New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-11
More Building
to Curb
House Shortage
Held Only Way to Remedy
Situation That Is Said
on All Sides To Be Posi-.
tive Menace to the Public
100000 Flats Needed
New Rent Laws Pronounced
Inadequate and Removal
of Defects Is Demanded

of Detects Is demanded
4 This is the third ard last of series
vi articles on the seriousness Of the
sa.siao problem in Ncw York Citu. The
sscond article, tohich showed that Octo-
ls,r sciu mark the climax ia the rent
srisjs, was printed IN yesterdays T,rib-
sns.
i. is generally agreed among those
vhe have given the problem careful
study that the only real and permanent
rmedy for the present housing con-
1Stion is the building of more houses.
+ We are informed by Frank Mann.
ne Tenement House Commissioner.
T. hat the city is at this moment short
: 1900 apartments. Mayor Hylan be-
lisyes the figure is extremely conserva-
i've and should be nearly 100000.
Numerous proposals and plans to i'm
<svove q situation which is declared
E'on ali sides TO be a positive menace
H. the community have been put for
I ward by state and municipal authori-
HES and by citizens interested in the
/ rroblem. Some of these suggestions
1 viii be outlined here.
Rent Laws insufficient
t The authorities, however, realizing
That the adoption of any plan could
result in no immediate addition to the
housing facilities of the city, have been
concentrating their attention for the
host part on taking care Of the much
Iyorried tenant until some way of
Bridging the crisis has been found.
The new rent laws, while providing
b certain measure of relief, are not,
h the opinion of many officials and
Justices who are intrusted with the
administration of them, all that they
should be. In addition to frightening
IsH builders, II is pointed out, they
Io4er many opportunities to the I'M
fcrupulous landlord to cause suffering
10 his tenants and to turn out those
|sho refuse to meet his demands
A general cry has been raised for
I,ae removal of these defects in the
present rent laws, and committees of
lttzens in all the boroughs are clamor-
linz for an extra session of the Legis-
talure so that no time may be lost.
The landlord and builder, too, would
Hike to have the matter over with
h. the earliest possible moment. If
HE builder has been planning an I'M
|dertaking, he is waiting TO see what
he can expect and how far the authori-
HES at Albany are going in circum-
Iwribing his dealings with his pros
Ipective tenants.
II Glancing at the features of the pres
lent laws to which most objection is
Saised we find great many justices
Ionpaning that the stay limit Of one
= -
Help the tenant about to be evicted
not having the. good effect hoped
for it. They advise that the courts
e allowed to increase the stay from
Ihree TO five years, feeling that the
Iuisis Will last at least that long.
Higher Rents Year Hence
Justice Timothy A. Leary argues
That the stay limit should be extended
IAcause the landlords are now dispos-
Tossing tenants by the thousands with
lie idea Of getting rid of them at
he end OF a years time and then
Hiking in new ones at whatever rates
Hrey may wish to demand. If some
ach remedy is not provided. he says
tsho,e tcnements will be emptied about
tis time next year. That the rents
lal then go still higher is certain.
Jusice Harry Robtzek, of the
Bronx, is in favor of three-yeal
1say under the provision that the ten
liant or landlord shall be privileged te
|ume into court once a year and de
Inand a reimbursement of the rental II
accordance with the expense of main
Ihnance
Arthur j. W. Hilly, head of the
Mayors Committee on Rent Profiteer
Ing. thinks that the extension of the
1yay would deter many landlords from
baking excessive demands. He is no.
Ii favor of the extra session, however
kcause the present one-year stay viii
old the tenant until the next regular
ssson of the Legislature
| 1t is urged byI Mr.. Hilly and others
hat the burden of proof as to the
landlords right to the 25 per cen
Increase or more over last years rem
hould be taken from the shoulder!
Ut the tenant and placed on those
Of the owner
when the burden of proving tina
Chc landlords demands are exorbitan
Is on the tenant" argues Justice Sam
llon Friedlander. "the tenant is invari
tbly beaten. This is to be expected
He is unable to obtain the facts t.
Present in court, because he canno
lnin access to the landlords books
t,hich is the only way of getting a
ae expense Of maintaining the house
think that the burden of proving
uny raise justifable should be entirel.
lon the owner
Statements From Landlords
Philip NJ. Goodhart, who represent
N,OOO citizens of the lnwood Civil
Forum, suggests that all landlord
hould be required to file sworn state
hents Of their receipts and disburse
nents for the last year, upon whicl
Just rentals can be calculated II
ehggests, too, that certain return
lon the value of property be designat
81 as legal, and beyond that it shal
be deemed oppressive
AS matter of fact" argues Jus
ice Friedlander, of we are to help tn
!ehant at all on this question, the lay
me landlord should be compelled t
produce his expenses if he wants an
.mctease whatever. In many instance
As tenants are raised 25 per cent whe
per cent would be sufficient to brin
ne landlords return up to q jus
usufe. In thousands of cases, the 2
~. cent presumption has fastened ex
yiuonate rentals upon tenants becaus
Mey have not been able to presen
"s'f defense properly"
justice Robitzek proposes that tn
nv unit dispossess reasons to three
mere the landlord wants the premise
~. MS own personal use; where tn