New-York tribune., 1921-04-24
Archaic Banking laws Hinder Quick Relief of Housing Shortage

DR.. Royal s. Copeland, Health Com
missioner, has been trying to discover
what is really the trouble with the
housing situation, and he is finding out
Everybody in these parts who reads
newspapers has been made aware of
the city's Health Commissioner, ex-
pressed in various public speeches and
documents during the last year, with
regard to the scarcity Of housing facil-
tiles for the people of New York The
public health aspect of the situation is
what has most concerned him.
Some months ago, at the request of
the United States Senate Committee on
Reconstruction, he got together at De-
troit the health commissioners from all
cities of the country having popula
tion of 100000 or more, to exchange
views as to the survey of housing con-
ditions in other places, with the result
ing discovery that the housing scarcity
is almost as bad in some other places
as it is in New York. The memorial Of
the health commi issoners transmitted
by him to Senator Calder for the
guidance of the Senate committee in
making up its report contained obser-
vations and conclusions that might we'll
be considered startling. These might
be summarized in the statement made
in transmitting the report: 81 cannot
speak too strongly of our conviction
that the present housing situation is
real menace to the public health of
the country"
DR.. Copeland, having asked Charles
O'Connor Hennessy the president of
the Franklin Society, the largest of
the cooperative savings and loan as
socations of the state, for solution
of the financial problem of the man
of small or moderate means, has re-
ceived an Illuminating letter reviewing
the whole situation from the stand
point of an expert on small house
financing. Mr.. Hennessy, who is for
mer president of the United States
League of Local Building and Loan
Associations, has also been president
of the New York State League of Saw
ings and Loan Associations, and is
known throughout the country for his
interest in promoting home owning for
the ordinary man. Mr.. Hennessy's let
te- follows:
"That there is serious scarcity of
dwelling places for human beings in
this and other large communities is
pCyOAu 4uCoLiOl Wy any lnJelllScuC per-
son. Your activities as public health
commissioner, having a wider jurs-
diction than that of any similar city of
fetal in the world, have brought you in
contact with the shocking actualities
of the situation. l have read your ap-
pendix to the report of the United
States Senate Committee on Recon-
struction in which you give summary
OF housing conditions disclosed by pub
lie health officials in many sections of
the country, which indicates that con-
ditions in many other cities are little
better than in New York.
Because of these facts, and because.
suppose, you are not devoid of quail
ties both human and humane, you are
no doubt impatient, as ! am, with those
comfortable citizens in and out of pub
lie life who deny the existence of any
housing problem, or who persist in re-
naming ignorant of or Indifferent to
conditions that may possibly grow into
a serious menace to public health and
social order in this country.
Financial Side Is the Serious Side
"My study and experience lead me to
the conclusion that the financial aspect
of the housing problem is the most
serious side of it. The greatest need
of the present situation In New York
and elsewhere is the maintenance of