davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
Home Ownership an Idea
Strong With Old Americans
torefathers Regarded Renting as a Form of Slav.
cry; Evil Is Now Forcing Folks Back to Old
Ways; Labor Doing Little to Relieve the
Housing Shortage; Is Arbitrary and Inefficient

The rent evil which has spread here
there and everywhere in the countr
ike a plague or locust pest, is @
some good, for it Is forcing American
to live as their forefathers lived. i,
houses of their own. This is the opinio,
ol local builder who has been buildn,
homes, individual homes, for the las
thlrty years. The builder, who asks tha
MS remarks on the home buying move
ment and the attitude of labor he mo-
attributed to him, because of the ami
mostly 1T would bring him, is not urgins
nome buying because it will benefit him
but because it is the only way folk,
should live. He says that years age
Americans were noted as home owners
ihey were justly the most Independent
lolks IN the world because the great
majority OF them owned their homes
Renting a Foreign Custom
The development of great CONNER
clal giants, such as New York en- masse
represents, gave the opportunity for the
painting OF the renting system, a Euro
pean custom, in this country. Labor
cohdltlons such as we know them make
rentlng preferable to purchase. be-
cause the labor man under the renting
system is not tied to any plant or
any section or to any conditions and is
free to offer his labor wherever on
portunities are best in his opinion
The custom spread
The apartment house builder as
sumed things which folks were too law
TO assunme-good, health producing ef-
tort The life of absolute ease but
ais, also OF slavery they preferred.
They did not recognize slaverv.in the
system until recently.
me independence which they
thougnt they possessed disappeared
Wnen housings became scarce. Ease of
lie went with the upward movement Of
rents and the knowledge that they
hau 10 submit to higher and higher
fcn'als' as there We're no other places
ior them to go. France has no hous-
ing troubles, or very little trouble at
tne s most, because 70 per cent of the
lamlIles OF France are home owners
t'u nave peen home owners for CEN
turles and centuries.
0,a Ideals Being Forced on People
q, anerlcans by force of circum-
stance are being compelled to change
ABOUT and assume the life Of the ia
uJlnS, u'I,;s,, NE under roof of their own,
mn.'n lhclrs honest obligations no
man should be too lazy to assume
put every one who wants to return
10 the old American way of living can
noV 90 So This is market which do
mands money of home seeker he.
cause labor is taciturn and viii MT
neip bring about return to the old
substantial ways ''u'
Labor Is Arbitrary
Building has been my business for
'nlr'y years. Every year since | started
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
Tribune Finds Manv
Houses i'm Flathr1sh
Aw aiting Occu.
pants and Many
Others Under Con,
struction; None Is
for Rent; Prices
$4,000 to $4,000.
and S5,O0OtoSlO,OOO
Is sRequired in Cash

homes in this lower section Of Flat.
bush for those who cannot find INV
in Manhattan are George Cragen, the
Miller Berg Corporation, Louis Gold
Dietrich & Wilson, Arthur Strong and
the Ascutney Realty Company.
You may question the price which
builders are asking for these houses
of seven, nine and eleven rooms. II is
high, to be sure, compared with the
amount of building one could buv fbr
less money four, five and six years apo
The builders will agree with YOU on
this score. They admit that the house
they are forced to sell for $4,000 TO-
day could be produced for 81 900, per
haps, four or five yeaJs ago.
You may have in mind the house
bought by friend in the old days
when a dollar bought full dollars
worth. But those standards cannot he
used now in making comparisons
Everything in your friends house cost
from so to 300 and 400 per cent less
than the same things you saw in tho
house you inspected to-day or will in
spect tomorrow if you are on the hunt
for home.
Despite the fact that the builder
is getting more than formerly, his
net profit is no more. He made 81 600
on $4,000 house back in 1914. On
an $4,000 house to-day he makes
$4,000. but that profit brings him no
more than the $1,000 made five wears
ago. Labor. the building material
manufacturers and dealers have made
it impossible for you to get house
as cheaply and as we'll constructed as
your friends. Builders do not expect
conditions TO be different. Labor will
not work for less and material inter-
ests will not sell for less. They, too.
have good reasons for the demands
they have made on the builder. and
the builder in turn on the distracted
BONE seeker.
If you do not care much about the
newest things in home comforts con.
tained in all the new houses, some of
which include laundry equipment. then
there are many old houses in Flatbush
from which you might select home.
They are being offered at prices lust
under the cost of new houses, but much
above what the buildings originally
cost to erect They are we'll built,
homes for the most part
Some of them may be better built and
have better material than some of the
newer buildings.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
State Regulation
Of Rents Must Come

