New-York tribune., 1911-03-01
CONGESTION INCREASING
commission Recommends Fur
ther Restrictions on Buildings.
SUGGESTS NEW TAX METHOD
,,roes New Subway and the Ter
mination of Perpetual Tran
sit Franchises.

--ro New York city tOUH-SSlon uH Noi4-
-, of Population sent its report yes
80 10 the Mayor and Board of Alder
The commission was appointed last
a., and although no appropriation was
,,a,ed IL by the city twenty-one meet
- we're held by the general commission
- eftv-one by the various committees
-hpe 1sf witnesses were examined.
-r,o report first called attention 10 the
a., that the present law permitted an
'.5i,arv six story tenement house dem
- If 800 persons 10 the acre. In 1900 II
- slightly more than one-siXth Of the
.~,sl population OF the city had homes
s.tovy 1ith street and occupied about one
.,-btv-seventh OF the city's total area. In
or slightly under one-sixth of the popu-
ton lived below 18th stree, but the dem
st., of the .2nS acres in that section had
,rrreased in the fve-year period by IL
an acre
II, 1910 nearly one-thirteenth Of the city's
rorulation was living at a density Of over
en- ~ the acre. From 1905 70 1910 the dem
ei,v an acre in Manhattan increased l56;
:, The Bronx. 61: in Brooklyn, 90; in
QUEENS. 4 and in Richmond, 8. The aver
sre increase for the entire city was S.6.
II va pointed out that the congestion
On the East Side. despite the recent tene-
nent house. legislation. was steadily IN
c~easing in 1e05 there were IN Manhattan
zoo blocks with a density of 80 or over an
acre: SO Of these decreased in density from
Iq0s 10 1910. while 60 increased
Overcrowding was not confined to Man
haitian alone. according TO the report, for
IN The Bronx and Brooklyn many rooms
were discovered having from three 10 five
occupants Three blocks in The Bronx
had in 1910 a density Of more than 600 to the
acre. and one a density OF 653. In the 10th
Ward Of Brooklyn. in 1910. the average
density an acre for twenty-three blocks
was 401 while one block had a density Of
so and another 495. The average density
~ the entire ward increased by 90 in five
years. and in 1910 was 27S.S an acre.
The report then discussed at some length
the evil economic results Of overcrOwding,
which caused an increase in rents; the de-
pl0rable moral results, especially as far as
Juvenile delinquency was concerned, and
serious physical results. Investigation
showed conclusively that where the great
est density was there would be found also
the largest number OF deaths and the most
sickness.
The Causes of Congestion.
The main causes OF congestion, the COM
mission believed, were poverty, contentra-
tion Of factories and Offices. the consolida-
zion OF the rve b0rOughs. the intensive use
o. land necessitating its high price, the
lack Of control over aliens and citizens. the
long working hours. the cost Of transit and
the transit policy 0f the city. the lack OF
q definite city plan. the present systems
Of taxation. the methods Of public and pri-
vate charities. the failure Of the city 70
adopt a policy which would attract per-
sons 20 the outlying boroughs, immi-
grafton and the failure 70 distribute and
control the immigrants.
In the opinion Of the commission New
York was FAR behind foreign cities and
other cites Of America IN solving the prob
lem OF congestion. The most effective
methods used ay these cities. according 70
the repo,t were restrictions on the height
Of buildings. the designation OF the pro-
oor-ion " the lot area they might occupy
and system Of districtins cities by which
the numurr OF stories and the proportion
OF the lot area the buildings might occupy
only low buildings being permitted IN the
outlying districts.
The commission recommended four I'M
portant innovations as remedies for the
present conditions in this ci.y:
That no building hereafter 70 be erecte1,
in Manhattan south Of the south slle ol
Islsr street shall exceed a cubage or volume
Of IA times the area Of the lot ana INA
no building be altered 20 eX.eeU IN. T..
cubage. that no building hereafter TO p'
erected in any part OF New YORK 10y C.ty
except in Manhattan, south or the sOuL
SIDE Of 1ast street shall exceed a cuDagt
or volume Of 10 times the area OF the 10y
and thar no building in this district shdl
Te Altered 10 exceed this cubaee; ina
every building over four stories. or nifty re-. zee
IN height. 70 De occupied az q factory. lolt
warehouse or other miscellaneous build
ings be Of freproof construction. ana ina
no factory or loft building hereafter 70 %
erected shall exceed a Cupage or Volum
Of l32 times the area Of the lot and tn4
no building hereafter altered 10 exceed tlI
cubage or volume shall be used for factor!
or loft purposes.