The New York herald., 1922-01-24
BUILDING COUNCIL
FOR HOUSING PLAN
Meets To-day to Discuss Inter
myers Model Tenement
Project.
UNION LABOR DIVIDED
Mutual Life Head Asserts No
body Takes Proposition
Seriously.
UNION LABOR DIVIDED

A special meeting of the Building
Trades Council will be held In IL St
Marks place to-day to discuss Samuel
untermyer's plan for tho construction Of
large blocks of model tenements to rent
at not more than 50 room through the
cooperation of large financial institu-
tions like the Metropolitan. Life Insur-
!ance Company and organized labor. In
outlining his plan last Sunday before the
Forum of the Free Synagogue, Mr.. Un-
termyer announced that organized labor
would be willing to contribute its share
to the undertaking on the basis of a
days work a week or 81 day reduction
from the sta idard wage scale.
The plan Mr.. Untermyer outlined has
been discussed by the Building Trades
Council but 40 definite arrangements
have been made" Patrick j. Crowley.
president OF the council said. The
council is favorable to the plan, but de-
tails have to be worked out on a basis
that would be fair to all trades. The
matter will lie discussed tomorrow and
we may issue a statement them
OpIntOnA are Dlvl0cG.
Opinion concerning the Untermyer
plan was not, however, unanimous.
Charles A. Peabody. president of the
Mutual Life Insurance Company, which
Mr. Untermyer criticized during the
course of the committees investigation
because of its policy of reducing rather
than increasing its loans on improved
real estate. when asked yesterday con-
corning Mr.. Untermyer's suggestion said:
II don't think any intelligent man
takes that seriously. That is all /
have to say
the board OF governors of the Building
Trades Employers Association. said he
did not care to discuss Mr.. UntermyeI's s
plan from the point of view of feasibil-
!ty in solving the housing problem. He
was unable also, he said. to speak for
the building materials dealers. but seri.
ously doubted whether the reduced
prices Mr.. Unternyer looked for as a
condition TO the success of the plan
could really be had.
II don't see where the cuts are going
to come in." Norman said. THE dealers
ere selling now at such a narrow margin
above cost that any appreciable further
reduction would mean that they would
DC uOinS business at Il loss. DO Iar as
can see the reductions will have to be
made by the manufacturers"
Labor to Investigate.
William Keogh. secretary of the Cen
trail Trades and Labor Union. said he
had heard nothing of any offer by or
ganized labor to contribute financially
or otherwise to the success of the plan,
but said he proposed to investigate the
matter.
Assemblyman Louis Cuvillier sent a
letter to Senator Lockwood urging GER
tain recommendations In the commit
tees report to abate abuses disclosed
during the housing inquiry. One sug-
gestion was an amendment that would
give a tenant recourse when ousted on
false representation by a landlord that
he wanted or needed the premises FOR
his own use. Another. and one with
which Mr.. Untermyer is inclined to con-
cur, Is that pending the final decision
in a rent action the law be amended
so the tenant would continue to pay the
old rent to the landlord in person instead
OF into the court. Such an amendment,
it was pointed out. would relieve the
clerks Of the Municipal Courts of a great
volume OF clerical work and at the same
time give the landlord the use of his
money.