The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-23
FABRICATED HOUSE
TESTED IN BRONX
New Typo of Apartment
Dwelling Can Be Assembled
in Fortnight.
BOWLING HAS OWN PLAN
Wants Wealthy to Replace
Anticipated Structures With
Model Tenements.

present acute situation due to the lack OF
housing facilities here were advanced by
witnesses before the Lockwood joint leg
islative committee at its session in City
Hall yesterday.
Allen E. Bcals OF the A. z. Beals Cor
poration told OF an entirely new type"
OF apar tment house-a fabricated struc-
ture, built in much the way that a fabri-
Gated ship Is constructed-which could
be put UP In a surprisingly short time.
Mr.. Beals said that tests Of the new
dwellings were already being made in
The Bronx with a view to speedy cree
ton, in the belief that they would aid in
relieving at least a portion of the diff
ficulty which thousands of persons are
experiencing in finding living quarters.
The other proposal. which was ad-
vanced by Frank L. Bowling. Borough
President OF Manhattan, was to induce
the wealthlest families in the city to in
vest their funds in a plan whereby anti
Quated tenements would be torn down
and model dwellings. capable OF accom-
modating large numbers. erected in their
place.
Houses Better Than Libraries
What have In mind" said Mr.
Bowling. lis to bring the Carnegie peo-
pie, who built so many libraries for the
people OF the cities. and the Morgans and
the Goulds and the Rockefellers, to go
around New York and tear down blocks
Of houses and put up model tenements
that would bring them about per cent
interest-places that would house the
people and that would be well equipped
with baths and electric lights.
The whole situation is one of money
...l.N I'll
the Carnegie libraries. We spend hun
dreds OF thousands and millions OF dol
lars for that work and what does 1t do In
the long run? Men go in there and read
themselves to death and then they como
OUT and try 10 upset the Government
You think the money would be better
spent in the erection OF model homes for
them?' asked Senator Lockwood with
acumen.
NO question about it," declared Mr..
Bowling. And here's another thing.
When a man builds a tenement house he
does what the Building Department asks
him to 40 under the building code. Then
he is taken care OF by the Fire Proven
ton Bureau and the Tenement House
Department. After he has put his build
ing up and has complied with all the re-
quirements and is renting his rooms the
law and he has to pull hell out of the
place. 1t costs him thousands Of dollars
to do it. and that means increased rent"
You think the inspection force
should be consolidated and simplified p
Il think we're overinspected; there's
no doubt about it,
We'll. we tried to help you several
years ago and you wouldn't let u.s.
observed Senator Lockwood.
II know" was Mr.. Dowling's only
rejoinder.
DO you think the city should go into
the business of building and renting
apartments?
II don't understand II has the right
1t is prohibited by the Constitution
Would you be in favor OF changing
the Constitution and doing it?''
That's a hard problem" Mr.. Bowling
admitted. II think the city has enough
on it's hands now without going into the
renting business How would you elect
a Mayor or a President OF the Board
of Aldermen II you didn't reduce the
rents?"
'.Or II you didn't promise to reduce
the tax rate" Senator lockwood sus-
gested.
Not so much the tax rate The
people don't seem to know about II and
the working man doesn't seem to worry
about it He does II his rent goes up
Can Build House in Ten Days.
Mr.. Beals was questioned at consider
able length concerning the new type
OF fabricated apartment house which, he
asserted, could be built in from ten
days to two weeks. The cost, he said.
would be considerably below that Of the
same sized house before the war.
'It is built on the plan Of Henry
Ford's Eagle boats during the war;" he
explained Each house is divided into
sectors twelve by four feet. They can
be made 500 feet long or s5 feet long
so feet dacp or 500 feet deep. except
the probable Limitation OF two stories
and an attic. Six architectural layouts
can he made from the segments. which
can be turned out In the ordinary lumber
MILL
Mr. BeaIs said that one of the new
houses had been erected by the George
F. Gates Company at the foot of East
1874 street. where any one might In
spect II.
Frank Mann, Commissioner OF the
Tenement House Department. told the
committee that since January ! n total
Of lS9 building plans had been filed
for the greater city and that they
would provide for 500 apartments. lie
credited Manhattan with eleven new
houses, furnishing 500 apartments So
new houses in The Bronx, with 1907
apartments: l2l houses in Brooklyn
with a total OF 1853 apartments, and
quarters for col more families in
Queens. The number OF houses actually
erected within the period. he said. was
in Manhattan, II in Brooklyn, 10 in
The Bronx and 3 in Queens.
Commissioner Mann submitted a sched-
ule showing an average rent increase
from 1915 to the present of 81 per cent.
Tho highest increase shown was 31.s
per cent He said the advances began
IN 1913. and that he knew OF no 100
per cent. increase or OF "a single case
OF profiteering." Mr. Mann thought il
would be unwise to pass any law aiding
tenants. because. in his opinion. they al
ways have the advantage over the land
lord any way.
He thought 1t would be an excellent
thing. he said, II capital would become
less timid" and would realize that there
Frederick Brown, a real estate opera
tor with offices at 277 Broadway,
thought the cost OF maintaining build
ings had increased from 80 to 40 per
cent during the last two years
Rents had gone up from 25 to 80 per
cent he thought
large increase of building IN The
Bronx Is looked for by Mr.. Brown, who
said the tenants would "have to be edu-
Gated" to pay higher rents.
The Washington Heights Taxpayers
Association sent a communication to
the Mayors Committee on Rent Prof.