That contracts of leasing and CON
saas eraets 5 Of sale are being bought and
sold daily solely for speculative rent
pronteerlng is unquestioned. Really
Interests must recognize that some,
tning must and will be done tn ston
tnis. For one to say THAT prom
eroy is mine and l will do with ;+
as l like" is not and never was a
5act aaco IN any government of law since
oooo b. e.. when China had stat.
use regulating the use and non-use
Oh privately owned real property.
:: Unless unconscionable rent nrof-
lteerlng is voluntarily STONED W.
state Will and must step in and fly
MAXIMUM rents or go into state ana
nlun'clpal ownership and renting
anu an the opposition of realtv
twners t,so4 won't prevent it. To saw
.haI such is unconstitutional is
ruoolsh-the power of a state to
protect its citizens is absolute W
unless something is don. ~.
present unrest will be intensif;ad
Sho almost anything NAV hannan
oapltai and unionized labor ara
squeezing the life out of the frad
income and 'salaried class-the . eu
important of any class in anv AGn ;n
dustrial nation. any III
STEWART BROWNE.
PRESIDENT Of United Promo er+n
owners Association.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
Colonial HOMES or BRICK ON
RL7Z AWD ROAD WEAR
HA7BUSH ATE

ilege is given. More than fifty appli-
cations have been made for the first
suite to be vacated
This house gives an idea of the rent
ing conditions in Flatbush Vacancies
in the older houses are few and far be-
tween and rarely are discovered by
folks outside Of the immediate neigh
borhood. The family seeking a place
to rent in Flatbush will seek long and
then may not get one.
A rental of about $25 room will be
demanded and the answer must be
quick or the opportunity will be lost.
Nothing remarkable in the way of an
apartment can be expected at this
price. Any price can be had for the
most desirable apartments.
Can't Buy "Shoestring"
Real estate men in Flatbush are
principally concerned with selling. 1t
is selling market, said one builder,
and one which demands more than a
"shoestrng" to get a house. The |
cheapest of the new Flatbush houses
are selling to-day for $4,000. There
are not many at that price Most of
the houses are selling for S1S,50O to
$4,000. Some houses there are being
offered at $30000 $4,000 and $4,000. +
At least 80 per cent will be required to
buy any of these houses. Sometimes
as much as 6O per cent is asked. On
Fenimore Street, just off Flatbush Ave
nue., there are two houses of row of
five attractive homes, that would re-
mind one of the Betsy Ross days, be-
ing offered for $ls,5oO, on each Of
which $4,000 must be cash.
The first payment generally de-
manded is at least 80 per cent.
Mistake to Try "Shopping"
1t is essential that a homeseeker en-
tering the Flatbush field should know
that shopping" is out of the question.
There is no pickering. A builder is not
pressed to accept your offer, for there
are too many others in the field seek
ing his house. Neither will Flatbush
builders give an option. Their answer
TO such request is that the house will
be Tor sale tomorrow if not sold in
the mean time, and that they have no
right to show preference in such an
urgent snge i,,alt market. This is warning that
snap )udgment-yes or NOS an essen
tial in hunting homes to-day.
II prepared to invest from IS 900 up
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
East Sixties Be
Section Beautiful

plan by which the exclusive resi-.
Dental section of the EAST Sixties
Will be extended as far eastward as
second Avenue was formulated by a
group of property owners in that sec
ton, when they met at the Peoples
Methodist Episcopal Church on East
sixty-trst Street yesterday afternoon
and organized the East Sixties Prop
erty Owners Association.
The purpose Of the association is to
enforce restrictions, plant trees along
,he streets, obtain more effective no.
borhood ~
The committee, which includes about
two hundred prominent meu and
Women, is under the presidency OF r
r; 1. Riggs, lawyer. Paul Plunkett of
ilo broadway, was appointed treas.
urcr was
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
ONE or THESE HOUSES an
RU7ZAN0 R0AO NEAR BEDFORD
AVENUE IS Still M THE
Bu/Z 2ERS A.HWoS.

