New-York tribune., 1920-03-14
Build on Idle
Lands, Urges
La Cuardia
Several Solutions for Rent
Situation Ready for City
Construction Conference
To Be Held Tomorrow
Mortgage Relief Sought
labor Ready to Do Part,
Saws Boehm; Ordinance
Nav Curb Profiteers

Hope that the conference for a solu-
.;on Of the rent profiteer problem
,hroush a building boom, which has
Room called by the Mayor for to-mor-
row morning, would result in an agree
wan. among all the interests involved
=, definite program was widespread
yesterday Real estate men and labor
leaders all spoke hopefully OF the
chance Ct reaching compromise.
In the mean time two new plans for
erspp!ing with the trouble were in
;.;sted. President La Guardia Of the
poara Of Aldermen announced that he
uoud move to have houses built by the
e,tv upon all its idle lands. and Al
der,nan Hannoch gave out the text for
on amendment to the ordinances gov
a-ning licenses. under which the Com
missioner of Licenses could revoke that
~ any landlord who he found to be
profteering.
The conference on Monday will be
,srre;y attended by both real estate
nen and union leaders. and it is expect
4d that many suggestions from people
outside those interests will be received,
sjuce the public has been invited to at
tend and take part. No program has
been prepared, but it is known that the
discussion will center around the sug-
sestion from the Mayor that labor
ssree TO avoid disturbances for a year
10 permit building to proceed rapidly,
The various attempts at regulation
which are opposed by the realty men
and the movement for the exemption
OF mortgages up to $4,000 on new
Statement of Mayors Office
The following statement was given
out at the Mayors office yesterdays:
Many inquiries have come to the
Mayors office to-day as TO whether the
conference on the housing problem,
which is TO be held in the Mayors
Office March Is, will be public meet
ing. wish to extend to the public
generally an invitation to be present
a. the conference and to submit any
suggestions tending toward the solution
Of this pressing and vital question"
Organized labor OF the city is more
Interested in the passage of the Dona-
hue Boylan bill at Albany, which holds
out promise of immediate relief than
il Is in projects which cannot come to
fruition till after months, Secretary
Ernest Bohm, OF the Central Federated
Unlon declared last night. He was OPP
.mls'lc Of good results from the con-
sarence, however, and declared that
aoor could be counted upon TO do its
snare
THE problem is pressing for quick
relief" he SAID, land it needs drastic
action at once. For that reason the
G. +. i. is more in-erested in the pas
sage Of the bill than in getting building
started. With the best efforts possible
It will De late this year before there
can be any relisf through new housing,
and there will be serious crisis May /.
"The conference should help in many
Eav undoubtedly, and building is, Of
course, the only thing that will give a
permanent cure. Some middle ground
between the various plans proposed is
going TO De found, and there can be no
better chance to find it than at such a
conference. The assistance of labor can
De taken for granted. and there is little
need Of fear on that score. Wages have
been settled by agreements in prac-
tically al trades, and these agreements
will undoubtedly be adhered to-
Roswell d. Tompkins, secretary of
the New York Building Trades Coun-
ell, gave similar assurances in behalf
o. MS organization in letter to the
Mayor. He pointed out that an agree
ment had been reached last November
which nsures stability in the trades
represented by the council. This does
not include the bricklayers, who are
now apparently in a deadlock with the
master builders over the question of
whether the wage scale shall be $3.50
or $40 day
The Building Trades Council con-
.fact Is tor two years, and affects al
most ali the unions engaged on CON
struction.
Ready to Push Building
:: The contract provides" Mr. Tomp-
slns wrote, that if the cost of LIVING
Is not reduced by August l new
asfeement may be entered into ptovid-
'ns Tor 1921, but this in no way affects
.he agreement for 1890. There can be /
40 strikes in the building trades dur
EH