New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
Merchants Association Com
mittee and Rockefeller
Foundation Join i'm Effort
to End Present Situation
Hirsch Issues Statement
Can't See Why Smith Came
From Albany; Says Solu-
ton Is With Business Men

Five organizations will endeavor,
during the coming week, to work out
permanent solution of the housing
problem.
The joint legislative committee,
which interrogated Mayor Hylan for
two hours on Friday, will seek to OBJ
tain data on local conditions at three
sessions, Tuesday, Thursday and Fri
day, at City Hall. The State Recon-
struction Commission will meet to-
morrow to organize a housing recon-
struction corporation, which was de-
termined upon at meeting with
prominent business men on Friday
night. The Mayors committee on rent
profiteering will continue its probe
into housing conditions, assisted by
canvass carried on by the Police De-
partment, ordered yesterday by Com
missioner Enright.
The Housing Committee Of the Mer-
chants Association also will meet to-
morrow to discuss a plan for perma-
nently relieving the situation. Will
lam Fellowes Morgan, president of. the
association, said yesterday that he does
not believe the State Commissions
plan has any degree of permanence,
although it might afford temporary aid.
Rockefeller Foundation to Act
The fifth body to contribute its eff
forts is the Rockefeller Foundation.
A meeting of the trustees will be held
Wednesday, and the housing problem
will be taken up. DR.. George Z. Vim
cent will present various phases of the
situation.
Hugh Frayne, organizer for the
American Federation Of Labor, de-
cared yesterday that organized labor
is ready to do all in its power to IA
clitate steps for relief. He declared
that programme to expedite loans to
prospective builders would contribute
greatly to lessen the unrest and hos
tile agitation of workingmen who feel
themselves exploited by profteers.
Suggestions for relief were made
yesterday by United States Senator
William A. Calder. He said the pres
ent tenement house law is SO dras-
tic that none but expensive apart
ments could be built. For that reason,
he said, the construction Of tenements
to accommodate working people has
Jagged. He said ree-family houses
should be excluded from the operation
of the tenement house law
Suggests Tax Exemption
''I would further advise" he con-
tinued, that the Legislature enact laws
at once exempting from taxation for
the first two years after their con-
pletion, all buildings within the city
of New York for residential purposes
l would then begin a campaign on
banks and institutions which lend
money. Our financial institutions
must increase their loans in proper
tion to the new costs. Every man who
knows the building industry realizes
that we have the best opportunity of
the past fifty years"
Senator Calder has built hundreds
of dwellings in Brooklyn. He was
tenement house commissioner of the
borough in 1923.
The undercurrent of adverse feeling
between the State Reconstruction Com
mission and the Mayors Committee on
Rent Profiteering came to the surface
yesterday when Nathan Hirsch, chair
man of the latter body, issued a state
n,ent declaring that the Reconstruction
Commissions plan will not solve the
problem. He characterized it as "a
drop in the bucket"
Easy Matter to Settle
II fail to see why it was necessary
to call the Governor from Albany" he
said, con a matter which could easily
have been disposed of by business men
in a half hour and without flare OF
trumpets.
"If the interests who met Governor
Smith last night desire to build houses
we'll and good. Let them build them
Every apartment added will help in .
measure, but what this city needs is 6
broad, comprehensive working plar
which will not only provide accommo-
dations for next fall, next spring anc
next year, but for years to come, as
New York City is going to grow"
The commissions plan, he added
would take care of about 4,500 out OF
10000 families next fall He said that
the city or nation should be called
upon 70 render financial assistance tc
accelerate building.
Prominent builders and contractors
throughout the city received telegrams
from MIR. Hirsch yesterday inviting