anticipated, and the builders had to &c
into their own pockets to make up the
| difference.
If there is nothing in the Prospect
Park section Of Flatbush that is suit
able then move south to Avenue H.
From that thoroughfare south to Ave
| nue. N and east of the Brighton Beach
line are scores of homes, some COM
pleted, some nearly completed and
others in the first stages of construc-
ton. Few builders will commit them
selves on what they will sell houses
for only partly completed, but the opin-
ion is that construction which will not
come into the selling market until the
summer or late spring will cost the
home buyer perhaps $4,000 more than
the same house would sell for to-day.
April l is day which the builder
has to conjure with. On that date it
's understood that new labor wage
schedules will go into effect Material,
too. is being paid for at the price
quoted on the day of delivery This is
not purely selling talk by builders, be-
cause the demand is SO great that they
of homes completed
There are upward of thirty houses
completed or under construction on the
old McGaw property. which is in the
vicinity of Avenue I, just east of Ocean
Avenue: About half of them have been
sold. They are Of brick stucco and
frame construction, seven and nine
rooms, and are selling for $18,5oO to
$4,000.
c. l.. Jacobs, under the name of the
l.. & c. Construction Company, is
guiding a row in East Twenty-second
Street near Avenue I, and in East
Iwenty-tirst Street near the same ave-
nue., under the Irving Construction
Company. Some of the latter houses
are about half completed The McGaw
Construction Company has completed
row OF brick hou les in Twenty first
Street, between Avenues and j. and is
offering them for $22,50 each. Di-
rectly across from the Jacobs houses
are row of stucco and frame dwell
lngs which have just been completed
and are in the market for sale. The
Mildred Construction Company has
erected several houses in the McGaw
tract and is holding these for $50 900
each. T'0'0oo
others who are actively providing
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
Many More Join Ranks
Of City Home Owners
Physician Buys House in 88th
ST.; Phelps Stokes Estate
Sells DXyellirr

Paesc & Gilman have sold for Jennie
Sheridan to physician for occupancy
the thrce-story and basement DWELLING
at 148 West Eighty eighth Street, on
plot 1Sx55x1OOS.
The Vreeland-Ord Realty COMPANY
and Frederick Zittcll E. Sons have sold
for the Phelps Stokes Estates, Inc. 166
West Seventy-third Street, four story
dwelling on a plot 1Ssx1O2.2, to a
builder.
Froman e. Taubert have sold for
Charles Hcaly 1874 East Ninety-secopd
dwelling. 'N''
Douglas Gibbons & Co. have sold for
Hugh Donohoe LAG East Fortv-scventh
Street, four-story high stoop brown
stone dwelling, on lot 17x1O0. to q
buyer who will alter it into an Ameri-
can basement dwelling.
p ne same brokers have sold for Kopel
Brumer 1856 East Forty-seventh Street
a 'our-story. high stoop brownstone
dwelling, on lot 20xlOO, to buyer. who
also plans similar Improvement.
The Houghton Company has sold to
Eugene Bernstein the four-story and
basement dwelling at % West Eighty
NJ nth Street. or lot 19x102.2, for the
Myer Dittenhoefer estate.
", Ihe same company has sold for the
Wells Holding Company to Hani Grun-
berger, the fourstory brownstone
dwelling at 1862 West 123d Street.
J.. T. & E. j. Murray have sold for
Robert Brien 81 East 107th Street to
Joseph Heistein.
Ennis & Sinnott rcsold 10 Ka+b,r;,o
G. Winkopp the three-story and base
mont dwelling at 413 West 146th Street
on lot 16.6x100 w. D. Morgan was the
broker WIG
Norman Denzer has sold for a Mr.
Sehlhee. t. Jacob Fishman the dwell
ing at SAT West l59th Street, on plot
17xl00. paw
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
Flat Buying
On Heights
Usually Strong
Interest Now Centers in
Cheaper Apartment
Houses; Rent Possibili-
ties Very Like the Reason

