New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-16
Condemns Building Big
Flats on Cheap Land
Such Tencments with Four Families on Each Floor a
Dctriment to the Health and Morals of the
Tenants-Committee Trying to Help
3-Family House Construction.

To bearings which the three family
,.rss committee Of the Advisory Coun-
~ - Real Estate Interests have been
h,l8;rc 20 learn the opinions and sd-
to- - real estate owners, architects
- hp;'iers with regard 20 encourag-
DC the construction Of three-fsmily
,.r,ss Will be continued during the
.rrn;er. Il was practically impossible
to-thls committee 10 arrive at any con
.,rs,ors which might be embodied into
,,w owing 20 the brief session OF the
last Legislature.
Vowever, considerable information
.rd advice have been CLEANED at the
hearings which have occurred every
uo-dsv since February. The work Of
h,s committee. consisting OF Cyrus {.
MILLER. chairman, Frank Bailey, Edward
r BIru. William VI Calder and Fred
AZ, 3. Pratt was divided into two sub
divisions: First, 20 ascertain whether
Il would be profitable 10 construct
,bree-farily house at the present time,
and simultaneously conforming TO
n-orcr regulations for hygienic hous-
ipr. ventilation and light. In this re-
pec. architects and builders OF recog
nized merit were requested TO submit
Mans for three-family houses.
The second subdivision was TO cover
The many one-family houses which to-
6,y exist IN the several boroughs, in
order 70 ascertain whether il would be
proAtabls and practicable TO alter or
remodel these houses, so as 70 make
them accommodate two, three or four
families. In It's deliberations the co.,
ml..ee was Immediately confronted
with the fact that the two and three
family house was passing away in the
bcrourhs Of Manhattan, Brooklyn and
TIE Bronx. Since the housing Of people
in multi-family tenement houses in
ereases tie percentage of citizens who
feel no direct interest in government,
and is apt 20 be accompanied by all OF
the evils Of overcrowding, il was evil
dent that any movement which would
be'p 10 increase the number Of land
owners and to spread the population
over q larger area should be encour-
aged. The ambition TO own their own
homes is common to all people, and this
desire should be gratiied whenever
economic conditions permit.
4 number Of reasons have been as
signed for the decline in the erection
of three-family houses, which are
eanomic. social and legal. In the lat
ter respect il has been constantly as
serted that certain provisions Of the
tenement house law might be modified
so as 20 decrease the cost Of construc-
ton Of these houses. From general OBJ
servation there would seem 20 be no
difficulty in making q three-family
house nav where the lot values are
from $500 10 $1,000, but the question
IL a much closer one where lot values
are from $1,000 70 81 500. From $1,000
10 s.. 500 it is hardly possible TO make
them pay. and from $500 up 1t seems
10 be impossible.
Shortly before the Legislature I'D
iourred il was deemed advisable by
the members OF the three-family-
house committee OF the ADVISORY
Council 90 consider whether or not II
would be feasible TO amend the tene-
mert house Jaw az present so as 10 re-
duce the number Of requirements n2|
prescribed for small houses At spe-
cial meeting, which was attended by
Paul y. Crayath, Charles s. Brown and
Alfred T. White, Of the tenement
House Committee, the possibility OF
making such amendment during the re-
caecfnr discussed.
The members Of the Tenement House
Committee evinced "A willingness to DO
all that they possibly could within rea-
son 90 comply with the request OF real
estate owners that some remedy be ef-
fec.ed. With a view Of cooperating,
Therefore. with the Tenement House
Committee in this respect the special
committee Of the Advisory Council
prepared the following report. Law
renee WELLER however, dissented with
the conclusions Of the majority, and,
feeling that the committee had not in
vestirated the subject as thoroughly as
II might, has resigned. The report,
therefore. was signed merely by, Frank
Bailey. Edward c. Blum, William NJ.
Calder. Cyrus c. Miller and Frederic y.
Pratt:
The three-family-house committee
haste report that it has approached the
question OF the new tenement house
Construction with a desire by new leg
isation 20 discourage the growth or
the four and six story tenements, tour
families on a floor, constructed espe-
cially i'm Brooklyn and in Queens on
lots that are worth under $1,000, and
10 increase the number of smaller