New-York tribune., 1920-08-15
i'm Laws and
M a kind Badly
Shattered by Tn.
precedented CcntI;.
tions; ''America No
Good Place" !" SAYS
Italian Who Cannot
Get Home for BAN.
bina and Signora

the Italian member of the Commits.
barber. who sDorted silk shir. III
wide colored stripes running IN .ss
down. ''s
Mr.. Wilson was about to ask ub..
that had to do with him or the mat.
under discussion.
Six weeks ago boss, this landlors
take away my bath tub. No bring han
Twenty times | been to his ofice .rs
every time bath tub come to-mor,,s
Hot weather and no can get cold,
His recital of his bath tub trou,i..
brought smile to the faces of ali sv
ccpt the Italian who could not SEE sn,,
humor IN being prevented from takins
bath for whole month in ha
weather. He told the landlord h. h.
would not pay any more rcnt until he
got his old bath tub IA new one
The owner explained that he was ns,
aware of the troubles of his tenant.
and that if they were as bad as IN.
tenants said they were he could M,
understand why they remained in hi,
house.
"No can fed another place, an.
swered the Italian.
why there are any number OF places
between Fortysecond and Fifty-njnth
streets. west of Eighth Avenue" said
the landlord.
81 move right away if YOU find ma
one" retorted the Italian, who showed
in no mistakable manner that he had
stood enough abuse and that his land
lord wanted too much rent for whs.
he had to offer in return.
The climax came when Mr.. Wilson
suggested that S5 be the limit of The
increase. The landlord said that he
would be satisfied with that amount.
The tenants admitted that though i.
was a concession. what they wanted
was rent schedule lower than rha.
which they were paying, one that would
modations in the block. They agreed
however. to the increase of s5 and
were given leases for an entire wear
at that figure. In the leases Mr.. Viii
son inserted that Mr.. Landlord was to
make the repairs which the tenants
claimed were necessary. The owner
agreed to make these. explaining hat
he did not know his house was SO badly
in need of attention.
Help for the Elderly
A kindly looking old grandma came
to the Mayors committee last week TO
find out if she could remain in her
home until she found another home.
"Of course, you can, madam" said
Mr.. Hilly after hearing her story
"Thanks," said the old lady as she
moved out of the press. happy in the
thought that the landlord could not do
all he said. Her face radiated JOY. that
kind of JOY that follows the discovery
that things are not as bad as they ap-
pear.
She said that she had lived through
seventyfve summers and winters. had
passed through number of the crises
of the country. but that the present
one, the lack of homes and the prof
iteering landlord was the worst of all
in her opinion.
81 know nothing about laws, but |
think that laws that work against the
interest of the majority of the people
are not good laws. | have always been
under the impression that law repre-
sented the wish of the larger part Of
the community.
"My landlord is an Italian. A week
before last Christmas he bought the
house. He is backed bv a dozen or
more Italians. None of them has been
moro than five years in the county.
"lf | was a criminal, broke the laws
of the land" she continued. 81 would
be relieved of this terrible anxiety be-
cause the judge would provide me with
a home and maintain me. Heat and
food would be supplied me free of cost.
Of course | do not think any one would
try to get home by depriving them
selves of their liberty, but it is
strange state of affairs when criminals
can have what law-abiding people can
not have"
1T is uD TO Patrolman Sherry to keep
IN check the vehemence of some of the
people who crowd into the committees
rooms every day seeking advice and as
slstance in their housing troubles.
more 'pyrotechnical" gathering than
those which crowd the corridors Of the
Mayors Committee Offices every day
last week could not be found in New
York. Many We're at the brink OF de-
spair and came to the committee in
state of hopelessnes.
With folks of every nation there on
the same mission, all with vengence
hidden or outwardly displayed against
the landlord and the laws which help
him, 1T is pretty delicate work keep
ing excitement under check. This mas
been the job of Officer Sherry since
the inception of the committee. he
has been "op'' for fifteen years ana
knows the psychology Of crowds. Help
fulness has been his method which IS
in keeping with the efforts of MI;
Hilly. who says that the purpose o.
distressed folks of the city.
Officer Sherry knows the rent law
and very often relieves the mind ol
renters and landlords, too, on Their
rights.
Miss Lille Grant is assistant chair
man of the committee. She gives par
ticular attention to helping poo:
women who are opposed by hars
heartened landlords. usually Of ths
foreign type. She takes their story
to Mr.. Hilly. explaining the injustice
which sets the chairman moving 'oI
the relief of these folks Several days
ago Mr.. Hilly got long stays for ses.
eral women in the Municipal Court ~
Bay Ridge. They were unable to es-
plain their cases. Mr.. Hilly, who was
IN the crowd. came before the judge
and after a glance at their papers eA.
planned the cases one after anotnes
TO the judge. who either dismissed the
aaction or gave lone stay Great .n-
justice might have beer done unln-
tentionally by the court had the casa
not been made clear.
Mr.. Hilly's efforts to help settle as
putes has greatly increased the pres
tige Of the committee with both laau.
lord and tenant He has repeateais
gone into court to help tenant ~
tempts at trickery to oust rent psyes.
have been baked time and again p.
the appearance of the chairman OF 'ho
committee in COURT and his explahs.
tion to the judge of what he Kne"I
about the case.