Imperial Valley press., 1935-08-16
By sANpOR s. KLEIN

United Press Staff Correspondent
! NEW YORK. Aug. Is. UP)-New
York City's slums. recognized the
world over as the most extensive,
most congested and most squalid Of
any metropolitan city. can be era
dicated. some housing experts be-
lieve, only by some catastrophe of
nature.
But Langdon w. Post. suave.
broad-shouldered descendant of
one of New York's oldest and best"
families. who as chairman of the
New York City Housing Authority.
is charged with the task of improv-
ing living conditions of millions of
persons, doesn't subscribe TO this
belief.
Give US s1,5OO.00O.OOO federal
money and 10 years" he said today.
and weu transform New York into
the most liYeable city in the world -
In Existence Since Revolution
Post has no delusions about the
problem of slum eradication. Here
is a picture of the situation in New
York City:
Slums have existed in New York
since pre-ReVolutionary days, and
one school of thought is that they
are a necessary evil. so long as
there are rich and poor, mediocre
and brilliant.
OF New York's 299 square miles,
II are slum areas.
The average rent in slum dwell
ings is IS per room per month, pre-
senting a problem of rehousing
these dwellers in airy, clean, de-
cent homes with no increase in
rent.
approximately 100000 persons
are Slum dWellers.
Harlem More Crowded
These are cold facts when view
ed on paper" Post said. But take
a visit to Harlem where the popu-
lation per acre is 75I. So acute is
the crowding there that beds are
used in three shifts and several
families live in one flat. Or wan
der through the narrow, teeming
streets of the East Side on a hot
night. The tenement
many simply fire traps,
tower canyon-like above the crowd
ed sidewalks, shutting out nearly
every last breath Of air Inside are
airless rooms, some without win
doWs, nearly all Of them small, un-
sanitary, foul
1T is not pretty or romantic
picture. 1t is a shameful monument
10 remind us Of our callous indif-
ference. For not at any time dur
ing the past hundred years has an
effort been made to provide decent
homes for the millions who stand
in greatest need of them"
Full Program Prepared
The time is at hand, Post be-
.ieves, To definitely. once and for
Ill. remedy this situation. The
housing authority has prepared a
program which it believes is the
answer TO the slum question.
Under this program S150000000
annually would be spent for ten
years. Broken down. this is the way
it would be expended:
Cost Of building one modern |
room $1,000
Cost of land per room, $500.
Cost Of operating apartment f.
per room S35.
Interest on construction and land t
costs at 2 per cent, $50 per annum. |
Amortization over the 40-year- /
period (per room, $50.
Taxes and incidentals, per an
mum per room $5.
This, according 70 Post, would
bring the rental Of each room,
profit, to $825, beyond the
means of the average slum dweller.
II is his contention, however, that
If interest were eliminated and am
ortization extended over a So to
period, the rental could be
bought down TO between $5 and
Sc per room.
Occupants would be restricted to
families with monthly income Of
not more than five times the rent.
This would serve to keep out those
persons able to afford higher rent,
but seeking 10 economic.
Instead Of tearing down existing
slums, Post fayors building the
modern low cost homes in vacant
areas outside the present centers
Of population within the city. He
estimated that it would be possible