Inc Leonett Realty Company. Louis
Schlechter. president, has sold the
southeast corner of Fort Washington
Avenut and 161st Street, 8 six-story
elevator apartment house, known as
Chateau D'Armes, on plot t45xl25. NJ.
ochlechter has bought from Elizabeth
Callahan. 500 West 14oth Street,
,3 lly,e3-story apartment, 376xl0O, and
SOLD 1T to Jack Schwarz ]. S Maxwell
negotiated the sale to Mr.. Schlechter
D. c: Hough & Co. have sold for
oarah M. Brueck the La Sale, the six
story apartment house at sos West
loIst STREET., on plot 75xlOO.
Charles 5. kohler has sold to the
Erda Realty Company the five-story
1iat at 55s-560 West ls4th Street, on
plot 37.Gx75.
New Owner for Heights Flat
conn M Eadie. of James n. Wells's
nons' has sold for Stoddard Morrison K
iiugnes the two five story apartment
houses at 529-531 West l44th Street 10
oonn >. Bother for investment.
James II. Cruikshank has resold to
barnet Salzman and Willie Brounstein
olo west 10th Street, a five-story fiat
on plot 33x1OO.
Huward ~. Crosby & Co. have sold
10 1or the Peerless Candy Company, Max
kessler, president. 1S9 St. Nicholas
avenue, a five-story apartment hous.
on plot 32x10O.
Hardw1ck Hall for Operator
lsldor Zimcer and Samuel Reznicl
nave purchased Hardwick Hall, the
seven-story apartment house at the
southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and
l1oth Street, on plot 100xI23 The
property faces Mount Morris Park Ar
!hur 5. DuCret & Co. were the brokers
IN the sale. The Hardwick Realty Cor
poratlon was the seller.
?, Dun q Conger have sold for Julia
aao e.; Cameron the six story tenement az
1o1 20 East Sixty-seventh Street, on plot
Columbus Avenue Deal
Charles Wynne and Louis II. Low
naye bought from a client of Wolf 4
reo nonn the two five story apartments at
s0s,an sOs ana 765 Columbus Avenue. on plot
were the brokers.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
Bronx Realty Trading
As Active as Ever
House After House i'm Various
Sections of Borough Passes
TO New Owners

Inc benenson Realty Company has
sold 2lO4 Vyse Avenue, northeast cor.
ner of 180th Street, five-storv ans r..
ment with stores, on plot 78x7S.
Samuel Cowen has sold 1543 to 1881
Madison Avenue, five three-story build.
lngs, to a Mr. Sesholtz.
Harry Calm has resold 9o2 to ans
Jackson Avenue, on plot 766xs7lA two
Jacobs e''''a" q
William j. Gabel has sold for Eliza
neth /. Ringe TO Clara Mcdonnell the
tour-story double flat at 2O93 Webster
Avenue, on plot 33x1OO.
Mrs. Rae Misroch has sold to r.
Lazarowltz the two apari ,acuts at 1O33
TO l043 Boston Road. Mess. Marcus q
"els represented the seller.
" A. Irotta has sold for Sarah
Sutter 1907 Gleason Avenue. two
seory frame two family house, on lot
1oxloo. M. I. Trotta and Fred Omen
neimer have for Julia Hecht a two o-fam-
ny house. on lot 169x7O, at 1880 An
thony Avenue, running throuph ~ CO.
ter Avenue
Bernhard D. Goldstein and A. Midon-
lck have bought from Michael kaufman
ohe northwest corner of Ogden Avenue
and iIoth Street, a story apartment
on plot 72x100. "
Joseph G. Abramson sold to SYLVIA
more Realty Company the five story
apartment at 929 Eas' 167th Streat
nortnwest corner of Fox street. on Mot
olXlo2: Fl. Zuckerman was the broker
,,,i q. Schmukler has sold to Irnaz
Wlesel 7So Caldwell Avenue, two
story family house, on lot 25x1OO
julius Trnttner has sold for Mrs
ranhle Marx to Max Aronoff the four
story story nat at 6l5 East 136th Street 25y
y John F. Pendergast has sold for Rosa
naum 10 the Shoenfeld Realty Com
Pany the tlve-story apartment on plot
4OXlCO, at Glib East l35th Street
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29

