The New York herald., 1921-02-14
STATE MAY FORCE
CITY EXEMPTION
OF BUILDING TAX
Lockwood Warns Aldermen
Favorable Action Must
Be Taken To-day.
RELIEF is NEEDED
Housing Shortage Referred
To as a Serious Menace
to Health.
WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED
Senator Declares He Will Seek
Help From Legislature if.
Delay Continues.
RELIEF IS NEEDED
WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED

Senator Charles ]. Lockwood issued
statement yesterday at the City Club IN
which he virtually served notice upon
the Board of Aldermen that II favor
able action is not taken to-day on the
housing exemption ordinance the Legis-
lature will take the housing situation out
of the hands of the city government and
provide by State statute such relief as
1t considers necessary to the city's needs.
Senator Lockwood, who is chairman of
the legislative committee which is in
vestigating the building trades. declared
that there are fewer houses in proportion
to population in New York to-day than
a year ago.
High rents and unemployment have
caused people to crowd together" he
said. MANY apartments contain two
families instead of one. The Health
Commission has described in vigorous
language the menace to health. We all
hope that the workers will be employed
at adequate wages in the near future.
and when they are the shortage of
houses will be more apparent than 1t
is to-day
Limited Exemption.
The exemption ordinance pending be-
fore the Board of Aldermen has come
from committee, after several battles,
without a recommendation and limiting
exemption to a cost of $4,000 for new
dwellings for a period of ten years.
Even that mild form OF exemption has
strong opponents on both sides Of the
chamber.
"The shortage of houses" Senator
Lockwood said, has been due to lack
OF money, the high cost OF building and
the uncertainty as to continuity of work
BY those employed in building. The
legislative committee on housing has
labored diligently and effectively to
break up combinations in restraint of
trade that have hampered the building
industry. Interest rates are falling
somewhat and money is more plentiful
Naturally lenders are anxious as to Sc
curity and will lend smaller proportion
of the cost OF building than before the
war. To meet this condition the Legis-
lature has given power to the city of
New York TO exempt new dwellings for
ten years. If this exemption is granted
Il will go far to equalize the cost of
building with conservative building
loans. Builders can contract with safety
for the rapid reduction of the loans Sc
cured by the mortgage.
Time for Cooperation.
"The city authorities have hesitated.
One of the reasons assigned for this
reluctance to encourage house building
by exemption is said to be fear that large
sums of money will be invested in costly
houses and apartments. and the local
authorities seem disposed to limit the
exemption. Should the legislative bodies
of the city of New York so decide. am
confident that the Legislature will act
IN such fashion as to insure the validity
of any reasonable plan for encouraging
the increase of dwellings by exempting
them from taxation In whole or I'm part
for period OF years.
'~ls is time for the utmost har-
mony and cooperation between all those
who have any power or authority to
reduce the obstacles which prevent the
Increase Of housing facilities In the city
of New York.
IN this time of unemployment any,
sslang that can be done by the authorities
of the State or the city ought to be done
to increase the opportunities for en-
ployment and so reduce the number of
idle men. II is clear that IL we can en-
courage building of houses we will do
something at the same time 10 decrease
the number of unemployed men,