New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-14
official Move
Seen i'm Calling
OF Legislature
Republican Leaders Urge a
Comprehensive Housing
Plan So That Democrats
Will Have No Comeback
Various Bills Proposed.
All Factions Agree That
Laws Must Be Enacted
to Stimulate Building

TO Stimulate Building
While many tentative plans have
been discussed for the relief of the
housing situation the local authorities
do not appear as yet to have any
definite, comprehensive program to
present to the special session of the
Legislature called for September 20 bv
Governor Smith. All are agreed, how
ever, That the general purpose of
whatever legislation is enacted should
be toward stimulating the construction
OF more dwelling houses.
Just how this purpose is to be &C
compished seems TO have caused diff
ferences Of opinion. The political
phase of the Governors call for the
special session is not lost SIGHT of bv
the Republican and Democratic leaders.
The responsibility for whatever is &C
complshed or left undone naturally
rests upon the Republican majority in
the Legislature, and the Republican
leaders are already urging a most COM
prehenslve plan. so that nothing will
be left out which might furnish the
Democrats an excuse for criticism.
1t is expected that the Democrat
members will offer all sorts of dras site
Oiils Impossible of enactment, and then
attempt to shift the respons biity for
the failure OF such legislation on the
Republicans. That is the political nlav
that the Republican leaders expect to
see developed, and they will seek to
expose any such partisan methods at
the start
Willing to Go Limit
They are willing to go the limit on
housing program, but their chief CON
Germ will be to hold such program
within the bounds Of reason. which. thew
believe, the Democrats may be willing
TO override for the sake of partisan
advantage. The political aspect of
the situation assumes considerable i'm
portance in view of the state elections
this fall.
There are two measures OF relief
which the Mayors Housing Conference
Committee, of which Frank Mann,
Tenement House Commissioner, IS
chairman and Edward p. Doyle secre-
tary, tavors in common with other
committees and real estate interests
Which have been studying the situation.
They are, first, a law exempting mort
cages from the state income tax and,
secondly, law exempting from taxa
ton for fixed period (probably eight
years. new housing construction and
also relieving the revenue from such
investment from the income tax
Mr.. Doyle said yesterday that these
two laws, together with third that
Will vest in a municipal housing COM
mission control over the character of
proposed construction so as to curtail
commercial building and focus ener-
gies on the production OF homes, will
be asked of the Legislature by the
Housing Conference Committee.
The first OF these laws is the same
as the Simpson bill introduced at the
last session. The second will be prac-
tically the same as the proposal con-
feated last winter. All three measures,
Secretary Doyle said were essential to
comprehensive building program that
will afford relief to the community.
Realty Boards Program
THE law which provides for tax ex-
cmptions on new structures for eight
years." said Mr.. Doyle, amounts -
figuring on 3 per cent tax-to
bonus of about "a per cent. But it is
not paid direct. England made the
mistake Of paying a first bonus OF $50
room and then SO q room on dwell
ing construction, but the money went
directly to the builder and was quick
y absorbed by labor, which insisted on
raises sufficient to gobble up the bonus.
CAS- to the curtailment OF commercial
construction, Mn. Mann has asked the
Corpc ration Counsel to draft law
covering this point and ii will be in
PRODUCED as part OF the conference pro-
gram"
The Real Estate Board has not an
nounced definite program, but it is
understood that it will advocate the
exemption Of real estate mortgages
from the income tax and the repeal of
the six months stay of proceedings in
ejectment cases, permitted under the
recently adopted anti-rent profiteering
laws.
While the latter law has to do with
the relief of present tenants rather
than with 'ho encouragement of new
construction, the board, it is under
stood, believes that its repeal is neces-
sary to any resumption Of house build
ing. The present stay, it is contended,
practically destroys the marketability
OF the owners property, defect fata!
to realty investment.
There is divergence of opinion as
to whether the rent profiteering laws
should be touched at all, while some
believe they should be made more dras-
tic. Arthur j. W. Hily, chairman of
the Mayors Committee on Rent Prof
teering, said yesterday that while he
did not concur with the opinion that
the present rent laws deferred new
building. in order that any such posi-
bility might be removed tie committee
would be willing to recommend their
amendment, il necessary, so as not to
apply to new construction Mr.. Hilly
expressed the opinion that the exenp-
ton OF mortgages from the income tax
anr the exemption of new buildings
iron taxation for period of years
we're essential to relieve the building
situation.
Municipal Construction
Opinion is also divided on the oues-
ton of legislation to enable the city to
construct municipal dwellings,. In
Com missioner Manns report to the
Mayor for the Housing Conference Com
mlttee such plan was disapproved as
neither practicable nor desirable.
Any plan that Will enable the state
or city to build houses must, of neces-
sity," said Commissioner Mann in his
report, "be delayed too long to be of
any practical value, even if it were not
objectionable from an economic and
governmental point of view. No such
plan could be put into operation with
out first having the state CONSTITUTE on