New-York tribune., 1920-10-31

Tho concilintion committee estab-
lished by Justice John Davies in his
court in West l25th Street to mediate,
nibitrate or adjust differences between
landlord and tenant in matters Of rent
has been entirely successful. Although
the committee has been arbitrating only
since tho first Of tho month, or since
the last rent laws became operative. it
has settled 400 cases to the satisfac-
tion of landlord and tenant, referring
back to Justice Davies only one case,
which Captain Goldsmith, chairman.
claims had to be adjudged rather than
adjusted, because neither side would
entertain arhitrAtinE the dispute.
Justice Davies is the first Municipal
Court justice to introduce an expedient
other than legal pressure for restoring
peace between landlord and tenant
Other justices no doubt are watching
the success OF his conciliation board
If time shows il to be as satisfactory
an eXpedient as it has been in the last
few weeks it is likely that mediation
committees or bodies Of civil nature
viii be established in other municipal
courts TO Facilitate the restoring Of
peace in the dwellings, of the city
Sure Folks Are Willing TO Settle
The Cancellation committee Is the
personifcation of q conclusion which
Justice Davies arrived ut a long time
ago as result Of observations made
during the hearing Of thousands OF
rent cases in his court in West l25th
Street
Despite the hauteur Of landlord or
tenant, stinging relorts and denuncia-
tions, Justice Davies on many occa-
sions detected a willingness on the
settle the matter. Even before the
Legislature came TO the assistance Of
rent payers and passed the first batch
of restrictions last spring. Justice
Davies, following the suggestion which
ne detected time after time in rent
cases, often took the landlord and the
complaining tenants into his room and
permitted them to settle their dispute
rather than have him decide it for
them as q Judge.
When the new amended rent laws
became operative on the first Of the
month. reposing Great jurisdiction on
the Municipal Court justices Of the
city, he decided to test more fully the
merits of his observation. He felt
certain that in many cases that would
come before him settlement could be
secured if folks could talk the matter
over. The success which he had at
round table talks with the disturbing
factors assured him that board Of
concil atorS or moGiatOrs would be i'm
menscly successful, because, after all,
rent disputes are akin in many ways to
/ family troubles, which cannot be set
tied by outsiders.
1t Is not the gift Of every one to
have composurc sufficient to permit one
to think clearly and tell one story
to q Judge and jury before a courtroom
full o. people. The merits Of a case
are not TO be had from bewildercd
person, and often because Of inability
to tell story clearly there is mis-
carriage Of justice. This Was strong
factor in urging Justice Davies 10 form
civil body to TAX over matters with
owner and tenant, body which each
side knew was not clothed with author
ity that WAS to be feared.
Arbitrator Man of Many Sides
Captain Charles A Goldsmith, who
had served with the navy in France as
an intelligence officer, is manufacturer
Of cement ware and was a member oi
/ the Mayors Committee on Rent Profit
eering when Nathan Hirsh was chair
man, is the chief oonciliator of the
committee. Alfred Kehoe. a civil engi-
neer with Warren & Wetmorc, archi-
tects, and Albert Bernardik, lawyer, OF
309 Broadway, are the others who ac-
cepted Justice Davies's invitation tc
settle disputes arising between tenants