The New York herald., 1922-02-02
MODEL TENEMENT
SCHEME ATTACKED
Building Engineer Says Homes
Would Prove Masonry Sar-
dine Boxes.'
WOULD DEGRADE TENANTS
Sage Foundation Expert Says
It Means High Finances;
Low Construction

xshe first adverse criticism. from a
<xislative committees plan to utilize
AASets of large financial institutions like
Metropolitan Life Insurance Com
S-ay. which already has offered to CO.
operate in the building OF model teae-
ments'' g. 2aeet the housing crisis. came
yesterday - - report made on the prof.
ect for the Sage Foundation Homes
Company Of Forest Hills, l.. l.. by G. r.
Hardie. engineer Of the company. Mr..
Hardie calls the project economically
unsound and incapable OF fulfillment and
a fool proposition that should be
frowned upon by every one whose inter-
est lies in bettering the home conditions
of the city,"
Mr.. Hardie prefaces his report with
the observation he Is q practical builder
without much sentiment, and continues: :
what Mr.. Untermyer proposes ts a
retrograde movement in home building
that will be lasting disgrace to this
city, for the masonry 'sardine boxes
which he attempts to dignity with the
name Of homes are to be permanent
structures. lasting through q couple OF
generations.
"Mr. Untermyer should know. for he
Is In touch with proper information
sources. what class of construction
would go into such a building project
as he proposes. He proposes high IL
nance and low construction. He pro-
poses So a room apartments, that Will
be $4 a room in five years. and possi-
bly, So a room within fifteen years. Tor
IL he knows the building game he VIII
have a knowledge of what viii be TAX
ing place day by day In such q building.
built along the lines he proposes.
"As the housing situation eases up
the Ss tenant will surely move, unless
this home which the Lockwood COM
mittee has provided for him has de-
graded him In like manner as the build
Ing has degraded everything connected
with the name Of home Then the 20
tenant will move in and stay until de-
Gays alarm chases him away also, and
along down the scale of human desire
and human endeavor, till we reach the
low level Of man and womanhood tnat
knows not the finer feeling OF nome hle
and wants none of it-this will all
surely happen inside OF fifteen years
and Mr.. Untermyer knows It."
After reviewing abuses that have
settled upon the building industry, much
in the same manner they have been
summarized from time to time by Mr..
Untermyer. Mr.. Hardie's report points
out that the public IL = In the dark
regarding certain features of the plan.
namely. expense of financing. ultimate
ownership and operation Of the pro-
posed 800 apartment house units. and
terms upon which title may be secured
to one or more of the units by private
individuals. The report complains that
the model tenenents. II built, will
soon be dubbed charity tenements.
and that no explanation is offered by
the Lockwood committee OF what Is to
become of the general building fra
tcrnity which has been waiting for Mr..
Untermyer to smooth the rugged way.
The report closes with the observa-
tion that millions Of dollars invested in
cheap tenements. as is suggested, will
stop proportionately so much work on
'rear' homes.