The sun., 1919-04-15
CITY SURVEY BEGUN
IN LOW RENT FIGHT
Twenty-Five Typical Blocks
in the Five Boroughs to
Be Canvassed
COMPLAINTS ARE INVITED
Reconstruction Commission
Asks Information on Evic-
ton or PrOfiteering.

In order 20 get all possible facts
about housing conditions the housing
committee of Gov. Smiths Reconstruct
ton Commission began yesterday IA sur
Vey or twenty-five typical blocks in the
city Thirty settlement houses and civic
organizations are cooperating in the
work, which involves the activities OF
400 to 500 persons. The surveyors,
who will take both camera and pencil
records. wish to know all about condi-
ton OF the premises. the size of families
the number Of rooms, dodgers II any,
amounts OF rents and rent increases in
the last two years.
When the committee gets the tenants
version OF the story 1t will proceed to
get the other side from the property
owners and rental agencies. It will seek
bght on costs of building operations
repairs, &c. and all other charges.
1t will take at least two weeks to
make the survey and another week to
analyze and compile all the facts OBJ
tanned. Then the committee will re-
port to the Reconstruction Commission
and the commission in turn will make
recommendations to the Governor, which
VIII form the basis for proposed legisla-
ton to remedy conditions
Complaints Are Invited.
Besides the "block survey" the COM
lnittee Is now ready to receive from
tenants complaints OF unfair treatment
on the part OF or unjust rent boosting
py landlords. The complaints should
De In letter form. accompanied, wherever
possible, by aff1davits.
we are trying to get at something
fundamental" Mrs Henry Moskowitz,
secretary of the Reconstruction Commits
sion, said yesterday at the commissions
headquarters in the Hall of Records.
we are trying to find out as to the
adequacy or inadeQuacy OF housing and
II houses are livable. We know that
people are being forced into small apart
ments. We are making a survey OF
characteristic industrial homes tenanted
ny wage earners and people of small
salaries. who pay from $40 a month
down You know the former $40 rental
is $50 now.
Gov. Smith has asked US to do some
thing on housing that would have
permanent value. He considers this
question one OF the most important. We
had started to inquire into It before the
situation became as acute as It is now"
Overflow of House Seekers.
Mrs. Moskowitz said that the story
OF the entire situation is told by the
building reports of 1916 and OF 1918
for the city. The estimated costs of
buildings, according to plans filed in
1916, amounted to 1000. 900 as COM
pared with an estimated cost of $4,000
600 in 1918. Despite the great falling
off in the number of new buildings, she
said. there has been normal increase
in thu birth rate and a big influx Of new
Corners into the city. II was perfectly
in No Ni-T tN.fl rNa
city should be an overflow.
Reports thus far received show that
much of the overflow" has been COM
PEELED to take up quarters in surround
ings to which the tenants never were ac-
customed
There is the man who used to live in
a S25 fiat" Mrs Moskowitz continued.
His pay has not been increased in pro-
portion to the increase OF the things
which he has had to buy. He has got to
live in place he can get for S25. Now we
have families who are living in base
ments and cellars They are paying 81
TO $40 a room and are glad to get in at
the price
'"rhe problem Of the negro tenants is
worse than the problem OF the whites.
The negro quarters are full to overflow
ing. The quarters are limited anyway,
and there have been many newcomers.
Composition OF Committee.
The housing committee is composed OF
John Alan Hamilton, DR. Felix Adler.
Mrs. William II. Good, Peter ]. Brady,
Mrs. Lewis s, Chanler. V. Everit Macy.
Arthur Williams, Alfred f. Marlin, NJ.
Samuel Stern ana Mrs. Walter W.
Steele
The committee has an advisory COM
mittee consisting of Walter Stabler OF the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company,
Walter Lindner. Title, Guarantee Trust
Company: Edgar A. Levy and Alexan-
der Bling, building operators Frank
Gray Howe. Greensboro Housing Cor
poration. and @. Richard Davis, real
estate. The advisory committee will
meet Friday to consider bills before the
Legislature and some remedial legisla-
ton.
Mayor Hylsns committee to relieve
and protect tenants from profiteering
landlords, OF which Nathan Hlrsch Is
thu head, met yesterday in the municipal
building. The Other members are the
Rev. A. Ray Petty, pastor of the Judson
Memorial Church: Edward /. Hannah.
president of the Central Federated
Union; Peter J. Brady. president OF the
Allied Printing Trades Council. and
Henry Bloch. lawyer Following an ex-
ttutlNt htSslOi, MI. ''lFStn announced
that the committee invites people whose
rents have been increased and who
believe they have just cause for griev-
ance, TO send their complaints to the
committee at the Municipal Building.
giving the name and address of the land
lords. The committee will request NUM-
cipal Justices, who usually handle dis
possess cases, to refer to 1t such com
plants and requests for dispossess
orders which the Justices believe should
be investigated by the committee
Sixty eight cases in which landlords
asked for warrants dispossessing ten
ants were called yesterday before JUS
tice Harry Robltzek in the Second Dis
trict Municipal Court The Bronx.
Mrs. Frederick Singer. mother OF nine
children, said she had been notified TO
Vacate her apartment at 123 Courtlandt
avenue by May /, Seven other families
got similar notices