New-York tribune., 1919-05-12
Fifty Representative Men
and Women of New York
Asked to Meet Reconstruct
ton Commission Friday
No Help From New Laws
Report to Governor Says
Building More Houses Is
Only Possible Solution

ALBANY, May 11.-At the request of
Governor Smith the State Reconstruct
tion Commission has called a confer
ence of fifty representative men and
women of New York City for next Friday
evening to discuss plans for housing
relief, it was announced here tonight.
Governor Smith will attend the confer
ence.
The Reconstruction Commission re-
ported to the Governor that all pro-
posed legislation in regard to rent
profitcering had been carefully exa~
ined, and that "this or any other leg
islation of this type cannot be ex-
pected to give any relief"
The committe report continued: "The
rising rents are merely a symptom.
The disease is lack of sufficient
houses. Landlords in many cases were
found to be justified in raising their
rents because of increased cost Of man.
agement. The only way to meet the
situation is to build more houses at
once"
AS COMMISSION 1SPOICSu tudC Du1IO-
ing at the present time can be made
to give a limited return on present
average rentals by the use of cheap
land within easy reach of industries,
building to be carried on on large scale
under the expert advice of men accus-
toned to handling big housing projects.
Inc plan proposed is based on the
following conclusions:
Ccct nf 1.,s
ITS pre-war cost for some years: it
probably will not greatly decrease.
z. Next winter the scarcity of houses
in New York City will be SO great and
rents Will be so high, unless houses are
built this season, that labor will be
turned away from this city and New
fork's business industry and prestige
will suffer.
"Rent increasing," said the report.
profiteerng on the part of the land
lords. 1t took but little study on the
part Of the housing committee to es-
tablish the fact that the causes were
more fundamental.
The committee thereupon deter
mined upon plan of investigation to
discover whether the cessation of
building during the war period, and |
the increase of population had result |
ed in undue raising of rents or lower
ing OF the standards of living Or over
croWdlng or discomfort in any parts
OF the city, and to determine what !
measure of relief, if any, existed for
conditions found
:, These Investigations have been
thorough and systematic. The block
surveys were carried out with the as
slstance and cooperation of the people
of the neighborhoods, social settle
ments, labor organizations, universi-
ties, the health and tenement house
departments, charity organization So
cieties and civic groups. They cover
approximately $4,000 apartments, hous-
Ing on conservative estimate 175,0OO
people.
1T was found that a great MANY of
hands of absentee landlords or lessees.
The latter are holding the property.
very often for only short time. with
the idea of getting as much rf it as
they can. In innumerabl9 has
been found that in the So lehbor-
hood the rents are highe.' under les
sees than under owners
"A study has also been made of the |
degree of relief that might be OBJ
tanned from CD speculative builders
or lenders; CD insurance companies or
the other usuai sources of large loans;
go limited dividend corporations; (4) |
building and loan associations; (5) |
ruler use of existing building, such as
the turning OF old single family dwell
1ngs into multi-family houses, or the |
repair Of older tenements which arc
now practically out of use, and (6)
dealers in building materials through
lowering or stabilizing the price of ma
terials."