New-York tribune., 1920-03-27
Opinion Asked
On City's Program

The Board of Estimate made its first
move toward direct action on city
housing program yesterday. when 1t re-
quested an opinion from the Corpora
tion Counsel as to whether the city has
tho legal power to construct buildings
to be rented as homes. 1t asked that
tho opinion be given to the Committee
on Finance and Budget at Its meeting
Monday.
In tn cmenntime the board referred
to the Committee of the Whole, indef-
nitely thereby deferring action, the
resolution of the Board of Aldermen
asking the board to prepare lists OF
city property available for building
purposes ana to have plans drawn and
arrangements made for housing pro-
gram. The same fate overlook the
resolution Of Borough President Cur
ran, which provided a $1O,O0O,OOO fund
for such purposes The request for the
Corporation Counsel's opinion was on
Mr.. Curran'a motion.
An attack on the housing bills now
before the Legislature was made DUR
ing the day by Solomon A. Lewinsohn,
assistant chairman Of the Mayors Com
mittee on Rent Profteering. He de-
clared the bills were inadequate, that
they failed to provide stimulus for new
building and that they ignored the in
equalities to be found in current rent
ais because of differences in greediness
of landlords and the rising cost of
buildings.
making an increased rental of more
than .25 per cent presumptively op-'
pressive would do moro harm than
good" he said. "a landlord may have
raised the rent a half dozen times
during the previous year and to heap
25 per cent moro on that would be out
rageous. Also, distinction should be
madc between new buildings and old
ones that may have cost half as much.
Are the same high rentals to be leg
allied and encouraged for both? Own
crs of old buildings would be tempted
by such an enactment to profiteer and
gouge to the 25 per cent hilt. Also,
new buildings would thus be penalized
by being put in exactly the same basis
as old ones. 1t is singular that some
landlords point to high material and
labor costs as justification for huge
increases in the rental of buildings
into which the labor and material went
years ago at the old, low cost"
Mr.. Lewinsohn urged bills to pro-
vide that city bank balances should be
used to make loans on buildings; that
landlords be required to give three
months notice, instead of one, on dis
possess notices; that standard form
of lease should be provided; that the
landlord should not be permitted to
judge whether a tenant was undesir-
able; that the courts be empowered
to decide the fairness of rentals, and
that taxation on new buildings should
be light.
Justice Robitzek issued summonses
yesterday for Julius Tobias, a lawyer,
and Mrs. Alice Cavanaugh, interested in
tho defense of Bronx tenants, to show
cause why they should not be sentenced
for criminal contempt for staging
fight in his court. Mrs. Cavanaugh
slapped the lawyer and he tricd-but
failed-to hit back.
The dispossess proceedings which the
Justice ordered in the case she repre-
scented, for tenants at 626 Trinity Ave-
nue., were temporarily stopped when
which she had held up ON the ground
that it was excessive.
The Office Tenants League made ar
rangements yesterday for a conference
with Horace S. Ely G. Co., agents for
the building at 800 Broadway, where
the trouble started, to see whether the
tenants could not hold their leases
The agents are trying to clear out the
building to make room for larger
tenants.
A new angle in eviction developed
yesterday when the Unique Operating
Company, of negro stockholders. and
with offices at 225 West 136th Street,
ordered thirty-two white tenants out
Of houses at 595 to 603 Franklin Ave
nue., Brooklyn, which it has just bought.
A letter to the tenants says that "the
urgent needs Of our own people" forces
the eviction.
Two landlords were fined $3.50 each
in Special Sessions yesterday: the West
Tooth Realty Company for failing to
heat properly an apartment house at
1886 Wadsworth Avenue, and Harry S.
Proctor, for trying to annoy and drive
out Mrs. Rnna Reed, who has a lease
to October /, from the building at 434
Central Park West. He had been con-
victed on similar charge last winter,
but sentence was suspended on his
promise of coed behavior. Mrs.\ Reed
charges he broke the promise