New-York tribune., 1922-12-27
Landlords Lax
With Heat Are
Heavily Fined
500 Total Imposed on
Two Owners; Magistrate
Says Shortage Is No Ex-
cuse for Evading Duty
Sixty Days Is Alternative
Drummond Calls Move TO
Dust Him as Brooklyn
Administrator ''Noise"

Landlords, q is promised. win hnd Il
more profitable 70 furnish adequate
heat for their tenants, despite the coal
scarcity, than % face prosecution for
wilfully violating the heat and hot
water provisions Of the penal code.
1hssd on the sxpsrisnes yesterday Of
the first two landlords 70 be convicted.
the saving, no matter what the price
Of coal, Is bound 10 be considerable.
Maglstrstes John E. Mecsehsn, In
the Morrisania court, the Bronx, and
George W. Simpson. IN the Municipal
Term court, heard the eases and I'M
posed fines totsling 500.
Jacob solotorof, Of 81 East 1924
Street. viii pay $500, unless he chooses
the slternativs Of spending sixty days
IN the workhousa. he pleaded guilty
before Magistrate Simpson 10 two
charges Of failing to furnish sufficient
heat In four houses he owns, 4, q
and East 10sth Street
Had Previous Conviction
solotorof, who has q previous con
vietion against him for . similar Of
tense, came before Magigtrate Simp-
son a week ago on complaint OF In
speetor William J. KirsehneE. Of the
Health Department. The inspector
said SolotoroH, on December 2. bad
only one ton Of coal IN the cellar for
all four houses and since than only
ak tons have been put IN. The land
lord pleRded he had been unable 20
get coal. The MagistrIte replied the
pFesent shortage was no excuse and
that the landlord should have seen 70
his coal requirements last summer.
Solotoroh was given a weeks ad-
lournment % prepare proof OF his ef-
forts 20 get coal. but when these were
not forthcoming yesterday he PLEADED
ruiltv 20 both charges In imposing
sentence the magistrate said:
an the absence Of any evidenee
,hoVing the efforts made By the de-
fsndant 10 secure coal II IL apparent
that he dld nothing but walt until the
winter was upon us A ! pointed out
last week, Il is not enough for land
lord 70 say that he cannot get coal
now.
EFFORT when be hrst learned there was
going 10 be a coal shortAgeI There
are seventy-tvo tenants In these Tour
houses and the fact the defendant hao
only one ton Of coal In the cellars OF
these buildings on December last
indicates he gave no thought wnst,
aver TO these tenants. Besides, ne nad
been convicted before Of similar
ohenfe."
Apartment Landlords Warned
Tho othsY hns Of 500 was assetsed
nv Magistrate MeGeehsn against Ed
ward HoitE. OF $40 West 14tth Street
oWner Of the factory building at 4S4-
40 East i6Bth Street II was testl-
sed the heat provided YES insufficient.
samuel Levine, one Of the tenants
toid the court he had gotten ten tons
of coal FOR the building after Holz
had protested he could not get any
bat the landlord had refused TO reim-
burse him. -
A number OF apartment house lard
lords were also before Magistrate Nc
Ceshan. who. before adjourning their
eases for investigation, announced ne
would impose the maximum hne OF
$500 In each case unless the conditions
complained Of we're remedied.
There was no indication at the Fuel
Administration that landlords could
not get some coal II they were willing
10 take steam-size anthracite or
biturninous. The coal situation gener-
ally has not changed 70 any great eI.
tent. Il was said, although the mild
weather and failure OF snow storms TO
natsrialize have aided materially in
preventing acute suffering.
The agitation for the removal OF
Samuel J. Drummond, Brooklyn fuel
administrator, begun a few days sgo by
civic leagues in that borough, was
eharacserized yesterday by that ofhcial
a. mostly noise" Az the once Of the
State Fuel Administration Il was point
I'D out that Donald ]. Sweeney. chair