New-York tribune., 1919-05-21
Bronx Official Declares
Municipality Has Failed
to Provide Comfortable
Homes for Day Laborers
Unskilled Go Elsewhere
Many Phases of the Housing
Situation Discussed at the
Legislative Inquiry Here

Little or no effort has been made in
the last twelve years to provide COM
portable housing facilities for working
men and their families. This has
caused general exodus of unskilled
laborers and impeded much needed
real estate development, Patrick J.
kevllle, Superintendent of Buildings in
he Bronx, testified at yesterdays ses-
sion of the joint legislative committee
investigating the housing and ice sit
uations.
Mr. Revillc has been in the real es-
tate business for twenty five years. He
declared that present conditions are
d'sturbingly critical, adding that 500
new buildings are needed in The
Bronx alone, each capable of housing
twenty-five families. This is only the
immediate need, he said, and does not
cover the autumn influx
lie asserted that real, fair and
square proposition to keep your labor
IN the city, must be forthcoming. The
present view that construction of homes
tor workingmen is an Improbable and
distasteful investment must be dissi-
patcd, he said.
solution OF Problem
Mr. Reville pointed out what he
termed a "happy solution of the
thing He said that in The Bronx at
least 10000 parcels of land had been
taken over by the city for tax liens
end are proftless possession These
were purchased by men who had visions
of building small homes for them
selves, but found expenses accruin,. so
rapidly chat they could not meet them.
He recommended that the land be re-
turned to these investors and that the
city give advisory and financial coop
Grafton. enabling them to build. A
mortgage on twenty-year amortiza-
tion plan would cover it, he declared.
In :'sponse to questions from'Char-
man Lockwood of the committe, Mr..
Reville declared that title and insur-
ance companies would not be prone to
look upon mortgages of this kind ia
vorably, and reiterated that the hope
for solution rested with the city or
state.
PrOfiteering Decreasing
Senator Kaplan declared that this
would force the city into the real
estate business. but agreed with
superintendent Revlle when reminded
that large manufacturing institutions
throughout the country take steps to
provide adequate housing for their
employees. He said "the city is, after
all, kind of corporation, and has made
no provision for its help at ALL" Mr..
Revllle declared that rent profiteering
is not general, but that the wide pub-
llclty attendant on a few fragrant cases
is discouraging builders and encourage
ing tenants to protest even when their
rent is raised in justice to the ad-
vanced costs of maintenance.
Nathan Hirsch, chairman of the
Mayors Committee on Rent Profteer-
ing, who testified earlier in the dav.
said that 10 per cent of the landlords
were profiteerng, and that many would
have attempted to make 40 and SO per
cent profit on their investment if they
had not been deferred Mr.. Reville de-
clared positively that no such profits
are being made.
~ won't even take so per cent as an
example, Mr.. Reville said. "But
would like the man who said 80 per
cent to sho'I it to me in figures"
Slump in Bronx Building
Mr.. Revile submitted figures show
ing the building slump in The Bronx
induced by the war. They include:
Tencments DWELLINGS,