The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-09-03
SMITH URUEO CITY
AID FOR HOUSING
Proposes That Municipalities
Build Homes or Make
Building Loans.
ACTS TO BE SANCTIONED
Extra Legislative Session Is
Called to Empower Re-
lief of Situation

Gov. Alfred f.. Smith, in opening the
hearing Of the Joint Legislative commit
tee on housing at city Hall yesterday.
came out strongly In favor OF municipal
aid to improve the housing situation.
lie said cities could go ahead now ana
build under the home rule act with
every assurance that on September ~
the Legislature would confirm their ac-
tion.
81 believe We have arrived at that
stage in the proceedings he SAID
"where the reasons for the shortage OK
houses are pretty well known. / called
the Legislature into extraordinary ses-
sions for Monday night. September ~
with the belief and understanding mat
there remain some things the. state u
self could do, either directly or by en-
towering municipalities to give some re-
lief to the situation
Bv far the greater part OF the rep
resentativcs Of tenants organizations
who appeared before the committee eN-
pressed themselves in favor either OIL
New York city building houses or eN-
tending it's credit for that purpose o'l
The other hand, real estate operators
were together in declaring that eilher
ro,Irsn would be unwlse, and that IL
Nould not make an appreciable dlner-
encc in the housing shortage
senator Charles c. Lockwood, CHAIR
man Of tho joint legislature committee;
uresided Others present lhciuueu
Wavor Hylan. j. II. La Gunrdla, Pres
i5ent of the Board of Aldermen; sen
atorL "A Walters, J. J. Dunnigan ana
petnr 4 Aheles. and Assemblymen l. a.
NIcWhinney and J. II. Caulheld'
Mrs Henry MosWokitz secretary o.
,bo state Reconstruction commission
discpssed the report which that oo"'
ti,ad with the Governor ana Whlth ~
transmitted to the Leg g,slature on M"'V'
% she said she recognized the serious,
ness of the present situation. nut ie"re'
,bat in rhe rush to help the shortaB'
.,,tion nigh, be taken which would per
,ot,ote tho slums. She urged that q
,,arrunent housing policy be adopted
B,- the enactment OF the commission
,nn-rt she said. such policy would h'
mn into effect. Among the salient
noinis of this report was a ieconh'eh'
datlon that a constitutional amehuheh'
no enacted permitting the extension ol
Starc credit to aid housing. 1t was alse
,r,,aJ that the activities of the state
Ind Bank he increased by Legislation
that would make its bonds saiahIe.
CAV smith Invited discussion of th'
question: should the city of New l"rf
build houses or extend credit for ih'
buldmg of houses"
Nir. La Guardia said he Favored th'
massage of an act by the Legislature ina
viii enable the city to build dwellings
to whatever extent the Legislature
might see fit to provide
~ would take the cost OF construr
tion." lie said. ''the same as We DO
our piers and I would tx the rental o.
the same percentage of ,la per cent. OF
inc cost of construction. In thirty year
# would amortize itself. If YOU take tn
cost of construction no matter what
,e nm the present high wages of labor
We could stlll rent at n far less renta
than the artlficially created rentals O
to-day"
Edward +. Doyle said he was not
4 Fnyor Of such a scheme, adding that n
was "A Jeffersonian Democrat NlleNe
IN the least possible government an
thought individuals could attend
housing much better than the city coult
"Eut there was no shortage of house
IN !, J,ffersons time retorted the Coy
ernor,
Robert L. Dowling. builder. sal
that all the money the State could bol
row in the next five years would M
make much difference in the housin
situation.
Objection also was offered by Fran
Mann. Tenement House Commissions
Ue said the rent would not be low. eve
under Mr.. La Guardias proposed pla
and that "the same objection would pre-
vail as in European countries. whel
they have municipal houses and wheT
the people who live in them are locke
upon as scmi-paupers.
John F. OBrien, Corporation Counse
advised the amendment Of the home ru
law aud the adoption Of supplement;
legislation enabling municipalities
deal with housing emergencies as. the
see III,