The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-03

elapse before the builders can be as
sured that there is anything in the
act for them" Their consolation in the
meantime will have TO be found in the
reflection that II is only three months
until the converting of another Legis-
lature. AS TO the rent bills. the only
comfort for the builder contained in
them is the exemption of new con-
struction from the operation of such
laws. This should remove from the
minds Of the builders all apprehension
that the rent legislation Of the regular
session applies to new construction.
When it is borne in mind that every
body interested in the housing problem
had agreed that in the building of more
houses rested the only solution OF that
problem that Gov. Smith in his mes
sage calling the Legislature in extraordi-
nary session specifically so declared
that Mayor Hylan in his numerous mes
sages and public utterances on the sub
ject had taken similar ground and that
every newspaper in the city had at some
time stated that the problem could only
be solved by the building of mora
houses (no matter how varied and in
consistent were their ideas as to how
this object was to be achieved), Il will
be difficult, to say the least. to find
how or in what respect the Legislature
has bettered the situation.
For all that the Legislature or It's
joint housing committee has achieved It
need never have touched the subject at
all. either at the regular or special ses-
sions. 1t found the city facing an alb
normal situation. with neither housings
nor Industrial establishments in supply
sufficient to meet the pressing and in
creasing demand and 1t has left the
situation in worse condition than It
found 1t. The joint housing committee
held a vast number of hearings, ut
which every crank and impractical
dreamer and social up,ifter in the COM
munity was heard on Il level with the
expert and the earnest and deeply In
terested worker, and 1t ultimately sub
mitted a set Of recommendations, Of
which a few have promise of good re-
suits and the most were inherently
vicious. and It gave its stronger measure
Of support to the latter. and they were
enacted, to still further complicate the
situation and increase its difficulties,
while 1t gave only weak and perfunctory
support to the better parts OF its pro-
granme in the Legislature. and these
were permitted to fail.
Tenant Class VIII Suffer Most.
One member of the committee-As-
semblyman McWhinney, its vice-chair-
man-did strive earnestly and assidu-
ously to carry the really constructive
part OF the committees programme
through. but at the critical moment.
when tho bills most needed his atten-
ton. he suffered physical breakdown
and had 10 retire from the session. This
was not his misfortune alone but that
Of every man in New York who now
and for a long time to come will have
to nav n needlessly high rent for hts
housing. for IL is upon the tenant class
that the failure of the Legislature to
do its duty will fall with greatest
severity.
Considering the psychology of the sit
uation it was perhaps too much to ex-
pect that any legislation in effective
aid of new construction of housings
should have been enacted at this spe-
cial session. The Governor, a Demo-
crat, and a candidate for reelection, sus-
pected by his political opponents COM
posing the majority OF the Legislature
OF a design in summoning them In spe-
clal session only five weeks before cleo
ton OF putting something over OH
them: a timidity on both sides about
doing anything that would afford oc-
casion for criticism on any hand. and a
TO do nothing that would
give the tenant class reason for mass
complaint: this was the condition I'M
der which the Legislature was sum-
moned by the Governor-"to relieve the
housing stnngehcy." The Governor and
the Legislature have achieved about
what was TO have been expected from
such a situation--nothlng. AS to any
political advantages. impartial judy
ment will probably declare that "the
lpunrC lre easy"