Evening star., 1925-10-12
New York's Rent Law MAY Lapse.

New York's Rent Law May Lapse
The battle of rent legislation shifts
this Winter from Washington to AL
bany. An effort is to be made to ex
lend the rent laws for New York city
enacted 10 meet the emergency brough,
aoout by war and postwar conditions
y4St as an effort was made to extend
he life Of the District Rent Commits.
SION here eight months ago. The
emergency rent laws Of New York will
expire February IS. 1926. u less ex.
tended by the State Legislatuc, Hear
i.gs TO determine whether the housing
emergency has passed or still exists
IN the worlds greatest city are to be
held. And, as was the case here, ar
effort will be made to determine
whether a new emergency, the emer
gency OF high rents, warrants a con.
tnuance of laws designed to keep the
roof over the tenants head and TO pro
htbit extortion by landlords
During the World War building OF
dwellings, languished generally in this
''ountry. High costs and the ilnpos
aioility OF getting labor and materials
we're responsible, and when the war
vas over Washington, New York and
other cities found that the construc-
ton Of dwellings, had not kept pace
With the Increases in population. IN
deed, the emergency arose in Wash.
ilgton soon after the United States
entered the war and the war workers
flowed into the Capital in great mum
hers
L is seven years since -fle lighting
stopped in Europe. In that time the
huilding activity in this country has
been very great notwithstanding the
high costs Of material and labor. So
great that the landlords and owners
% property insist that there is no
longer housing emergency and that
the law OF supply and demand should
90 allowed again 70 govern the leas-
ing Of dwellings.
In New York. as in Washington.
new buildings have been erected in
!arre numbers. But, as was the case
here last Winter, the argument is
1sade in New York that the new build
ing has been confined largely to high.
pr7ced dwellings and apartments, and
that if the protection Of the rent law
IS lifted the poorer people will suffer
greatly through an increase Of rents.
" - t,,
lords i've complained that the rent
laws tnterfered with the construction
OF dwellings and apartment houses for
rental purposes. Nevertheless, the
humber Of dwellings has been very.
greatly increased IN both cities. And
If there are not enough people with
large pocketbooks to I'LL all the high
priced apartments and dwellings. then
son1e Of them will have to be rented
1ventually to people with small pocket
books and at figures which the latter
ean pay. The high-priced dwelling Of
roday becomes the low-pri,e,I dwelling
of tomorrow. such has been the his
tory OF rents when the law OF supply
Predictior was made b. supporters OF
lie District rent law that there v-ouIC;
be a great increase in rentals charged
mere, and much injury would be done
the workers for the Government who
must live here. AS a matter OF fact
here have been some Increases in rent
~ some decreases. But there have
Leen no general increase IN rentals
since the law died last 1Ia-.
The rent laws here and In New. York
served a valuable purpose during the
actual housing shortage. But they
were enacted to meet an emergency.
and with the passing of that ener-
@ency there is every reason why such
laws should be allowed to die
In New York City it is estimated
hat about 100000 families live in
rented quarters. There is higher
percentage Of rent payers than In any
other city Of the world, It IS said The
Iousing and rent problems become of
tremendous Importance under such
circumstances. During the four years
ending January last. it has been est,.
mated by the city officials, 40O,0 900 new
apartments, including dwelling houses,
have been constructed in New York,
end since that time plans for A. ,344 ad.
ditional apartments have been filed.
The argument is advanced, as II was
here, that very much of this building
has heen for the wealthy and not for
he poor and those of moderate means.