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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SUNDAY, MAY 27, 1945

CITY OF NEW YORK OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

TEXT OF MAYOR F. H. LA GUARDIA'S SUNDAY BROADCAST TO THE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK FROM HIS OFFICE AT CITY HALL, MAY 27, 1945, BROADCAST OVER WNYC AT 1:00 P.M. FOLLOWS:

Patience and Fortitude.


TOKYO BOMBING

Well, we certainly pasted Tokyo in the last few days, didn't we? And, did you notice, we bombed the Imperial Palace. So the Chief Honkey has finally learned that we are not afraid of the "Son of the Sun." If I were not on the air, I would tell you what kind of a son he is. This news is exceedingly grateful to me because when I was on short wave, I was always forbidden from saying anything disrespectful about the Emperor. Well, he got it good this time. Good work, boys, keep it up. Keep up this pace and Japan will soon know that they have something to learn from the Germans, that is, to quit in time.


U.S.S. FRANKLIN

By the way, talking about Japan, we went with the children to a movie the other night and saw a newsreel of the "U.S.S. Franklin." It is the most remarkable picture I have ever seen. If you have not seen it, be sure to go to your neighborhood theatre and if they do not have it, ask for it - I think it is released by the Navy, so they ought to have it. Every American should see that picture.


B-29 EXHIBIT

Talking about bombing Tokyo, have you ever seen a B-29? Well, you have a chance to see one today if you go this afternoon to the Army Transport Section of the Municipal Airport at North Beach in Queens, where there is a B-29 on exhibit. It is the fourth anniversary of the Army Transport Corps and you will see one of the most remarkable planes that has ever been built. I would say that it is sort of a combination of heavy artillery, cruiser and flying fortress, all on wings. You will see what an intricate piece of machinery it is. I understand from Colonel Gillespie that visitors will be permitted to go into the cockpit.

If you think that there is not enough there to keep those boys busy, just ask how many electric motors there are on that plane, and about the checkup that must be made before they start. The list of the various instruments and the various parts of the machine that must be checked is so long that you cannot even memorize it. Here is your chance to see a real, honest-to-goodness B-29, just the kind that the boys flew over Tokyo only two nights ago. It is at the Army Transport Section of the Municipal Airport.


DEMOBILIZATION OF FIRE AUXILIARY

You will remember that last week we demobilized the Air Wardens and other Volunteer Services. I believe that we have to demobilize the Auxiliary Fire Corps by June 30. I am issuing the demobilization order tomorrow to Commissioner Walsh. This is necessary because all liability for injury, which was carried by the United States Government, has been withdrawn. The next thirty days will give the Department an opportunity to make inventory of the property and to prepare for proper demobilization ceremonies. I will confer with Commissioner Walsh and we will have demobilization ceremonies at the end of the month. This Corps has certainly rendered a very, very splendid and useful service. They turned out regularly on fires and have taken regular tours of duty. Knowing how contagious it is I guess a great many of these boys will stick around the fire houses for a long, long time to come. I reserve the pleasure of extending the thanks of the Mayor and of the People of the City of New York when we have the demobilization ceremonies.


THANKS FOR LETTERS RE: CANDIDACY

I want to express thanks to the many, many people who have written me since I announced that I would not run for re-election. I am going to answer all of the letters, but I want to say that it will take several months before we can get them all answered. In the meantime, I want you to know that I appreciate your kindness and your kind thoughts. It was that sort of support that made life bearable down here all of these years. So before the end of the year I hope to have them all acknowledged.


QUEENS HOUSEWIFE

Well, Mrs. Queens Housewife, thanks for that big hug and kiss. Yes, sir, that did me a lot of good. It was delivered very timely the other day by one of Postmaster Goldman's boys. I am glad that you understand what we are trying to do to lick the chiselers and the Black Market. There are some housewives that do not quite understand it and these thieves and chiselers have adopted the technique of the old bootlegger. You remember the racketeer, the criminal bootlegger, who used to have his spokesman say, "You can get all the liquor you want if the 'Bulls' would leave us alone." Well, I am not going to permit that condition to grow in New York City on food and there are a great many who understand it.