ward in home in Fatbush then leave
the Brighton Reach train at the Pros
pect Park station. There were at least
five houses within half dozen blocks
OF this station on the market for sale
yesterday. The prices were about
$lS,500 Three of these houses arc on
Rutland road between Flatbush Avenue
and Bedford Avenue Fred b. Norris
has one near Flatbush Avenue. 1t is
one OF row of three brick dwellings
with garages in the rear.
Peter Collins, who has been building
IN Flatbush for many years, has the
last OF live which he has erected on
that block on his hands. 1t is near
Bedford Avenue. is a brick house of
Colonial architecture, with an elevated
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
Negotiate Deal
For Fifth Ave.
Loft by Cable
Countessd'A Andigne, of Paris,
and Isabella C. May Sell
Building With an ''L"
on East Goth Street

The Bencnson Realty Company has
bought from the Countess d'Andigne. of
Paris, France, and Isabella C. May, of
washington, the sx-story business
building at 1879 Fifth Avenue. on plot
32.6x13S, with an IL" to S East T,yen-
tleth Street, three story building, on
iot 25x4S, surrounding the northeast
corner Of those thoroughfares. Ncgo
uatlons for the sale were carried on by
gable. The Brown, Wheelock Company,
Inc, negotiated the sale
Downtown Block Front Sold
Charles F. Noyes. Company has sold
I" marry Aronson the two buildings on
side of Gold street from John to
riatt streets and known as 80 John
street and 23 Platt Street. The build-
Ing, with plottage of about 900 souare
1eet and street frontages of 20.3 feet
on John Street, 1884 feet on Cold
otreet and PIP on Platt Street The
premises will be offered for resale hv
tnc Noyes Company to insurance ;nter.
ests and jewellers with full possess;on
on May l. 1920. The sellers of the nron'
;;.sy ;.y were Robert G. Clarkson and viii
1sm Floyd trustees, represented bv
o"""ann. voorhees, & Floyd.
Buy for Future Protection
Tue Charles F. Noyes COMPANY has
ssU soid 1or William II. Sage, executor
20 q; Zatinsky & Son the story loft
at s6o Broadway, on lot 26x1s0' ~ ~
building was recently leased tbro,,rr,, 1.S
.ne same brokers for five years to one
Tenant: Mr.. Zatinsky. whose bus;noss 1.s
~ az az Eldridxe Street, IL buyinc tha
pIoPcr1y for Investment for his frr,
WIN view of ultimately occupvine tha
property when the leases expire '"'
Loft to Replace Former HON.
The McReyno'ds Realty Corporat;or
James NJ. Reynolds president. has mr..
chased io3 West Twenty-seventh strest
a building formerly owned and occun;eJ
by the Margaret Strahan Home for
women. The new owners will alter il
INTO lofts for the fur trade. Ames &.
co. were the brokers and will be the
renting agents
Brown Sells in Chamber Street
Frederick Brown has resold to Iames
=. Morris & Co 1853 Chambers Street
between West Broadway and Green
wich Street, fve-story and basement
building. on lot 25x75. Arthur F. Du
Gret 4 Co. were tho brokers.
East Thirteenth Street Stable Sold
The Duross Company has sold the
hree-story dwelling at 149 West Thir-
eenth. Street, on a lot 2OxlO3 for
frederick Engelman to Katherine Car.
'ey.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29

