The Renting Racket To the Baltor of the "Norri-Ciwa Dany News"
Si—Moy I presume upon your hospitality in utilizing the valuable columns of your esteemed paper in relating my experiences whilst apartment hunting Apparently there are a lot of people taking advantage of the serious shortage in accommodation in this city, ud are bent upon making hay while the sun shines, In my search, for an apartment I've used your advertising columns as a tulde, only to find that every apart ment available must be "taken over with furniture" with the result that people are asking "fabulous prices Fanging from $2,000 to $9,000 for a three roomed apartment." Surely the authorities concerned can do. some: thing to put an end to this "racket," Ts absolutely "disgraceful, and one wonders what Shanghat is coming to, As if adding insult to injwy a number of "aytencies" have caught on to the idea, and are using your advertising columns to attract apartment seekers. These "agencies" have every right to expect a legitimate commission, but when they start wilh "key money" and other forms of Dlackmait, well then it's time to call T could till pages on this subject, dealing with "apartment brokers" "caretakers" and what have you each one is out for his "pound of flesh" and unless one submits to this form of "racketeering" one is left without an ananment and remains Shanghai, Nov, 25, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (continued)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.