The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-24

171.54s individual apartment suites or
flats.
In the Borough of Manhattan there
is n very considerable increase in the
pro rata amount of housing accommoda-
ton per individual ssince 1910. In the
entire city OF New York there has been
a slight increase since 1910. There arc
more vacancies than there have been In
several--perhaps five-years. These va
cancies are principally In elevator apart
ment houses (Which have been built in
quantity and In cold water flats (Which
even the less well paid will not use.
preferrinE to compete for the better ac-
conmodations). The reason that rents
have gone up Is because all charges In
connection with the ownership of a
building-interest taxes, wages. fuel.
supplies. repairs, &c.--have in the ag-
gregate increased 100 per cent. since
prewar times and the purchasing power
Of the net return has been cut in half.
why Rents Were Raised.
In view of the last factor owners or
real estate. unable to determine the
exact cost of the commodity they were
selling. raised their prices. just as did
merchants selling shoes. collars, clothing.
sugar potatoes and every other COM
modify. These increases we're exorbitart
| ana unJuStludDlc III some cases. iScol-
| omy In the use OF space resulted. Tnere-
fore. the present increase In vacancies.
which would have been even mora
marked II the Legislature had not for
| the last six months been encouraging
| the extrhvagant use OF space. The effect
OF these vacancies In the ordinary course
OF events would have been to bring
down rents In the same manner mat
shoes. sugar. coffee silk, cotton goods
a. I'D Aa1. n~tf ~..f,f ~
owners can no longer afford to carry
are being thrown on the market for
what they will bring.
In view of these official statistics 10
Is difficult to maintain a contention that
an emergency exists which justifies the
intervention OF the police power OF the
State to an extent which requires It 70
override express provisions of the United
States and the State Constitution The
facts completely refute the so-cailed EEK
listing emergency" OF which one Supreme
Court Judge during the last week pur-
ports 10 take judicial notice"
Predicts Failure of ATTACK.
Boiled down. all this anti-rent increa Sc
agitation and legislation Is a repetition
In a more subtle form-in this case the
attack Is against tho class owning Inn
movable property--of the sixteen TO one
doctrine OF partial Reputation. without
any OF the academic advantages which
were claimed for the latter doctrine
The owner Of real estate. who is pre-
vented by the physical nature Of his
property from removing Il sfrom the
states Jurisdiction. and whose expenses
OF operation and maintenance have in
creased 100 per cent. shall be bound by
a presumption that any increase in the
price Of his commodity Is unreasonable.
Any contract providing for any increase
In compen sation is said 10 be fraudulent
and assumed to have been made under
duress. while the average Increase In
cost OF all other commodities is consid-
ably in excess OF 100 per cent.
Babson's report. dated October 10. 1870.
compiled from price quotat tons given by
Bradstreet's. gives the following per-
centages OF Increase OF commodity prices
since July. 1914: Breadstuffs, ii9 per
cent: provisions. 81 per cent; coal and
coke. A1 per cent; oils. l4i per cent;
building materials. ISIS per cent: chem
icals and drugs. 106 per cent; metals. Sc
per cent (thls item being kept down by
the comparatively small increase in cost
OF copper: hides and feathers, 70 per
cent; textiles. id3 per cent (the last two
after the drastic reductions OF the last
few months) miscellaneous i26 per
cent
The attack VIII not succeed. The doc
trine OF partial reputation has already
been dlsowned by the suffrage OF the
entire country.