, l have built houses and alwavs n1anro,
operations a year ahead. This year
am planning to stop building. Mr.. Me-
chanic and Mr.. Laboring Man are trav
cling too fast for me- | cannot continue
much longer to meet their demands ano
.he demands of the building materia
tolKs. Both seem to be heading for the
SKY. For many builders material prices
and labor costs have long been out Of
sight. am forced to-day to ask $50 O0C
1or dwelling which, five years ago.
sold for about $500. | frankly
admit that I think that the house of five
years ago was better constructed. The
difference IN the selling prices repre-
sents inflated building material prices
ana iaoor prices: l am paying S32 q
thousand for brick. I know. and ali
contractors know. that s14, even nndar
present labor conditions would give the
manufacturer big return on his in
vestment.
Those Were the Happy DAYS
Twenty years ago, perhaps LITTLE
further back, carpenters worked will
ngly ten hours day for $3.50 Tr;n,
was made by hand at 25 cents an hour
Later the wage scale was lifted 10 81 25
Tor day Of eight hours. 1t is an in
teresting fact that most mechanics in
those days owned their own homes
mere was mechanics colony of com
fortable houses in the vicinity of Clas-
son Avenue, Franklin Avenue and Rer-
gen street. Although the mechanic
ana the !aborcr i'll the building trades
are getting something like 800 per cent
more than in those days comparatively
lew are home owners. Bricklayers are
getting $40 a day now; a few wears
back $3.50 was a big wage. Caynan nars
tiers, at that time, were paid s5 "a
are getting So and 50 now. .U hawe
paid plasterers $40 day.
Wages Up Another Peg Soon
understand new scale of wages
Is to be demanded soon. Labor is
domg everything possible to hamper
proouctlon. Painters refused to work
on my houses on Saturday, but thav
qld al work on Sunday and got SIG a day
i . Illustrate how labor raises costs.
mad recently to complete a house at
certa'n time. 1t was an emergency in
"hlch any man would have done his ut
most to help. But labor baked. I
Soaiu / get no one to work New wages
hau 70 De paid. The result was that |
~ po,ooo. NO" l am not selling any
y mouse until it has been completed and
Know Just what it has cost me. am
laoor'ng man. and think unions are
GOOD Know food prices have gone up
ana am willing to .pay-but they will
no. no. Play i1ir, and the attitude taken by
tne rresfdent and Congress with re-
gara 10 labor questions recently in
olca.es Iaoor is no longer feared, be-
Gauss Mr. wilson and Congress are
sure :na. the people will back them in
any 80 .nev make against such OBJ
building trades unions"
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
VIII LedUe O,Un Flat
Because of High Rent

The owner of fine apartment
house in the best section of the citv
has decided that the rental being
paid by the tenants in her house is
more than she is willing to pay, and
has about decided to move out and
rent her apartment. She is plan
nlng to take small house in one
of the dwelling blocks be veen Sec
ond and Third avenues which have
been reclaimed by deserters from
apartment house living. The house
she has in mind will cost about
$4,000 to buy. A years rent for
the apartment, which she is about to
surrender would give her a sub
stantial equity in the dwelling
property.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
Buying in BROOKLYN

onar!es Partridge has sold the three.
story store apartment, at 500 FrsnLfu
Avenue, for LouiseB orehardt. IA Il
:, Green Brothers has sold 67a Eos.
hiEhteenth I.1 Street for Raymond Healv
Inc bulkley & Horton Company ha :
sold 224 Seventy-seventh Street .
ewelling. to A. G. Lawson. q
~ + frederick W. Walker jr., has sold
S4e sne ,nree- story dwelling at 513 Fifth
street. for Miss Helens Wright. "
nehry l.. Nielsen has sold the two
family dwelling at 426 Seventh Street
Tor Mrs. Emma Halliean.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-29

twenty-five houses have been erected in
the last year within radius of half a
mile of the Malbone Street and the
W,llInk entrances to Prospect Park.
All but the few mentioned above have
been sold. Mr.. Collins will comnlete o
tour new houses during the summer.
but not until he has finished them will
he sell
Labor prices and material costs are
too Jumpy, Mr.. Collins said, to risk
setting price at this time. Manv
builders operating in Flatbush and. for
that matter, in other sections. are TAX
ing the same stand, because money has
been lost b. selling houses still under
construction Labor troubles, wage in
creaseS and material advances Were not