents payable under written leases
MADE az prior TO, or (c) subsequent to
Aprii ist, 1920, but effective subsequent
to such date?
CHAP. 1872 AND t3s
The same questions as under Chap.
TERM LEASES
"How are you at present. and how
do you In future intend, exercising dis
cretlon over 3, and 10 year leases.
expiring in 1920. and to be renewed for
one year or more?
COURTS DUTY
"My idea is that discretion shou,d bs
exercised to U) keep tenants where
they are for at least IL months and
under rents which will give square
deal to landlord and tenant (irrespect-
I've of technicalities). (2) A rent that
equals but does not exceed rentals in
same ne ghborhood. (S) A rent that
pays at least 10 per cent (should be
Is1s per cent? on owners equity. a.
Where tenant pleads he can't afford to
pay certain rent he should be exam
ined as to his pre-war and present
income.
ut is the courts duty to act rs
arbitrator and do justice to both
Great is the courts responsibility and
great IS Its opportunity to aIlay the
present unrest.
Faithfully yours.
STEWART BROWNE.
President"
Insult to Bench, Says Panken
Il think this letter is an insult to
every member of the Municipal Court
bench" said Justice Panken. "It car
rles with it the idea that the Judges
OF the Municipal Court do not know
their duty and are ignorant in the
law |, for one, resent this communica-
tion very. much and take this oppor-
tunity of expressing my resentment
publicly. So far as I am concerned I
40 not care to attend any meetings
called by the United Real Estate Own
ers' Association unless an apology is
Forthcoming from them"
justice Panken heard more than 500
cases of disputes between tenants and
landlords yesterday. In none of the
cases were any eviction warrants is
sued or authorized. Most of the cases
were settled in court and only few
were held over for trial. The court
disposed OF the cases in quick fashion,
devotlng between five and ten minutes
to case. All of the disputants seemed
satisfied. In one case, involving dis
pute over an increase in rents between
a landlord and several Allen Street
residents, the court was informed that
the landlord withdrew the increase
effective May / and postponed it until
June, in view of the fact that Justice
Panken is a Socialist, and the landlord
feared he would not authorize the in
crease while sitting in the Second Dis
trict of the Municipal Court during the.
month of May.
Justice Panken grew irate on being
Informed of this.
Protects Interests Of All
"I want everybody to know" he
said. that while l sit here or any
where else, both landlords and tenants
will have their just rights and in
terests protected"
Judge Panken ordered the evidence
in the case impounded and transcribed"
"for the information of the judge who
will follow here next month"
Justice Panken pointed out that both
landlords and tenants have reposed
confidence in him and offered as proof
the. fact that the greater New York
Tax Payers Association, members of
which own more than $4,000 pieces of
property on the East Side, and the
Tenants League, an organization of
more than $4,000 East Side dwellers,
have chosen him as arbitrator in all
disputes between them.
Louis Ruhe, bird and animal dealer
at Grand Street and the Bowery, ~ap-
peared before Justice Panken and
asked him to compel the tenants at 351
Bowery, of which Ruhe is the owner,
to move. Ruhe told the court that he
needed the house for his birds and
animals.
"I think it is more important to pro-
vide a home for human beings than
for birds and animals" said Justice
Panken, "and while you have a right to
demand that your tenants vacate your
property, | do not intend to permit
their eviction. They will stay there un-
til they can find another place to go
to-" Justice Panken gave the tenants
sixty days to find new quarters.
1000 Tenants to Remain
Nearly 1000 tenants were present in
the Sd District Municipal Court before
Justice William Murray, in West Six
ty-fourth Street, on demands brought
by landlords who wished to have the
tenants speedily dispossessed for va
rious reasons. In nearly all of the
cases the court decided in favor of the
tenants. Justice Murray told the ten
ants they could remain in their pres
ent quarters until October /, if they
80 desired.
In few cases, in which the tenants