New Britain herald., 1920-07-24

Shamrock has gwen ne" lIe 'o 'hS boysh sport of sailing immature yachts. A number of youths with sporting blood in their veins have succumbed to the call of the salt and have built stately little craft which are being sailed on ponds and streams in different parts of the city. Some of the boats show the result of patient planning and building, while ohers were launched with great haste.
 According to tradition, the average American boy of past generations could dexterously whittle smart looking craft out of any ordinary piece of wood. Those were in the days when the large part of the ma tion'S population lived on or near the sea coast and before the exodus to the west. Fast clipper ships ploughed their way through the waves and around the Horn and every well brought up American youth could tell the difference between balloon jib and sky'sl. It is probable that the American boy of today would be con- founded if asked to describe a sail ing vessel. But you could not stick him on the parts of an Automobile. Something else We can blame Henry Ford for.
 
 The report of the special commit tee Investigating the rent situation in this city is interesting to the extent that it officially recognizes a general tendency on the part of landlords to charge extortionate rentals, well knowing that the tenants will be un- able to find relief by moving to other quarters. The committee pursued a n i'm St any interference with property rights. as it is one of the fundamentals of our government that private property must enjoy immunity from, seizure long as the owner does not trespass on the rights of his neighbor or his property is not needed for public inn provements.
 Among the distressing features Of the report Is the statement that "it was our experience that any action on our part to attempt to relieve the conditions was immediately followed by a notice to the tenant 10 quit pos session of the tenement" This shows to what extent landlords can over step the bounds and outrage their feIlowmen without fear of being punished.
 IL is no new revelation the com mittee lakes when it says that "in all cases investigated the income from the property was out of all pro- portion to the assessed valuation" This. it is explained, is because the assessments have not been increased proportionateIy. One remedy would he the appointment of a permanent committee which could advise with the board of assessors. but without power to increase property assess ments. to which tenants can complain of uncalled-for increases in rents The assessors could then act in the fall to increase the assessment. thus bringing into the city treasury some of the iil-gotten gains of the profi- t"cring landlord. Certainly something must be done to protect tenants against some property owners The real solution. or course wouId he tbe construction of homes and if wouId not be a bad idea to embody in any campaign in this direction the recom- mendation of the committee to en- courage building by offering a spe- cial rebate on taxes during a certain period.
 Another feature of the rent sftua- tion was brought to light in the re- port that many tenants complain, not because of the high rent, but be- cause of the poor condition of the tenement These complaints were nearly always just. Where a small expenditure would make tenement comfortable and homelike the land lord would refuse to make this ex- penditure. In instances where inn pTovements were made the rent was raised so that the yearly increase in income would he several times the amount of money paid out for the inn provements."
 This latter practice was common and many tenants were forced to pay for every jot of improvements made and some money besides. The crown ing crime was the ejection of ten ants who made improvements at their own expense. A case of this nature was recently called to the attention of the writer. A tenant had worked many hours after his daily labor had been concluded 10 improve the | appearance of the house he occupied. soon after the improvements had been completed, his landlord strolled around with cigar in his mouth. ! cast an appra is:ng and critical eye | over the property. remarked that it was in excellent condition and | thought that the tenant. therefore. ! should he willing to pay more rent. The Observer believes the commit tee is too optimistic in it's statement
 that '-conditions are acute but not
 critical" They could not be much
 worse. Here is question for some
 of our legal lights to answer: In ! s, q, |