MEAT SURVEY

I would say that the meat situation is reaching a complete breakdown. The government is making sincere efforts to meet the situation but the distribution system of meat seems to have reached the point where a complete breakdown is not at all impossible. The survey that I have been making among cattle men and feeders has reached twenty-six organizations throughout the country and I think we have covered the entire country. Their views seem to be very much in agreement as to the causes of our present disrupted distribution in the meat industry and their suggestions to cure the present situation are also similar. I have worked very hard this week on it. I would say that I put most of the time during the entire week on the study of this problem. We have made an analysis of the concensus of opinion and this represents the views not only of the men who raise the cattle on the ranges, but those who feed them in the feed-lots, packers, slaughterers, retailers, and, of course, the consumers.

I am going to Washington tomorrow. There have been changes as you know, so it is going to be a little difficult to get all the information before the new officials are adjusted in their new offices. One great step, of course, is the merging of the powers of the War Food Administration with that of the Department of Agriculture. You know I have been pleading for that for many years. The next step is to place price fixing, now the function of OPA, in that same Department.

The plan was completed yesterday. We worked all week, day and night, on it, and I believe that we have been able to make a pretty good diagnosis of the situation and to present concrete suggestions. Of course, we did all sorts of things. For instance, one recommendation was that we ought to have more slaughter houses. The trouble is that we have too many slaughter houses. You cannot eat a house, but you can eat meat. However, what we need is better control of the slaughter houses, the abolition of black market slaughter houses, the opportunity for cooperative slaughtering or group slaughtering and a realistic understanding and approach to the fact that no dealer can stay in business if he loses so much money per pound of meat.


TIMES EDITORIAL RE: SLAUGHTER HOUSES

There is a very good editorial in the New York Times today on slaughter houses. I was glad to see this editorial in the Times. There have been two editorials in the Times on meat that have been as good as their news service on food is bad and vicious. I do not believe that any one source has created more confusion and more disregard for serious efforts to distribute meat in our City than the New York Times food news items. One of them, you know, was planted - absolutely planted - and I took the trouble to tell Mr. Sulzberger about it. Mr. Sulzberger, you know, owns the Times, (since broadcasting I have been informed that Mr. Sulzberger is the publisher of the Times). But the article appeared. There was not a true statement in it. It was planted. We knew the source of it, and yet they used it. So, I just cannot understand it. The New York Times's two editorials on meat were very good but their food items continue to be very ineffective and absolutely no good, and not meaning any good, I am afraid.


POULTRY BLACK MARKET

The poultry situation has really broken down and you can see that poultry today is about in the same situation as liquor was in at the height of the racketeer era during prohibition. I am going to fight it. No sir, I am not going to let that happen. We are not going to let the poultry business get into the bootleg stage. Oh, remember what it was 25 or 30 years ago. Remember, it was in the hands of the racketeers.
You remember what it was when I took office. The racketeers up in the Bronx and around the poultry markets said we could not do anything. Couldn't we?

Did we fan them out of that market? Yes, sir, and we sent some of those bums to jail, too. So do you know what they are doing? They are getting some well-meaning people, some very fine citizens, to approach the Commissioner of Markets and in all sincerity ask him not to enforce the laws, because they could not get chickens. Now, after twelve years, does anybody for a moment think that I am going to fall for a trap like that? I know that these people are well-meaning but just stop and consider what you are suggesting. Do you think I am going to stand idly by and see families robbed at $1. and $1.25 a pound for poultry? No, sir - and, Commissioner Brundage, double your vigilance. That is the answer. I am also going to tell Chester Bowles in Washington about some of the sources of the inspiration of the suggestion that we should not enforce the laws of the United States, the laws of the State of New York in regard to poultry, for instance, in a nearby town, live poultry was selling wholesale at twenty-one cents a pound more than the ceiling price, which meant from fifty to sixty cents above ceiling price at retail. Of course, it is under the control of the racketeers. Now, WFA, has simply not been helpful in poultry. I am going to have a very plain talk in Washington, if I can, on this poultry situation. I am not complaining about what the Army is taking. All we ask is that local conditions be recognized so that New York City can get its fair and equitable share of the poultry over and above that of the Army requirements.

