The sun., 1919-05-16
TO BUILD AT ONCE,
NEW HOUSING PLAN
Group of Prominent Business
Men to Meet at Metropolitan
Club Tonight.
WORK TO BE SCATTERED
Committee Expects to Have
Many Apartments Finished
Before Winter.

Concrete plans for the relief OF the
housing situation are to be made effec-
tive tonight at the Metropolitan Club,
Fifth avenue and Slxtieth street, by
group of prominent men and women
working in conjunction with the Govern
or's Reconstruction Commission. The
programme will provide for the actual
financing of building operations by which
& will be made possible to erect a large
number of modern light and airy apart
ments renting at moderate prices. These
apartments, 1t Is expected, will be ready
for occupancy by the time snow flies.
The fact that those who are studying
the housing problem believe there will
winter. unless many buildings are con-
structed during the summer, is one Of
the impelling reasons why those who are
coming to the rescue have agreed to
build at once.
There are forty or fifty persons in the
group. They include public spirited men
long identified with social and business
life of the community. It Is said that
practically all who are going to put
money in the enterprise OF assuring
homes for those who otherwise might be
homeless are convinced that their pro-
posal to resume building operations in
the immediate future may result In a
general resumption of building activities
on the part of those who are now hest
tating to go ahead. Unless there are
homes for all who wish to work here.
II Is argued. there are bound to be OBJ
stacles in the way Of the normal devel-
opment OF the city's industrial life. As
the possibility for industrial develop
ment is tremendous, those backing the
plan say it is essential that homes and
more homes be erected.
Governor VIII He Present.
Gov. Smith will attend the session
al informal dinner--a call for which hi
issued at the request OF the Reconstruc
tior Commission, whose housing com
mittee long has been working to get cap
italists. bankers. real estate men ant
others interested in the project.
1t could not be learned last night how
much has been pledged by those wht
have agreed to go into the scheme. A
partial list OF those who will take par
in the conference was announced al
follows:
Alfred E. Marling, president Of Horac,
8. Ely & Co., real estate brokers ant
managers: Of the Real Estate Exchange
and of the New York Chambers Of Com
MERGE.
Adolph Lewisohn. capitalist: presi
- H. Ill Itav
Society and the National Commission OF
Prisons and Prison Labor. and vice
president Of the International Chill
Welfare League.
r. Fulton Cutting, hnancier; chair
man OF board of the City and Suburban
Homes Company, ex-president OF tn
Association for Improving the Condition
of the Poor and president of New Yorl
John G. Agar. lawyer; president o
the National Arts Club and trustee o
the Mutual Life Insurance Company.
Robert w. de Forest. lawyer; vice
president of the Russell Sage FouRda
tion and president Of National House
ing Association.
George e. Vincent, president of tn
Rockefeller Foundation.
Arthur Curtiss James. merchant
president of Curtiss Securities Compan.
and vice -president of Phelps Dodge Cor
poration.
George Bumenthal, banker: membe
OF LaZard Freres.
Jacob H. Schiff OF Kuhn, Loeb & Co
bankers; director OF the New Yorl
Foundation; also, William ]. Shea, Al
fred ]. johnson, C. w. Nichols. Samue
c. Farley, Mrs. V. Everit Macy, Hug
Frayne. Peter Brady. William Salomo
To Scatter Building Operations.
Gov. Smith will preside at the con
ference. Abram I. Elkus, former Unite
States Ambassador to Turkey and chair
man of the Reconstruction Commission
will make the Introductory statement
Alfred f. Marling. who has taken a
active part in the housing committee
research work, will make an address,
after which there will be a general dis
cusslon of the plans.
II is understood that the programme
as devised calls for a distribution O
sites for apartment houses In The Bronl
Brooklyn and Queens in territories ad
jacent to the new subways This wi
be done 80 as to give relief to as man
neighborhoods as possible. 1t is tn
purpose of those interested in tn
scheme to erect houses of the least ex
penslve and simplest type. They ar
to be built in accordance with plan
which will give all possible light an
ventilation, and. while modern In ever
particular, will be without frils.
The Joint Legislative Committee o
Housing will have its first session at tn
City Hall at o'clock this Afternoon
State Senator Charles c. Lockwood
chairman OF the committee, has aske
Mayor Hylan to be the first witness.
Police Commissioner Enright, in re
Spouse to suggestion by Natha
Hirsch. chairman OF the Mayors com
mittee, agreed yesterday to have III
police include in their survey of hous
ing vacancies all cases OF fragrant rem
profteering which they may run across