New-York tribune., 1910-04-04
TO PREVENT CONGESTION
Committee Evolves Nine Meas
ureS to Solve Problem.

N''e essential measures are proposed BY
'i-e committee or Congestion of Population
'' -Ne" hork IN a report now being com
I''ed ior publication ard circulation which
me committee believes will go far toward
prlhglnS about the object for which IL was
FORMED. Tho committee IS advocating "A
municipal commission on the prevention Of
! congestion and state commission on the
distribution of population
II Its latest report the work takes tan
giOie form in the Recommendation that ten
enent houses must be smaller and Yards
larger that rooms must be larger: that
land must be kept avaiiably cheap: that
new methods OF taxation must be adopted;
that the law regarding overc-owding must
he enforced; that the tenement house law
should encourage the construction OF low
tenement houses: that the city should &C
qulre land for its purposes early, before
speculation increases the cost. that popu-
lation must be mere generally distributed.
and that living wages must bc paid.
The committee believes that land must be
kcpt svailably cheap by restricting heights
and increasing ward areas and b. placing
such heavy progressive tax upon the In
crease i'm tho land value that prospective
purchasers Will oe prevented from paying
speculative prices based upon expected con-
gestion or demand. New methods OF taxa
tion must be adopted, according to the re
port. 10 obtain from accumulated wealth
the support of government now obtained
from wage earners who are attempting 10
exist or an actual annual deficit.
The. civ should obtain all TIE land II
needs for marks. school sites and other pub
lie purposes immediately. whether by eN-
cess condemnation through "A permanent
condemnation court or in the open market
The committee also proposes that immi-
grants who cannot maintain themselves IA
the city and who are a menace TO public
health and most easily exploited should not
be permitted TO settle In oongested sections.
but that more efforts should be made 20 got
them started on farms and in small com
munities throughout the state.
That living wages must be paid il over
crowrdinc, in rooms Is 20 bo prevented is the
opinion or the committee. whose report
saws that il is absolutely essential that
wage Garner receive wages sufficient 20
maintain himself without paving an abnor-
NAL and cruel proportion OF his income for
rent.
European methods OF preventing conges-
ton OF population and relieving conditions
or congestion have been studied by the com
miftee and section OF the report x oe-
voted 20 n discussion Of these methods
some cities arc divided into zones OF dis
t~icts in which al buildings may he only
certain height and cover 4 certain proper
tion of tho area Of tho lot. England re
Gently adopted a town planning bill Tie
prohibition 81 factories iu certain districts
prevents the rnassinE Of population i'm Al
ready CouCested sections Some countries
REQUIRE, that there shall be q given space
for each occupant Of roorc-
According TO the report. the foreign c"un-
tries which are most successfully prevent
ing congestion levy = progressive tax upon
tho Increase in land values and exempt
small dwelling houses from taxation. Mu-
ricfpal construction and ownership and
night inspection Of tenement houses are
productive Of good results in many foreign
cities.
The report is being compiled by the conf
r7ittee's executive board. Of which Pro
fessor Frank J. Goodnow is chairman. John
II Bennett is treasurer and Benjamin =
Marsh is executive secretary.