Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-03-15
THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

In an effort TO solve the housing
Iproblem which has become SC acute In
New Jersey, Assemblyman Hansen has
introduced a bill in the legislature tc
exempt new dwelling from municipal
taxation for a limited period in order
to stimulate new building operations.
lAnother bill that has been introduced
would enable municipalities to go In
to the building business and to rent
or sell dwellings to people In need OF
them. Still another bill along this
line would oblige landlords to give
adequate time to tenants to find new
Accommodations before any eviction
proceedings are started.
The only one Of these that stands
any chance of accomplishing any
thing worth while is the Hansen bill
exempting new dwellings from a K
alton. But this is going only half way
in the matter. To exempt buildings
from taxation and not furnish n
means of making up the income thus
Host Is to put an unjust burden on the
,owners of property already built.
The ideal way WOULD be to exempt
all new dwellings from taxation and
greatly increase the tax on all vacant
Hand. This would not only tend to
stimulate building because the i'm
provement would be tax free. but it
would force the owner of vacant land
to build on 1t in order to derive an
Income to help meet the increased ex-
pense. At the same time the city as
la whole would not only have new
dwellings to help solve the housing
problem. but it would not lose any
thing by exempting the e buildings
from taxation.
After all, this Is only another form
of application of the tax on land. as
advocated by George J.. Record in his
minority report of the State Tax Com
mission, and exempting all improve
ments including buildings. No matter
(which way you look at the question
this is the only logical solution to thi
~lgreat taxation problem. But in thi
ease it Is found to be the best solu
ton to the housing problem also.
Under our present system the Ian
, ,owner says it Is too expensive to buil'
and he let's his land, on which he pay
| but a small tax because it is unim
/ ~lproved. be Idle yet constantly increas
1 ing in value. while people all abou
lcry for houses to live in. BY the Ian
e tax method the and owner woul
/ find it too expensive not to build. TIL
tax on vacant property would be 6
, Iereat that he would have TO build /
4 lorder to derive an ncom from tn
property In order to carry 1t and thu
$ the much needed houses would b
provided.
= lie Assemblyman Hansen's bill b
q amended so as to collect q tax froI
V all vacant land sufficient to make u
g the tax that is exempted from all ne
buildings and then enact 1t into la
@ and 1t will come about as near solN
$ Ing the housing problem as al /
g accomplished through legislation.
AS for the other two bills, the or
permitting municipalities to go int
the business OF constructing house
e to be rented or sold is a form of 81
d cialism that would have dire results.
It the first place 1t would mean Il
: placing OF big bond issues by Il
e municipalities to raise the necessal
IS funds; it would open the way
ifavortiism, graft and corruption
C awarding the contracts and erecttr
V the buildings. and in the renting
e sale of them after they were cor
If ,pleted. The experience of tho Unit
States Housing Corporation during t
war ought to be an object lesson
IL this line.
The fact that the law now requir
a three months notice for a tena
ct to vacate makes the other bill I
s. ferred to practically useless. 1t is
Id well enough to compel a landlord
err give his tenant ample time to find a
is other place, but If another place ca
x not be found in three months. III
l. long should adequate time" be?
TO As q matter IF fact the more sore
e. that are put on the landlord the !
k likely men are to become landlor
,et If all kinds of restrictions are goi
es to be put on The man who might