New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-11
Committee Agrees on
Amendments to the Tene-
ment House Law
EXPECTS COST TO BE
Lp prDUCED 500 TO $500
Inner Courts Seven Feet
Sorare Among Proposed
Provisions
?, ,bs Advisory Council of Real Is
tate Interests

tate Interests
-. many years real estate owners
...oe,ations have endeayored 10
80 some remedy to meet the decline
nH1 -,,r.tion Of small family houses
~ eg.sSarlv those 90 be occupied oy
-S'on,;lies. Quite frequently the
MY ~ became very acute, for II mas
'..,v1;,taired by various real estate
I pssu atiors that the stringent regu,,
So. IN the tenement house law ana
y. more expensive construction re-
.,-e9 under this law aoso Pr
Sa5sd the construction OF uncertainty
i'WaSs.b.r the tenement house law 1t
tbe increasing land values IN
81 i.,cer boroughs were the active
VS. for the decrease in number OF
So family houses is still mooted
...tion. However, property owners
- confronted with the fact tnaI
w. ~ this character we're not prof.
20 ~ Investments, and therefore there
no announcement given TO their
a.+vpetion. Several Intellectual az
49,. have been made to take the
S,5e-family house from the provisions
v he tenement house law, because
INC sentiment has been so strongly
.'rorable % maintaining the integrity
I, Il evident that the number OF
,sytv holders throughout the city
Z. been gradually declining, and IN
-, 10 encourage ownership in prop
~ Wv nv small holders, the ADVISORY
r.s,eii of Real Estate Interests began
..,Torough investigation of the three
go house situation more than two
-.,rs ago. At that time a committee
=, formed. consisting of representa-
.srss of the Advisory Council and the
Nv York Tenement House committee;
warnings were held, covering perlou
N six months, and all those inter
$50 we're given an opportunity 70
,r,sspt their recommendations ana
4. Brooklyn was apparently the bor-
,,-b In which the decline in the con-
,.rgstion was principally observed, the
srookfvn Tenement House Committee
ws invited TO participate in the de-
6bsrstions. Many conferences have
Sssn held. At times it appeared as
ma agreement could be reached be-
tween the representatives of both sides.
However, there has always been
pnmon recognition Of the need Oh
mail family houses, which finally re-
ulted In willingness on the part OF
Io,b the New York Tenement House
csumittee and the Brooklyn Tenement
House Committee to amend the tene-
rsst house law. IL is estimated that
hs amendments agreed upon will re-
spss the cost of construction from
I750 70 $500. This reduction IN cost
.! each three-family house, II is
thought. will be sufficient to make
tken' profitable investments for both
ksildsrs and real estate owners.
A list Of the amendments agreed
Upon have been prepared by John Z.
Gsbhart, secretary Of the Brooklyn
tenement House Committee, and are
l. follows:
Permit a square inner court, say
By feet. for each building, when
30 such courts adioin. amend Sec
aon So
Permit seuttle and iron ladder IN
len Of bulkhead and stairs, provided
leuttle il eounterbalanced so as TO be
usiiy lifted. fAmend Section ID
Omit deafening between floor beams
q public hall. Amend Section 3D.
Omit brick billing between stud par
aions Of public hall. CAmend sec
Ton 221
Permit public stairs to have a min,
hvn width Of feet inches. Amend
lsion 49,
Wien straight stairway is used
sat requirement for stairwell. (Amend
kaion $50
syiight over public hall shall have
rss Of Is square feet. amend Sec
tor 81
Pre- Commissioner may require fire
a l'oof Door 70 public hall on second
III third floors when there ~ not
4 lUNgs through from front 70 rear.
ftese concessions on the part OF the
tsEbers Of the Tenement House Com
sl'tsss indicate very liberal spirit
III marx the first modification in the
1tnent house law that has ever been
s'nisted IN this particular respect
The Committee
The members Of the committee are
fnnk Bailey, Senator William NJ.
.stsr, Peter Collins, John q. Gebhart,
g.lism p. Greenman, Darwin r.
lanes, Clifford s. Kelsey, Cyrus Z.
s.l.sr, Frederic B. Pratt and Alfred l.
hh.ie Il was this committee when
iafy last SUMMER worked out the plan
~ toleing tenants liable for unsani-
ar conditions q buildings. The com
Aiiiee il also or deavoring 10 work out
tzs plan whereby the many old resi-.
is'eeE throughout Brooklyn and
s4eels can be changed into three-fsm-
" houses on into other types OF build
~ which would make them prottaDle
lsfns o. real estate investment one
= the most conspicuous features OF
eet WQrk has been an effort TO limit
fa eseOrrage the construction OF
.igs ogilding units upon small lane
re. TINS evil is very pronounced
Brooklyn and Queens, where spec
s@ys builders ere constructing large
sasnent houses unon forty and sixty
~ lon IN what are really residential
lrets for small houses. Inc re-
80 50 FAR obtained are most gratfy-
~ and within a short time the out
,si 81 the plan that has been pre-
ssiss By the committee will be publicly
tsoglced
nc type Of thres-family houses
.isa d i thought can be probably
lsifasiso under the proposed amend
4 'ls % iae tenement house law have
- ostii1ed IN plans prepared BY
i,iIa OSeenman, Kelsey and Collins
sepies Qi the plans can be seen
= ssy tine