The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-03-08
RENT HOGS IN LOS ANGELES.
Tourist Business Practically Ruined
Eastern Peoples Rushing HomeWard.

The Times recently printed an i'm
portant news item to the effect that the
Santa Fe had added another section to
one of it's eastbound passenger trains
The reason for this addition Is appar-
emit; the eastbound tourist rush has
begun, and six weeks earlier than ever
before. In former years the tourists
came west during the whole OF Febru-
arv and did not begin to scatter to the
north and east until late in March.
What has driven so many of them back
into the lap of winter this yeary Ask
that question of the grasping, prof
iteering landlord and apartment house
keeper. They have done an inealcul-
able injury to the reputation OF Los
Angeles as a winter resort.
Letters come to The Times by the
score complaining of inadequate ac-
commodations and extortionate prices;
and The Times admits that il cannot
understand the source of this sudden
greed for profit on the part of those
who make their living from rentals.
We are well aware that the rent prof
iteers are in a minority; that not all
the owners OF buildings are taking ad-
vantage of temporary shortage OF
houses to extract their pound OF flesh.
But the injury done by these few hum
lseches falls alike upon the innocent
and the guilty. The good name of Los
Angeles has suffered
Thousands of tourists who have been
coming to Los Angeles every winter for,
10, these many years, will never re-
turn. They will spread TO the winds
the reports of the outrageous rents
and rates they were charged here, and
other tourists will 60 elsewhere A few
conseienceless rent profiteers have mo-
mentarily fsttened their purses, but in
doing so they are aiding to damage the
entire community. The real sufferers
are those who make their homes here.
who are in business, either as employ
ers or employees, and who will find their
incomes diminished when the tourists
come no more.
The Times does not speak in this
vein without good reason We could
cite scores of instances of heart break
ing advances in rentals made by rapa-
cious landlords. instances where ho-
tells are charging $40 a day for sim
Eit lncluc IupHiT du lHHldHtt "HtANih q
school teacher who had been paying
s25 a month rent for small room
found that rental boosted by brutal
landlord to So and she did not know
where TO 20. Such a practice Is moth
ing less than legaliEed robbery. And
in most cases called TO our attention
the managers of hotels and apartment
houses where the rents were unjustifi
ably raised held lopg-term leases. The
lessees are not paying a dollar more
than they paid last year, or will pay
next year: but they have taken ad
vantage of the shortage in houses q
double and treble their rents. Such
action is plain. bald profteering.
The Times regrets that no method
has vet been devised for singing out
these rent hogs and holding them w
10 public obloquy A. long as they re
main anonymous they will contlnus
their practice and the innocent viii not
he able TO escape suspicion for having
shared in the guilt We are al aware
however that when public opinion be
eomes focused on some indefensibls
practice in Los Angeles q way j. gen
rrallv found TO expose the perpetra.
tors and TO punish them for their evi
leeds. II NAV De possible % eNposs
hose who have made unfair profits out
4 rentals or subrentals, Just a. a waH
Nas found 10 expose those who were
a disloyal 0r psrsimonious that they
xould not purchase Liberty bonds
Los Angeles Times.