New-York tribune., 1920-03-14

ing 1920, according to this agreement
There are 11S,000 men in our organixa-
tion. and they are as anxious as the
real estate interests that business be
resumed on large scale and in q
peaceful manner"
The Central Federated Union plan
for $2O,000,00 bond issue by the city
for building purposes will not be pre-
sented to the Mayor until after the
mass meeting in behalf of the c. F. U.
bill in this city next Thursday and the
hearing in Albany on March %. Labor
is concentrating on the passage Of that
b'll, and in the meantime will do moth
ing toward the suggested plan for a
strike of $4,000 workers to emphasize
their protests against housing condi-
tions, resource which the leaders are
unanimous in desiring to avoid,
Members Of the Real Estate Board
and other Interested business men re-
fused to comment for publication on
the prospects Of the conference,
though all seemed hopeful that def
mite plan would grow out of the meet
ing. 1t was learned, however, that the
adoption of the plan for the exemption
OF building mortgages from taxation
would DC one of the things on which
they were inclined to insist as con-
dit'on to the launching of the $5O,00Q,-
600 to $1o0,o0o.ooo building program
which the Mayor suggests.
President La Guardia will present his
plan for putting up rush buildings on
the .city's unimproved property in a
resolution to the board Tuesday night.
He said yesterday that moro than 10000
families could thus be housed by the
city before the end of the year. The
fact that so many people were taken
care of at price that would be based
on cost, interest and ground rent, he
believed would relieve the general sit
uation materially
too promptly in the matter" he de-
clared, "for the crisis is great. The
solution which seems nearest at hand
and is entirely practicable. is for the
city to put up on every available lot
that it owns stucco houses, such rs were
erected in Washington for the housing
of war workers.
Plenty OF Sites Vacant
There are the many vacant school
sites. some occupying entire blocks; the
Jamaica Bay, not to mention other va
cant property belonging to the city.
am quite sure that the city is able to
house 900 families Of average size
if not more
~ am chiefly concerned with the
heads of families who earn less than
$4,000 a year. These are the real suf-
ferers. They cannot pay the present
rent for their homes. and it is likely to
go still higher by May L."
The measure which will be presented
by Alderman Hannoch, of the Bronx,
whose activities against rent profiteers
have resulted in threats against his
life, he says, will have to do with the
licensing Of fiat owners. The law now
provides that a person leasing an apart
ment house having three or more
apartments which are sublet must have
a license. His plan is to require such
licensees to file statements of the total
they pay for the leasehold, their ex
penditures and the total received from
rentals: The following provision is
then added:
"lf, in the opinion of the Commits
sloner, the sum total of rentals re-
celved over and above the cost of op-
Grating and maintenance is excessive
and eXorbitant it shall be within his
power to revoke the license granted"