The New York herald., 1922-03-03
UNTERMYER AIMS MET ONLY
IN PART IN LOCKWOOD BILLS

nishing building materials and the re-
opening of the channels of competition.
together with the creation of loan
market, will do their share toward even
tually restoring normal conditions In the
building market.
But all these things will take time.
New York Is in urgent need of at ieast
10000 additional healthful and sanitary
apartments of four rooms each that can
be rented at not to exceed 50 per month
a room.
THE bill recommended by this COM
mittee. and now pending. permitting life
insurance companies to construct such
houses during a limited time, and in
aid of the existing emergency. will. in
the judgment of your committee, best
and most expeditiously accomplish that
purpose, for the reasons stated in the
report accompanying the bill. Since
that report was made preliminary esti-
mates have been taken. the Metropolitan
Life Insurance Company has undertaken
a thorough canvass of the situation and
estimates are being prepared. 1t has
been established that these houses can
be built in convenient neighborhoods so
as to be rented at not exceeding So per
room per month. and this rental Will
allow return of 6 per cent. upon the
investment over and above the charges,
including liberal allowances for repairs
and depreciation. This result can, how
ever. only be obtained IL the houses are
built In large units. 1t is estimated that
these houses can be built under the con-
ditions Of cooperation now offered at be-
tween 15 per cent. and 20 per cent. less
than in the usual way.
IF the pending bill Is passed work
will be begun Immediately on an expert
mental square block as soon as the con-
tracts for this work have been made so
as to fix the actual cost of construc-
ton"
Informing the Legislature OF the work
to be done next summer by the commit
tee, the report states that the investiga-
ton will include the following
To Probe Labor Unions.
Objectionable provisions contained in
the various constitutions, rules and reg
ulations that are known to exist among
labor unions in cities of the State
and agreements between the unions and
associations connected with the building
industries in cities not yet investigated
"The reforms in the labor unions that
the committee has been promised would
be inaugurated should be closely fol-
lowed and the officials Of the unions
should be required to make proof OF The
manner and extent to which the prom
ised reforms have been made.
"Other employers associations have
not yet been examined. There are be-
lieved to be combinations existing among
the constituent members OF such asso-
Citations.
THE investigation into the New York
building trades employers associations
and its constituent associations should
be continued until all the activities OF
the parent association and its constitu-
ent members have been made known
and their Illegal activities suppressed.
"Of the Illegal combinations In the
building industries operating In New
York many of them. against whom vio-
lations Of the State or national anti
trust laws have been established, have
not yet been presented for prosecution.
'The committee suspended the exam
ination of two associations upon the
promise of their officials to in good faith
disband their price fixing organizations
and resume competition. The commit
tee should recall the off1cials OF these
associations for the purpose of detern1in-
ing to what extent they have been dis
solved"