The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-07
M'CUE USES Big d.
TO REBUKE HOUSERS
Fiery Assemblyman Stuns
Auditors at Realty Owners
Meeting at AstOr.
CITY TAX GROWTH SCARES
Browne Suggests New Basis to
Write Reasonable Rents
Into Housing Laws.

With the aid of two explosive "da}nns"
so scientifically delivered that they
stunned without shocking the women
who heard them Senator-elect Marty
McCue expressed his opinion in the col
<se room of the Hotel Aston last night
of persons who go TO Albany for right
eous rent laws and forget to see the
plain Assemblyman while fooling around
with speakers and mere party leaders,
The meeting of men and women land
'ords. and a few tenants was held for
consideration of amendments to the rent
laws passed by the Legislature last
April. Ii had been called by the United
Real Estate Owners Association, whose
president, Stewart Browne, presided.
After listening to liberal denunc!ation
of the Legislature and the laws, Assem-
b'yman McCue. who once was a pugilist
and who made q hit in the Assembly
last winter with a speech against the
Socialists, arose and boiled over.
For his part. he said, he did not k,.ow
what he was voting on when he took
part in passing the laws. and he never
saw a printed copy of the bills until
weeks after adjournment. Others were
Just as ignorant, he said. For this con-
dition he blamed the real estate owners.
Recalls Riot in Assembly.
you and the rest OF you." he said,
waving toward Stewart Browne. turned
the Assembly chamber into a bowling
hellhole one afternoon You went to the
Speaker and the leader of the AS
senlbly all of one political faith, but ro-
body approached me-. You thought they
We're all powerful, but you found out.
Let me tell you that when you threw
home rule out of the window you got
what you deserved This year it'll be
damn good thing for you to have a little
talk W tn the legislator from your own
home district. I want to tell you it's
damn aggravating to see landlords and
tenants busting into the Speakers room
or the leaders room and not paying any
attention to your own Assenblyman
we are no mind readers, and we
aren't dummies either Think it over
Why don't you that come from my
district come to me and say, Here.
Marty, old pal, here's the meat in this
nutshell Then I'd have something to
say and I'd 30 home feeling I'd dom
something. You don't get anywhere b.
attending hearings or bowling agains'
each other CT making fillums for
moving picture show. It makes me
tired for you all powerful interests In
New York. you big voting interests tc
come here and say that something was
put over on you an Albany. ltS not
10 your credit. let me tell you that
My advice is stop abusing your legis-
ator; get down to bareback and brass
tacks with him and you'll find he'll
try to do the best he can"
When Mr.. McCue finished, amid ap-
p,ause, electric fans were turned on and
he cooled off gradually.
Wants Rent written Into Law.
Stewart Browne predicted that In
seven or ten years New York would
have a billion dollar budget unless eS
travagance was stopped. He would nave
the rent laws so amended as to require
protesting tenants to pay to the land
lord the same rent money as he paid
before the lawsuit, the surplus, In case
of Judgment against the landlord, to
be deducted from the later rentals. He
also said the definition of reasonable
rent should be written into the law and
not left to the discretion of the court.
IL should be based, he said. on the
original purchase price Of the property.
its assessed value, improvements. de-
probation and an allowance of 10 per
cent. profit to the owner.
Aaron j. Levy, Municipal Court jus
tice. described the laws as cumbersome
and unsatisfactory. confusing and clog
cling the courts rather than aiding. He
said that 90 per cent of the litigation
could Lave been avoided if tenants had
not been advised to sit tight and pay no
rent ]. w. Hilly. chairman OF the May
or's Rent Committee defended the com
mittee and the laws.