LOW PRICED GARMENTS

Low priced garments are very scarce. I am not satisfied with the situation at all. I am going to take that up in Washington too, if I can. Remember last week, I did announce a store that had low priced garments. I announced that after a very careful survey had been made by our volunteer shoppers of C.D.V.O. since then I have received several letters and many of them stated that "we too have a store where our values on low priced goods are just as terrific and perhaps even more so." Well, I went to one of these stores myself - very quietly. I thought that I would get away with it. Some one recognized me there, I think it was the boss. I was looking around, browsing around, and they did have some low priced garments for children, but the price tag was clasped on; it was not sewed in, and it did not have the official OPA price. I did not think that the material was good - of course, you cannot get very good material now at low prices - and I did not think that the quantity was enough.


LOW-PRICED CLOTHING CERTIFICATES

I will tell you what I propose to do. I want to be fair to everybody and not because I want to help the stores. Of course, they are always entitled to cooperation from the City Government but I do want to be helpful to the families that need low-priced clothes for children, for the housewife, and even for men. Of course, you know, that not everybody in New York is getting war wages. We have hundreds of thousands of families whose incomes are just about what they were before the war and I want to help them. Obviously, if these low-priced garments come in I cannot start mentioning all names but I will do this. If any store has a good supply of low priced garments with the price on a label that is sewed on the garment - I an not concerned with the high priced garments, because the people who can afford to pay for them can take care of themselves - and they will let me know, I have arranged with Mr. Grover Whalen, who is the Chairman of the C.D.V.O. to send volunteer shoppers to make a survey and investigation. They will price the garment, they will test the material and they will check on the supply. We will then give a certificate, good for a week or two weeks, according to the supply, and the store will be free to use the certificate which will show that in a survey made the prices and quality conform with OPA regulations and prices. I will sign that certificate and it may be used publicly or in advertising the goods. I think that would be helpful.


POST-WAR LOW RENT HOUSING PROGRAM

I have some real good news, the kind of news that I just like to talk about, the kind of news that really makes this job worth while. It just makes these bigmouthed, useless politicians insignificant - just makes them insignificant. I had a very pleasant meeting Friday in my office, with the City Planning Commission and the New York City Housing Authority. This is the result of months and months and months of work in planning our complete low-cost housing program for after the war. A final agreement has been reached between the New York City Housing Authority and the New York City Planning Commission, with my approval, on a $95,000,000 program of ten new low rent housing projects for the City of New York. Now, wait a minute, ten is not all, because you ain't heard nothing yet. Just put ten down. And remember, this is in addition to the fourteen housing units which were completed during the last nine years at a cost of $85,000,000. These fourteen are in existence. People are living in them. Not just talk, you know, not politician talk, but people living in them -beautiful, cheerful, sanitary apartments at low cost. In addition to the ten new ones I told you about, we already have prepared in our post-war program thirteen other projects for which financing has been arranged and plans have been completed or are under way, having an estimated cost of $120,000,000.
Remember that is for the Lillian Wald Houses, the Brownsville Houses, the Morrisania, the Abraham Lincoln, the Marcy Houses, the Gowanus Houses 1, the Gowanus Houses 2, the James Weldon Johnson Houses, the Governor Smith Houses, the Astoria Houses, the Melrose Houses, the Jacob Riis Houses, and the Elliott Houses. That is a total of $120,000,000. We have the land, money, plans are completed, and we are ready to start when the war is over and materials are available.

