The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31
ny ROBERT e. SIMON.

II rfrdcts from an address on the
stng situation deHrered at the recent
vention of the Neto York State AsSo-
Mon Of Real Estate Boards held at
ehestcr
Ihe housing problem is one which has
r been and which viii. 1 fear. always
with us I do not wish to strike a
ssimistic note. but can see by the
st that conditions in the future will
obably continue to be behind the need
the times.
housing Is an economic and a social
robem and as such must be considered
rom the broadest possible viewpoint.
;ducation is constantly creating greater
emands for better homes. and the
zghts of the poor man are ever being
rought home to his more fortunate
eeighbor, so that there should be the
esire to satisfy this perfectly legitimate
rowth. A good home makes for good
tizenship, and / doubt very much If
GU will find many among the /. w.
w. who have a family and own their
own home. Every, effort should be made
TO encourage home ownership. whether
In the single or two family house or by
cooperative ownership in the multi
family house.
The large percentage of tenantry is
one OF the dangers in our-countN to-
day. While France has so per cent OF
nome owners, the sUnited States census
OF 1880 showed As per cent. and 1910
only So per cent, a decrease OF 10 per
cent; in 1920 it probably will be still
less This tide must be stopped and
turned In the opposite direction.
Since our country entered the war
construction of buildings and the com
plexity of the multitudinous phases of
materials and human elements directly
and indirectly involved have been one
OF the storm centres of legislative reg
ulauon and control The result of this
interference with the regular course of
the law of supply and demand has re-
sultel in the present chaotic conditions
not only here, but everywhere-in every
civilized country.
Only Solution Is More Houses.
The ultimate solution of this prob
lem lies in houses and then still more
houses. Absolutely nothing else will
relieve the shortage, yet it is almost
two years since the armistice has been
signed and there has been nothing con-
structive done to give relief Instead
or the slogan being Houses it has been
politics ana votes. Gov. Smith sent two
constructive programmes to the legs-
iators, but they were more interested in
politics than relief, and they adjourned
vice without paying any attention to
he Governors helpful suggestions. In
act, their attitude toward the laws
which heretofore have protected capital
1vested In real estate has been such as
actually drive capital out of the field.
arly in the discussion 1t was realized
iat there was nothing the Legislature
aud do to interfere with the law of
and demand affecting business
s. Though there was just as
'oiteering in this class Of prop
though the halls of the Legis-
ing with the suffering of the
Office and loft tenant, the po-
of the State could not be in
this direction with the result
ings to relieve this pressure
erected on every hand. In
~-.srcity from Fourteenth to Fifty
ninth street over 100000 square feet
of loftsand office space is under construc-
ton, while the residential field Is prac-
tlcally stagnated.
Both party platforms recommend
the passage of a law exempting income
from mortgages for limited time from
income tax in order to set an example
for the national Government to follow
and to entice money into housing invest
ments. A bill to this effect was pre-
scented at both sessions of the Legisla-
killed this measure.
Another play to the galleries on which
the curtain shouldJ be dropped is the
talk of building new multifamily houses
for the laboring man At the present
price of labor and material this is a
financial impossibihty. Why not adj
NIT It?
Make More Room for the Needy.
Due to the higher rents. the apart
ments and houses which should be avail
able for the workman are being partly
occupied by families who can in normal
times afford to live In more modern and
sf6etter quarters. Room must be created
for them TO move and vacate the space
they now occupy for their poorer neigh
Dor. and this shifting must be started
well toward the top. Furthermore. our
great sympathy should not be falsely
aroused entirely for the laboring man.
\ who is receiving Sc day for unslSilled
and $40 day for skilled work, and in
addition large sums for overtime and
plenty OF work every day I'm the week.
It is the self-respecting middle class,
our clerks, policemen, firemen, teachers
and such. who are the greatest sufferers
1 and who are little heard or spoken Of
England has had n subsidized tenant
? housing policy since 1851. In 1916 the
British authorities participated the
housing shortage by creating a Bureau
of Housing in the Ministry OF Health.
Since the latter part of 1919 they have
had a subsidized builders policy of
about rs per cent of cost, yet they are
In q worse condition than that in which
we find ourselves. In England and
Wales during the past three years
$500, 900 has been spent annually I'm
salaries for the housing bureaus. The
number of schemes under consideration
r,.-asr4O. 900. yet one year after the arrnis-
Acc was signed not a single house was
|res&ly for occupancy.
What then. can we do7 First and
foremost reestablish the confidence OF
cauftal--that IL 1t Is invested In houses
n that the laws will protect the investment.
Second, change our national income
fax laws. Either have n gross sales tax
NJ ana rescind the excess profit taxes which
n have been great deterrents to enterprise
and business or exempt, as an emer-
krency measure. income from mortgages
som the surfaces. II we can get Con-
~ 60 grasp the situation and act Mt
\ext session. a great deal viii have
Accomplished.
pnact national and State laws