The New York herald., 1921-10-08
HOUSING SITUATION
HERE gets CRAVE
Untermyer Says Public Is
Misled Into False Sense
of Security.
HITS HYLAN VERACITY
Mayor Knew Hettrick De-
spite Disavowal, Says
Lockwood Counsel.
ATTACKS U. $. STEEL co.
Future Activities Of His Com
mittee Outlined in SYRIA
cuse Address.


was. Samuel Untermyer. chief counsel
for the Lockwood Legislative Commit
tee on Housing. asserted that in his
opinion the housing situation in New
York city was growing worse instead
of better; that the public was being
'foolishly misled" and lulled into a
false sense Of security. Drastic and
immediate legislative measures are
necessary to relieve the situation, he
said.
Mr.. Untermyer dwelt at length on
the necessity for the friendliest sort
OF relationship between capital and
labor in order to cope with the hous-
ing crisis. and in this connection fiayed
the United States Steel Corporation.
characterizing it as "the greatest enemy
to our industrial life," and charging it
with carrying on campaign Of es-
pionage and oppression aimed at the
destruction Of all organized labor"
Mr.. Untermyer's speech included
summary Of the accomplishments of
the Lockwood committee, an outline of
its future programme and forecast
Of the remedial legislation the commit
tee will urge. 1t included. in addition.
criticism Of the Federal Government
for It's failure so far to provide funds
wherewith to engage special prosecutors
of defendants under Federal indict-
ments, and a severe scoring Of the Of
ficials of life and fire insurance COM
panies who have refused to turn any
appreciable volume of their surplus
and reserves into the mortgage market
to relieve the situation, but instead used
these funds in stock jobbing traffic in
highly speculative securities.
Mr.. Untermyer came armed with num-
bers Of comparative tables showing the
trend of building operations In New
York since 1910, the number of tenements.
apartments, &C., and the cost Of build
ing material the latter compiled from
the figures of the Bureau Of Labor
Statistics of the United States Depart
ment of Labor
Estimate OF Hylan.
At the outset Mr.. Untermyer let his
audience know his own. estimate of
Mayor Hylan. 1t was, he said. In line
with the committees policy to allow
every person implicated by testimony
of witnesses an opportunity to be heard,
that Mayor Hylan was invited to appear
and explain his correspondence with
John T. Hettrick concerning the lime
stone contract for the new court house,
ratification OF which was averted as
result of the committees disclosures.
Although Mayor Hylan testified that he
did not know Hettrick, who was since
convicted Of coercion in his code of
practice" procedure, Mr.. Untermyer
declared that Hylan's intimate ac-
uuaintance and correspondence with
Hettrick was afterward overwhelming
ly established.
After commenting on the non-politicai
character of the Lockwood commit
tees investigation, Mr.. Untermyer said: /:
IT believe that conditions in the city
OF New York, although more acute than
in the smaller cities. fairly represent
general conditions Throughout the great
cities of the country. We are told from
time to time that these conditions are
improving. wish 1t were true. but
find the contrary to be the fact. In
INV Judgment they are growing worse.
and VIC are being foolishly misled and
our fears set at rest when they ought
TO be kept continually alive. and so spur
us on until the problem Is on the way
to solution"
Mr.. Untermyer then produced tanie
showing the Increase in New York
population from 4,766.Ss3 in 1910 to o.
7s4.5ls in 1921, while the number OF
apartments increased during the same
period from 644,599 to 9S2.71. COM
pairing building operations in the nine
years prior to our entry into the war
with what has been accomplished since
up to and including July l last, Mr..
Untermyer finds that against an IN
crease of 1922 apartments In the nine
years before the war we have an in
crease Of but 923 apartments in the
last three and a half years. He added
by way of explanation:
"There have OF course been more
than 923 apartments constructed during
the latter period. but the demolitions
due to fire. old age and conversion to
business purposes have brought the net
increase of available dwelling space
in three and half years to less than
1000"
The actual shortage Of family
dwelling quarters on July ! last was
approximately 10000. Mr.. Untermyer
found. A ray OF hope, he said, might
be discerned in the fact that while In
1920 there were plans filed providing
homes for 1886 families. there have
been up to September Of this year plans
filed with the Department Of Buildings
for 25.441 families. This. 1t was
pointed out, is still below normal. and
the fact was also stressed that there
invariably exists a considerable hiatus
between the filing of plans and the ac-
.yspi completion of buildings.
tfa remedy, Mr.. Untermyer believes.
,nts rot lie in Government subsidies for
SsiIding operations. as Great Britain
and France are meeting the same prob
lem.
Opposes Government Aid.
IT do not approve Of Government aid
In our country" he said. TT Is no.
necessary. II we will put stop to the
misuse of billions OF the savings of the
people and insist upon their being di-
rscted into the channels where they
w,li yield the safest investment and the
hest public service the situation will
correct itself. provided the cost of
building can be forced to normal
level by putting a stop to the criminal
I.onspiracies that are restricting pro-
uuction and maintaining artificial ex-
orbitant prices for building materials"
Nfr. Untermyer said he did not sub
49, pe to tne assaults upon labor costs
bic for retardIng building.
THE mechanic or the laborer." he
said, 'can buy no more for the wages
that are paid him to-day than he could
have bought ten years ago for the
wages he then received. IL Is not he
,who has screwed up the cost Of living