Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-07-28
RENT HOCSFIND
PLENTY TROUBLE;
IN JERSEY CITY
Here S One Place Where
They We Been Licked
Proper

JERSEY CITY, July 28.-This is
the only city in the United States
that ever has staged a municipal
rent strike.
The city has put its strength,
power and weapons behind the ten
ants in war on profiteering land
lords.
Four strikes were called in 1920.
Jersey City and its teneants won
them all. Now another strike has
been called. Landlords are in full
flight
James F. Cannon, Jr., is "the man
behind" in the Jersey City rent
strike. He is director of revenue
and finance and city commissioner.
Cannon is the most cordially liked
and disliked man in town. Land
lords ard real estate owncrs call
him @2he Bolshevik." Tenants =
1900 of whom he saved from evic-
tior Or gouging last year - were so
grateful that they rented the armory
ard gave him testimonial bali.
"You don't need rent laws" says
Cannon. Jersey City hasn't got
any. Neither has New jersey. We
licked the landlords just the same"
Last years rent strikes--and the
strike lust called-havept cost Jer-
sey City - cent in municipal funds.
They haven'& cost the tenants cent.
Landlords got the Supreme court
to decide that he had no right to
spend the city funds in behalf OF
tenants.
Wouldn't Be Tied.
"You can't tie my hands, Cannon
told the Supreme court. The whole
fight cost some money, but Cannon
and the other four city commission
ers dug into their own pockets to
the extent of $500 each.
Here are the weapons Cannon
uses:
Publishes full page newspaper ad-
vertisements.
Boosts tax assessments in cases OF
unjustifiable rent raises.
Invokes city ordinances and police
court penalties.
Floods courts with jury trials.
But the crux of the while thing
is that Cannon is the chief tax
assessor of Jersey City.
GIVE got the bulge on landlords
from the start" he says. 81 jack up
their tax assessments as fast as they
lack up rents. ] boost their taxes
so high that they can't sell their prop
erty. Last year | killed real estate
speculation this way. And speculaa-
ton is the root of the rent hog evil:
"Im not prosecuting landlords. |
consider 10 per cent fair return
on a real estate investment. We've
got a rent bureau at the city hall
and we investigate every case.
We've got every landlord, every flat,
every house in card index system.
We know what each landlords prop
erty is worth, how much he pays
for coal, for upkeep, for repairs
and we know what he's making.
Get Behind Tenants.
s'If we find he contemplates an
unfair raise we tell the tenants to
sit tight and the whole city will get
behind them. We get behind EN-,
too.
'Tf the landlord won't listen to
reason we go cunning for him.
Health inspectors call around every
day. And tenement house inspec-
tors. And electrical inspectors. And
sidewalk inspectors. If they find the
slightest infraction of city ordi-
nance the landlord is hailed into po-
lice court.
"a formidable weapon is the heat
ordinance, which requires mini
mum temperature of 68 degrees dur
ing the winter months. After a land
/ lord has been fined $500 for failure
to keep the home fires burning he
usually comes around and admits
he's licked and wants TO know wha'
we want.
81 tell him: Be good. Reduce
rents and give years leases as an
evidence of good faith. III go 50-5C
by renting your fine.
! "That works every time.
give got the unions back of me
IF there's union button in build
/ ing involved in a rent controversy
the unions refuse to move out the
goods of tenants given notice"