New-York tribune., 1919-02-03
Tenement Law Endangered
By Proposed Legislation
Attempts to Have Dwellings Accepted as Flats Will
Destroy Health and Moral Standards as Well
as Current Values

Will inevitably deteriorate and will ulti-
matcly start new slum areas Buildings
Of this type, which were converted into
tenement houses before the passage of
the tenement house law, are among the
most undesirable tenements which the
department has to regulate
Two other aspects of the question
deserve consideration. First, the eff
iect OF such a law upon the new build
ing programme which the city conf
GENTLY hopes to see carried out If a
large number of these buildings are
| altered, as they we'll may be, it will
discourage investment in new tenement
house construction for a considerable
period 1t must be remembered that
should these four story and basement
buildings be converted they will re-
nam as tenement houses until they
all down, and that they will long re-
New York, after the immediate need,
which is urged as the excuse for their
alteration has passed.
lhe plea is made that such houses
are often now used for boarding, room
ing and lodging houses and that in
these capacities they are quite unregu-
lated. The answer is that they should
be regula lated. The city should safe
guard their occupants by requiring
proper sanitation and fire protection.
"The bill has nothing to commend it
from the standpoint of people who are
interested in the welfare of tenants
in the City of New York. 1t would be
serious backward step in the pro-
eramme which has justified New York's
claim to be regarded as one of the fore
most cities in the world in the reg
ulation of housing for the masses.
Bad conditions there are. but in pro-
portion to the total amount of accom-
modation provided there is probably
tion to the upkeep of the apartments
and flats in which its people reside
"Old residence buildings should not
be permitted to be altered into tene-
ment houses without the provision Of
adequate interior light and ventilation
and proper fire protection.
"The bill introduced by Assembly,
man Leininger needs but few words
of comment. The tenement house law
and cellar in height may have court
only four feet in width to light and
ventlate interior rooms. OF course,
such court provides less light and
ventilation for interior rooms the
longer it is permitted to be. There
fore, the law limits the length of such
courts to thirty-six feet. Even a court
so limited, provided much less than the
healthful amount Of light and ventila-
tion for interior rooms lighting and
ventilating on it.
The Leininger bill now proposes to
add twenty feet to the length of this
court, merely increasing its width at
the outer end to five and a half feet.
The bill as drawn conflicts with the
provisions of the zoning ordinance,
where greater width is required than
this bill contemplates. Instead of re-
ducing the requisite courts now pre-
scribed in the law they should be in
creased
"The bill is a bad one. 1t is incom-
petently drawn 1t was radically
amended within five days of its first
introduction, which is fair indication
of the amount of careful thought given
to this important matter before its in
Productions"