The New York herald., 1922-05-21

owner says nothing for fear that the
Housing Commissioner will discover that
he has been trying to charge too much
rent. so the tenant sits happily In his
apartment
He Is. moreover. spared the terrible
fear of eviction that the American ten
ant has to take into consideration when
he adopts Gandhi resistance methods In
regard to his monthly rent bills. There
is a law in Italy that nobody can 5e
evicted from the house he is occupying
until the year 1929.
Moreover. when landlord has clear
case against a defaulting tenant and
tries. with the permission of the Hous-
ing Commission to clear him oct. he
generates an .insurrection. Notice is
required to be given to the tenant three
days before the eviction and is also pub
lished in the newspapers Then the
Tenants Association notifies all Its
members, who come on the appointed
day armed with canes, broomsticks and
mops. The landlord and police find
themselves facing formidable army
and decide not to do any evicting that
day.
In certain parts of Italy, tho Fascist.
whose chief characteristic Is a desire to
brandish their walking sticks for any
local cause. have become the champions
of prosecuted tenants. and the morning
assembly of the Tenants Association Is
given the appearance of a small army.
The Fascist and ex-soldiers who per-
form this service are paid out of the
funds of the Tenants Association.
Home Is Real Castle.
In Italy to-day It is literally true that
mans house is his castle. Protected
by law, by public sentiment and by the
inertia which Is characteristic of life
here. the tenant Is scarcely TO be
budged. In one instance a landlord on
the Corso Umberto was anxious to get
an inside apartment In his house. He
offered q tenant who was occupying
small court apartment another at the
front of the building with eight rooms
and kitchen for the very small rent
of 275 lire a month. The tenant refused
this offer and blandly demanded $4,000
lire as the price for giving UP his rooms.
Possession is nine points of the law In
the scramble for a corner of space. a
wounded veteran who stook his young
wife for Sunday excursion returned to
find the room which they shared with
another couple occupied by seven adults.
who had moved in with as much furni-
ture as they could cram into the room
and were determined to occupy the fort
ress against the veteran. He appealed
to his association. which had to pull
many political strings before he and his
wife were finally reinstated.
There is a network of leagues and
associations throughout Italy for the
solution of the housing crisis. The
workers have formed many cooperatives
rfyt.- 6xsor nac
the capital to the workers cooperatives
at 3 per cent. and has freed their new
houses of taxes for thirty years. Also
the materials used in building are ex-
empt from taxation. After the houses
are up the various members pay 200 or
800 lire month into the funds OF the
cooperative, which pays back the Gov
ernment loan. At the end of twenty
years the members of the cooperative
own their own homes.
There are various other privileges
enjoyed by the workers. For instance,
a cooperative of railroad workers con-
structing an apartment house are given
free transportation for their materials
Helps Middle Classes.
The National Tenants League.
founded in Milan in 1920, has been the
champion or the mldule Classes u nis
found plenty to do. from defeating
evicted tenants to opposing unfavorahe
legislation and studying the technical
and social problems of housing Find
ing that the very rich and the very poor
were the best protected in regard to
houses, the Tenants League has organ
lied cooperative society for leasing
and buying houses for the average ctti'
zen. The league has also formed a
commission of tenants and landlords to
study the situation together and attempt
to work out a solution.
Considerable support is being given
the proposition now before the Chamber
of Deputies for a law giving tenants In
apartments security of tenure until 1880.
The proposed law provides that no in
crease Of more than so per cent. In the
rent for these apartments can be made
during the entire eight years. The bill
was introduced by group OF Socialists
headed by the we'll known Tureti, and
there is possibility that 1t may be
passed. The bill would also provide
large public fund for subsidizing
building.