New-York tribune., 1920-09-30
Moving Day
To See Wild
Confusion
Continued from pass one)

Committee on Reconstruction and Pro-
duction, that "a housing situation has
arisen in New York Which is both i'm
moral and menace TO the lives and
the health Of the people"
Mr.. Hllly announced that under the
new rent laws persons who signed
leases on or since April last and who
OBJECT to paying increases provided for
IN the leases have the right to offer
rent on the old basis on October l. and
II the landlord refuses it they NAV "sit
I tight until the courts decide on the
reasonabl bleness OF the threatened in
crease.
Realty Board Prepares Test
Edward P. Doyle, a member of the
executive committee of the Real Estate
| Board, declared that the board in. pre-
parlng to test the constitutionality Of
the new rent laws would contend that
the laws are "outrageous" and designed
not tor the poor. but for 1.-The benefit
OF rich tenants who have long leases
about to expire"
Mr.. Hilly, in reply. said the real
estate interests were trying ito estab-
ilsh constitutional right to grab a
family by the back of the neck and
throw it into the street"
Senator Charles C. Lockwood, chair
man of the joint legislative committee
on housing. said that his committee
would resume hearings at the City Hall
next week to consider remedies for the
housing situation to be presented at
the next session Of the Legislature.
Commenting on the plans of the
Real Estate Board to conduct a legal
Doyle said: The inside story Of the
passage of those laws has not vet been
told. The conditions under which thev
were passed were outrageous. The
Whole program was pushed through so
| hurrledly that the majority of the leg
islators did not know what they were
voting for. There can be no doubt
about the unconstitutionality Of a law
which deprives a man of the right to
| his property for two years.
THE laws do not benefit the poor
man, who is already amply protected
. They are for the benefit Of rich ten
ants who have long leases which are
about to expire. The man who has a
$4,000 apartment on Riverside Drive
will now be able to retain posse ion
at the same rent as when coal sold
at 81 ton and the elevator operators
could be hired for $40 month"
Copeland Fears Epidemic
DdLRet ol al tplueHliC tHIea Ic II y
New York on account Of the housing
shortage, which has induced landlords
to divide apartments by thin partitions
and to make tenants use bathrooms
and dumbwaiters as kitchenettes, Dr.
Copeland told the Senate Commit ee
at its session at 20 West Thirty ninth
Street. DR.. Copeland was questioned d
by Senator William NJ. Calder and
Senator Walter F: Edge.
AS means of obtaining data on
the housing shortage in its relation
to public health, DR.. Copeland said
ne made a survey of 32,470 houses in
Manhattan, The Bronx and Brooklyn
The housing conditions in this city
are unbelievable" he said. There are
many apartments OF three rooms in
which 12 persons are living. On West
l42d Street there is building where
the landlord formerly got s65 a
month for each floor. He divided each
floor into two apartments, and now
gets $3.50 month for the space
This landlord has boarded up the
dumbwaiters for kitchenettes in the
rear apartments, and for kitchenettes s
IN the front apartments he has used
the bathrooms. Such conditions will
result in cholera if they are not
checked.
''ln one square block in the city
there are 10000 persons living. In
one square mile there are 100000 per
sons living. Such congestion is a
menace to public health and to morals.
In our survey we found many eight
family houses occupied by ten families.
We found two eight family houses
each occupied by sixteen families We
found many ten-family houses occupied
by fourteen and sixteen families. We
found one family house occupied
by thirtyfve families"
Senator Edge asked what sugges-
tlons Dr. Copeland would make to
remedy the conditions.
Remedy to End Crisis
The first thing which must be done"
DR., Copeland said, "is to encourage
private capital to build, There is no
encouragement to build houses. You
can't blame the hulders.'
We'll, do you approve of the efforts
made by Legislative action to reduce
rent" asked Senator Edge
81 approve the efforts made TO re
duce rent. but that is only half the
problem replied Dr., Copeland "The
men who have been offenders have been
wicked profteers. They deserve no con-
sideratlon. There is n universal fear Of
landlords on the part of tenants. |
think 1T possible to control rents and
still leave a profit for the landlords
There must | concerted effort. If
you can't get houses any other way
they must be built wit, public funds"
II agree with that" interposed Sena-
tor Calder "lf you can't build any
other way it is the duty of the Fede ral
government, the state or The city wher
the emergency is great to help build
homes"
II understand We have let contracts
for s7e,ooO,OOO worth of commercial
buildings" said Dr. Copeland. ut
seems to. me that this work will take
away labor and material which are
badly needed for homes"
Senator Calder asserted that the rent
legislation in New York had tended to
discourage home building II recog-
nize. however," he said, that some
landlords took advantage of the hous-
ing situation to raise rent outrageously
Some raised IS high as 200 per cent"
DO you think the new rent laws will
likewise deter people from building
homes" asked Senator Edge
Il think so,' replied Senator Calder.
However. if the authorities really re-
nit taxes as they may do I believe that
everybody who has a vacant lot will
build next year
Senator Edge declared that it was up
to the committee to find some method
to stimulate building. Il am very
much opposed to any paternalism in
the housing situation he said. This
! is time for us to get back to condi-
tions whereby business men NAV he