The New York herald., 1922-03-24
Simon Lake, Inventor Of
Concrete Idea, Calls Com
pany Poor, but Honest.
MONEY MAY BE REFUNDED
Bronx Grand Jury to Look
Into Ambitious Plan to End
Housing Evil.

When Simon Lake, inventor Of the
even keel submarine, applied some of
the same principles of engineering to
the housing question and aided in
putting on the market Sunshine
Homes he little thought of the gloom
his bright idea and brilliant thought
would give to few poor home loving
Bronxites.
Partly because the financing of the
home building corporation went wrong
and partly because of the impatience
of the Bronx home lovers the first
woman Assistant District Attorney
The Bronx has ever had, Miss Julia
Alice Gainey, has before her at least
five complaints to the effect that the
little rays of Sunshine ordered and
paid for, in part. have not been forth
coming as per schedule, and sadness
pervades the present ordinary, every
day homes of policemen, firemep and
others.
The complaint in all cases is the same.
Money was paid for homes which were
to have been delivered and set on
The Bronx foundations last autumn.
Here II Is spring and there are no sun
shine homes in evidence; not even the
be expected at this time of the year.
Nothing is visible except clouds and or
dinary lirt. Wherefore the complain
ants in the first place and The Bronx
Assistant District Attorney in the Sec
ond is asking why the Sunshine Homes
and Concrete Products Company Of
Bridgeport, Conn, is not making good.
Mr.. Lake Makes Answer.
To the inquiry Mr.. Lake yesterday
made answer in part
ut is quite true that number of
people to whom the selling agents in
this city-we have no office here our
selves-sold houses, are dissatisfied at
our failure to make deliveries. The
fact Is that we were actually reluctant
to take orders for houses until we were
sure of our financing. Last July $780,
900 was promised us. 1t was not forth
coming. Only within the last two
months have we been convinced that 1t
would not be forthcoming.
"In the meanwhile, though / was to
put nothing into the concern but the
patents. l have put in about S134.000
which has gone for plant and equipment
at Stratford, outside Bridgeport, and
while we have contracts for forty-five
houses in New York and New Jersey, all
made through the selling agents. the
Sunshine Homes Sales Company. we
have actually made only three houses
4, In, Gtrn
hauled for-four miles to Mediran Hill,
back of Stamford, Conn, and the third
Is undelivered. at the plant"
II ia because of this state or affairs
that President William Stems. who paid
down $4,000: Mrs. Lulu Ash OF City
Island, who paid down $3.50; David
Boss Of ais East 119th street Mamma
tan: Fire Lieutenant James Brennan OF
Brooklyn, who put up $4,000. and some
Others have consulted Edgar Y. Feeley
OF 81 Cedar street, and, in some In
stances have gone to Miss Gainey, who
said Yesterday she would lay the mat
ter before the Grand Jury II the COM
pany does not make good in ten days.
I'VE will see that every purchaser
either gets his house or gets his money
back" said Mr.. Lake. who was seen
with w. f. Ashley. his attorney.
I.
insisting on getting 33 Ia per cent. from
these poor people II he gets their money
back from us Now will fight that
proposition all the way"
Is Maine Corporation.
Theoretically the Sunshine Homes
and Concrete Products Company is an
ss, 900. 900 concern. Actually Y Is cor
poration formed under the laws OF
Maine, with 5000 shares Of common
stock and 81, 1000 OF preferred stock.
The stock selling was a part OF the
work of a sales agency in TINS cltg
which has offices at 25 West Forty-third
street, and where. It seemed yesterday
the sunshine had gone out OF every one's
life. despite tho cute little models OF
Sunshine Homes on the table ano the
blue prints on the walls.
This sales agency Is headed by T. J.
Lumsden, and his partner is r. A..
Kendrick. There appears to have been
quite a force Of statesmen selling sun
shine Homes. One purchaser was told
they were being turned out like
sausages" at the factory. Another heard
they we're 70 he fioated down Long
Island Sound by themselves, without
even barge. Four day ar the actual
output OF tho factory was the mildest
OF the salesmen's patter.
But the prime salesmans argument
was an issue OF n socalled scientific
monthly OF some months ago, showing
a whole village OF Sunshine Homes, sun
and all. II was made from the models
but the caption didn't explain that. But
II showed the Sunshine Home IN all It's
glory.
Dispatches from Bridgeport last night
said the president of the company Is
Robert c. Lafferty of New York. Robert
NJ. Keys Is secretary and Simon Lake.
treasurer and engineer. Lafferty, Lake
says lis an architect from West Nir-
gnia, who has served without pay and
has put $4,000 or $1,000 into the COM
pany besides