New-York tribune., 1920-09-26
City Officials
See No Relief
Z
In Rent Laws
Mayor, i'm Letter to Gov
ernor, Blames ''Traction
Ring and Sweet for
Defeat of His Measures
Situation to Grow Worse
Permanent Aid, Says Cor
poratiOn Counsel O'Brien,
Only i'm More Houses

Mayor Hylan and other city officials
not only showed keen disappointment
yesterday at the failure of the housing
and municipal bus bills, advocated by
the Mayor, at the special session Of
the Legislature, but they were Sc
verely critical of Speaker Thaddeus
c. Sweet and the mapority of the AS
sembly, blaming them for killing the
bills. Virtually no relief in the hous-
ing situation is seen by tho local
authorities in the measures enacted.
In the opinion of the Mayor and Cor
poration Counsel O'Brien the situation
is bound to grow worse, and the whole
problem of relief will revert with
added force to the regular session Of
the Legislature next January.
Concerning the rent laws, there is
o question in the minds of the local
authorities as to just what form these
bills assumed when rushed through the
closing hours of the session and what
their effect may be. 1t was said that
many eleventh hour amendments we're
incorporated in the bills. While they
were considered to put teeth into the
existing rent laws, Aaron j. Levy,
President-Justice of the Municipal
Court of this city, and others most in
xerested in the landlord-tenant meas
ures were of the opinion that they
would do little to help that situation.
Hylan Blames "Traction Ring
In letter to Governor Smith, thank
ing him for his efforts in behalf of the
city's housing and bus bills, Mayor
Hylaa blamed Speaker Sweet for the
failure of these measures. The "trac-
tion ring" helped to kill the bus bill,
he said
81 am informed that Speaker Sweet
of the bill allowing the city to use
its funds to construct homes for the
people," said the Mayor. "The trac-
tion ring and the money trust win a
temporary victory, for which the Re-
publican party must take the respon-
sibility: The people have the right to
spend their money to build houses and
heat them for monkeys and other
animals in the parks. Why should the
courts and the Legislature stand in
the way of the people spending their
money to house human beings, and
supply them with busses to ride to and
from their places of business and en-
ployment?"
O'Brien Sees No Relief
Corporation Counsel John P.
O'Brien, who was at Albany in behalf
of the. city bills, declared that the
measures passed had afforded no relief
to the housing situation, and that the
more forcefully before the next
"The whole story is a sad page in
the history Of our Legislature" said
Mr.. O'Brien. "The problem is still
with US, and it will grow more press
ing and more perplexing from day to
day. 1t is safe to say that when the
Legislature convenes in January, the
folly of this weeks work. the failure
to provide housing facilities, will be
the most pressing question before it,
"The relief afforded, however eff
fective it may be, can be but tenn
porary. The real permanent relief
must come through more houses If
the financial institutions previously
accustomed to loan money on bond and
mortgage do not make a marked in
crease in the amounts hereafter loaned
On bond and mortgage, the money
must be produced elsewhere. The
Mayors bills offered the solution
They provided a workable, feasible
practical method of producing suffi
cisnt moneys with which to construct
houses adequate to take care of the
present demand. The Mayors bills of.
Yered the only constructive program
suggested to the Legislature. The
scheme or method suggested in the
primary bill embodied no particular
difficulties, no uncertainties and nc
elements Of danger.
No Funds for Housing E.
GAS things now stand, with the May
or's bills blocked in the Assembly, ther.
are no new sources Of supply of none,
3or housing derived. 1t is said on goot
authority that there is shortage al
ready Of 100000 apartments, and tina
this Is increasing from $1,000 to 80 ,OOi
apartments year. Whatever may b,
said concerning the investments mad,
in previous years in bonds and mort
cages by savings banks and insuranc,
companies, the fact remains that none,
for new houses has not been forthcom
ing. The Mayors bills were clearl,
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