The sun., 1919-04-25
SPECIAL SESSION ON
HOUSING Is SOUGHT
Mayor Asks Rent PrOfiteering
Committee to Call Public
Meeting.
LANDLORD PLEADS LOSS
One Owner Says Jump From
SIS to $40 a Month Will
Not Yield Profit.

Mayor Hylan yesterday asked Nathan
Hirsch, chairman of the Mayors COM
mittee on rent profteering, to call a
public meeting for a discussion of the
housing situation here. Suggestions are
to be heard with a view of asking Gov.
Smith to call special session OF the
Legislature II It is found that legislation
IL warranted and can be framed to inn
prove conditions.
This decision was reached at con-
ference in the Mayors Office yesterday
at which Mr. Hylan. Mr. Hirsch. WILL
lam p. Burr, Corporation Counsel. and
John P. Leo. head Of the Board Of Stand
ards and Appeals, were present Much
OF their time was spent in discussing a
Dill which went into the discard during
the closing hours of the Legislature.
The measure, which was introduced by
senator William Copeland Dodge OF the
Twentieth Senatorial district at the in
stance OF Mr.. Leo. amended the tene-
rnent house law by making It possible to
transform private dwellings into three
and four family apartment houses under
certain conditions. II II had been en-
acted into law Mr.. Leo figures that by
additional families would have been
available here
The bill had the backing of the Tene-
ment House Commissioner, the Fire
Commissioner the Real Estate Board OF
New York. the State Federation OF
= Labor, the Building Trades Employers.
Association and the leading taxpayers
associations of the city. Lawson Purdy
and John J. Murphy, former Tenement
House Commissioner. both OF whom are
Associated with the United Charities,
are said to have been the only opponents
OF the proposed amendments. They are
TO be asked to appear at the coming
mass meeting and state their objections.
Mayor Hylan is to preside at the
meeting. the date and place of which is
to be decided upon within a few days
II II is found that the meeting Is pro-
ductive of results it Is expected that
others will be held. The possibility Of
asking the Federal Government to inject
itself into the situation here is also be-
ing considered so II was announced at
the close of the conference yesterday.
The launching OF a get together" move
ment between landlords and tenants
with view to decreasing the present
practice of jumping rents from month
also discussed
A suggestion was made to the Mayor
At the conference by Corporation Loun-
sci Burr that Mr.. Hylan cause an in
ventory Of all city real estate to. be
made. probably by the Tenement House
Commissioned, Mr.. Burr believes there
are many city owned buildings not at
present in use which could be fixed over
at small expense for dwellings, and that
str aIa ha
erected for the same purpose on vacant
lots which belong to the municipality,
.here Is sarae- daliht- a. to -exaatl y ];Rat {.
authority the Mayor would have to act
in the matter. but an investigation Of
possible legal difficulties is to be made
at once
After the conference the Mayor mailed
a letter to Rear Admiral James H. Glen
non. commandant OF the Third Naval
district, in which he said:
''Will you be good enough to advise
me as soon as possible when the build
ings and land held by the Navy Depart
ment in Pelham Bay Park will be unoc-
cupied? The unfortunate position in
which many of the people OF this city
find themselves because of rent profiteers
makes it necessary for the city to find
available space where families can be
provided with housing at reasonable
rental, and / am anxious TO do all can
IN this connection without delay"
The Mayor also wrote John Korb. sec
rotary of the Commissioners OF the Sink
ing Fund. asking that he be Immediately
supplied with a detailed list of all city
property with unoccupied buildings
which could be improved to s,ccommo-
date tenants,
''This information is desired" the
Mayor wrote, "in connection with a sur
vey I am making OF all available land
for utilization in the alienation Of the
present acute housing situation
David Hirschfeld, Commissioner Of
Accounts, yesterday subpnnaed George
Rawak, a wholesale m.lliner. and presi-
dent of the Jacob New Realty Company
which owns the apartment houses at
$50 and $50 West Fifty-eighth street. in
response to a complaint OF rent profteer-
ing made by John Frew, an artist. who
occupies seven rooms and a bath on the
sixth floor of the latter address. Rawak
had declined to appear before the
Mayors committee when asked to do so
by Chairman Hirsch.
Frew said that when he took the
apartment in March. 1915, the rent was
s45 a month. Last August it was ad-
vanced to s52,50. he testified. The artist
told Commissioner Hirschleld that Feb
ruary 90 he received a letter from the
owners saying Il further Increase OF
$3.50 would be made April !. bringing
his rent up to $50. Excessive cost OF
labor and materially was assigned as
the reason for the raise. Mr.. Frew as
serted He said that he had tried in
vain to find another apartment and that
he had refused to pay the April rental
at the new figure. All of the other
tenants had been asked to pay proper
tionate increases, Frew testified.
During the winter OF 1917 walked
up six flights OF stairs without complaint
because they told me they couldn't get
coal and we could have either heat or
elevator service" said Frew, THE car
pets on the stairs are worn through and
have been patched with tin
Landlords Side of the Case.
"Ask him II he ever found as good a
value anywhere else as he is getting
now Rawak suggested.
mo" Frew admitted. II didn't. Rents
have gone up $50 or S25 a month and the
places within my reach are not ft to