The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-03-04

though the disarmament confer.
ence in Washington accomplishes
all that 1t had aimed to do-that
Is, minimize the possibilities Of war
between nations-the world will not
enjoy absolute peace until the ami
mostly that has existed between
landlord and tenant has been re-.
moved.
Preparations are now under way
in the camps of landlords and ten.
ants to march on Albany and tell
the legislature what 1t should do
with regard to the rent laws, which
expire next fall unless extended
now by the lawmakers. Landlords
are opposed to their extension for
this. that and some 100 othsf rea-
sons. The tenants, backed by city
authorities, judges, civic and social
workers and the Lockwood com.
mittee, will say that the need of
the rent laws has not passed and
they should be extended IL the
health and social peace Of the Com
monwealth are to be preserved.
The laws were passed for the
protection Of tenants who claimed
that without civic control Of the
housing situation they would not
be able to pay for shelter. Land
their purpose, that the emea gency
has passed and the measures are
decidedly one-sided. Tn restric-
lions which the acts have placed
on the house owners, landlords
claim, have given tenants the oppor-
tunity of abusing the helplessness
Of the property-holder.
Discord in Every Country.
Raports from, evarv cornar NJ tho
world tell Of a soimilar discord.
Though the housing condition is new
to most of US, 1t being the first time
in our lives that homes have been
so scarce and rents comparatively
high, It is an old story in the history
of the world. For centuries and CEN
turtles there has been feud between
the house owner and the renter.
How long back this condition has
existed historians have not been able
to trace. But It goes back to days
before Christ, and the feeling Of
bitterness between the two classes
have been traced in the civic history
of nearly every country and some
even before they became civilized.
Edgar ]. Lauer, justice Of hte mu-
nicipal court, and Victor House. as
sistant district attorney for the
Southern district of New York, have
published recently, through Baker.
Voorhis & Co. an interesting volume
entitled The Tenant and His Land
lord" in which the story Of this
feud is told. Justice Lauer and Mr..
House have started, II seems, at the
very beginning and come right up
to the moment, stressing, Of course,
the present state Of affairs. They
have delved into history, and 1t is
interesting to learn that restrictions
were placed on landlords and ten
ants way back in the dark days OF
pagandom, and that in old Japan,
even before Commodore Perry advanc-
ed on the Mikado's land and intro
duced to it the ways of the outside
world, its rulers found II necessary
to regulate the business of house
renting.
THE relation Of tenant and land
lord Is one Of the oldest and prob
ably the most universal OF civilized
society" say Justice Lauer and Mr..
House, and in all civilized communi-
ties the people must be housed.
Housing Is therefore a necessity OF
life. Comparatively few families can
afford to own the homes in which
they live, and therefore they must
have houses supplied to them by
others"
Jews Had Rent Regulations.
The Talmud, the great book Of the
Jews. contains regulations by which
tenant and owner were controlled
Speaking OF these restrictions, which
are much different from those now in
operation, Justice Lauer and Mr.
House saw: I'm the collection Of
religious laws gathered together in
what Is known as the Mishna which
constitutes the basis of the Talmud
we find that the law as to renting
o. houses both for dwelling and bust
ness purposes and Of farm land had
been developed with considerable
care.
I'm respect to farm lands, the
Mishna and later authorities speak
Of two kinds Of tenants: the Arts, or
the tenant on shares, the landlord
receiving one-half, one-third or one.
fourth, and the Hoker. or the ten
ant at a fixed rental, which, in tho
case OF farming land, was usually
payable in a fixed measure Of the
grain to he grown on the land and
less frequently in money.
Dwelling or business houses were.
in the nature Of things, left at fixed
rental in money.
I'm respect to town property, when
a house was let to lodge in 1t
meant for a day; to rest in meant
for two days. and for a marriage,
thirty days. But the unconditional
ordinary letting of a dwelling house
meant, in winter (rainy season., for
the rest OF the season; in summer
till expiration Of a thirty days no.
tice to quit. But this applied only
IN a town dr); in a large commercial
city (kerak), when the demand for
houses was so great, a notice had to
be given twelve months in advance.
This also was the rule for all shops,
for a tradesman had to have ample
time to make his new place Of ousi-
ness known to his customers. The
tenant had in each case to give as
long a notice to rid himself Of the oh.
legation for rent as the landlord had
to give to him.
Where the letting was for fixed
time no notice was given by either
party. Where house was let under
notice OF implied length only, without
specified terms the rights Of the ten.
ant, while the notice to quit was
running out, were not secure against