The New York herald., 1921-08-29
CITY HOME BUILDING
BOOMS in 6 MONTHS
Under Tax Exemption Law
12,339 Dwellings Have
Been Planned.
PROVISION FOR 100000
New Structures More Than
Double Those Recorded
for Half of 1920.
BROOKLYN AWAY AHEAD
Labor Prefers to Work at Low
er Wages in Suburbs Than
Take Cut in Scale.
PROVISION FOR 100000
BROOKLYN AWAY AHEAD

Since February 26, one day after the
Board of Aldermen adopted the tax
exemption ordinance. plans for 1883
dwelling houses have been filed by
prospective builders in the five bor-
oughs OF Greater New York In the
same period Of 1920. only 5,164 such
projects were recorded.
In the six months period this year
1877 tenement or apartment houses
have been planned, according to the
same records. Some already are under
construction. Some will be started at
once. A relative few will be delayed
until after the first or the year, when
the new wage scales will be agreed on
by builders and construction unions.
But in 1920 there were only seventy
seven apartment houses or tenements
projected and started between Feb
ruary and September.
A careful analysis of statistics In the
| bureaus Of buildings In the five boroughs
indicates that there is a decidedly brisk
building boom all around. Since Febru-
airy 26 architects and builders have no.
tilted the bureaus that they were about
to construct dwelling room for 2S,2o3
families. That means provision Tor
about 100000 persons. Last year In the
same period housing for only 1882 was
begun.
To be sure 1t will be quite While
before the city gets back or forward TO
that point where there are enough dwell
ing houses and tenements to put the
landlord on the defensive.
Housing Increased, Not Replaced.
One of the most impressive facts set
forth by the building records is that the
1921 construction Is about 80 per cent.
real gain. That is, ninety out of every
one hundred or the building or projected
dwellings are additional dwelling space.
In 1920 only a small percentage of the
dwellings built represented gain. About
IS per cent Of last years dwelling con-
struction was replacement. Other dwell
ings had been torn down or converted
for business uGage-garages and amuse-
ment places chiefly. Therefore this
years building Is something substantial
and sincere. In one borough In 1920
Manhattan-not one additional dwelling
house OF any description was added to
the 1919 total.
1t must ne UNDERSTOOD IUdt the lSuIts
obtained from the city are those OF plans
filed. But about 95 per cent Of tie
plans filed are followed up by permits
issued and construction undertaken.
There Is Just one great deterrent to
even brIsl<er building in the greater city.
Labor generally has declined to accept
the fiat dollar a day wage reduction that
has been put into effect and accepted IN
the suburban sections Of the metropoli-
tan district. 1t has been noted that,
while these workers will not accept the
cut inside the greater city limits. pre-
ferring to let housing make progress
slowly. great numbers OF them are busy
working In the suburbs at rates they will
not accept in the city.
or course they are holding 10 their
wage agreements which expire January
/ or thereabouts. Naturally speculative
builders are afraid to take chances un-
der such conditions and money lenders
shy at risks based on inflated produc-
tion costs. On one hands there Is the
adamant labor leader saying there must
be no further cutting OF wages and on
the other the contractors asserting that
labor Is shortsighted in not voluntarily
accepting a dollar day cut now. inas-
much as n 20 per cent. reduction will
be demanded at the expiration of the
current agreements. The contractors
add that II labor would get busy now
II Is likely that the agreements could be
renewed az rate equivalent to a dollar
day less than the prevailing pay-not
90 per cent. by quite margin.
Brooklyn Leads In Building.
Brooklyn leads In housing construc-
tlon at present Since the first of this
year she has been engaged in providing
or projecting homes for almost 10000
families This Is total greater than
that OF all the other boroughs COM
bined. Her programme calls for 6.700
dwelling buildings Of all classes-more
than twice i920's product. Last year
Brooklyn plaid plans for only 3.157 such
buildings, designed to accommodate 1888
families. 1t is not at all unlikely that
the value Of Brooklyn's dwelling actlv-
tiles this year will amount TO 100000
900. For the week ending August 90. for
instance applications for brick and
frame residence permits amounted to
1g1. to cost S3,i56, 545. In the same week
In 1920 there were only ninety-one APP
plications.
The Bronx comes next. although
Queens is breaking all Of her own rec
ords. The Bronx Is making a speciality
NJ multi-famly structures. Under the
law they are tenements. Those who
ment houses. Bronx builders are erect
ing ard plan 10 erect 106 tenement
houses and 933 dwellings. The latter
classification includes the two family
houses under way and projected. These
will house 5,1i7 families and the estl-
mated total cost is S2l, l,266.S $50. Last
year The Bronx saw only seventeen tene-
ment houses and 375 dwellings put up.
They took care OF 1856 families The
estimated cost was S5,706,755.
In Queens there is an average of 500
plans fled every week. Application for
permits are not quite SO numerous. But
i'm that borough UP to the hour the
Building Bureau closed Friday, total
Of 7.203 applications for permits 70
build all classes Of residence structures
had been filed since January /. In all
tlons and many were for requirements
and not additions.
For three years prior to tho adoption
OF the tax exemption ordinance, Queens
did not erect n single tenement. Since
that time, however, she has applied for
permits for 1877 muti-family houses esti-
mated to cost s4,625 900. This will take
care Of 1,112 families.
For various reasons that must be OBJ
vious Manhattan does not rank with
Brooklyn and The Bronx In the mat
ter OF building II costs more to build
space for building. Fifty tenements
far this year in Manhattan againsf flf-
dividual dwellings are under way or
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