During the last session of the State Legislature, Governor Dewey approved legislation authorizing an additional $35,000,000 bond issue, with appropriate subsidies, for public housing. This legislation requires a referendum and will come before the people for approval at the general election this fall. That is why I want to mention it today. I am going to take the stump in favor of the referendum and we will have to ask our good friends upstate to help us, because Up-State, as yet, has not become as low-cost housing minded as we are, and there is a sort of an indifference to it. Our job is to get as many up-State votes for the bond issue as will be cast in the City against it, and in that we are sure to carry it. I am glad I will have something good to talk about in the coming election.

The New York City Housing Authority will make application to the State division of Housing for financial assistance for the construction of three new projects to be paid for with this additional money. So out of the $33,000,000 we hope to get enough money for three additional new projects. One will be located in the lower east side of Manhattan, between Pike Street and Montgomery Street; another in the run down area to the west of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. All Brooklynites know how welcome this unit will be in that location. The third will be located in what is probably the most deteriorated section of Harlem, the blocks just northeast of Central Park, between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue. It is where I lived for over ten years.

In addition to the $35,000,000 which I hope will be approved by the people of the State, I anticipate that we will get something like $60,000,000 of Federal funds which will be available for housing after the war. I estimate $60,000,000 from my talks with the Members of the House and of the Senate and I am very hopeful of that program. The projects to be submitted to Federal authorities are an addition to the existing Vladeck Houses in Manhattan; an addition to the existing Kingsborough Houses; an addition to the Brownsville Houses, which is part of our post-war program; an addition to the South Jamaica Houses in Queens and three new projects, one at Tlnton Avenue and 163rd Street, Bronx; one in the Hammel section of the Rockaways, Queens, and one to the west of Thomas Jefferson Park in upper Manhattan. So, then, we have fourteen projects going, thirteen financed with land acquired, plans completed or about to be completed, three State, and seven more Federal, for a total of thirty-seven Housing Projects in the City of New York which will house from forty-six to forty-nine thousand, one hundred and forty-two families. Now, isn't that worth while? Don't you see why the abuse of those cheap politicians, the friends of Costello and Frank Erickson means nothing. What counts is the satisfaction of knowing that over forty-six, or forty-eight, or forty-nine thousand families in the City of New York are taken out of the dumps, taken out of old, insanitary fire-trap tenement houses, and put into cheerful, pleasant dwellings at prices that they can afford.


PRIVATE HOUSING PROJECT

This is about all of the money that will be in sight for some time to come and, therefore, the balance of the rehabilitation of run down areas must be financed by private funds. A good start has been made in this direction with Stuyvesant Town, Manhattan, costing about $55,000,000, Cooper Village, Manhattan, costing about $13,000,000. Riverton Houses in Harlem costing about $6,000,000 and the Civic Center Housing in Brooklyn, costing about $5,725,000. There are several other projects now under consideration by Saving Banks and Insurance Companies, and it is expected that they will take larger responsibilities in this field. The City will continue to give its whole hearted cooperation to such projects. Since I talked to you some time ago Savings Banks really are doing something along these lines. Some of the Savings Banks have not yet opened their eyes, for instance, the Emigrant Savings Bank. Emigrant Savings, take my advice, you are acting wisely. You know, I might make an inventory of the property that you have, or had, so you had better join the procession and do your duty as a public institution. That is what Savings Banks are, public institutions. The rents in these privately constructed and operated dwellings range from $12.50 to $14. a month per room.


"I AM TELLING YOU"

I am going to add a paragraph in my program of "I am Telling You," which later will be known as "I Told You So." All right, now, Morris, you make a special disc of this, and, Betty, you see that a special transcript is made and put on ice for when the time comes. Look out for this program, my friends, do not let the politicians destroy it - the eager politicians who are now running around trying to make deals with candidates that they can control. They have itchy palms, itchy palms that they want to get into this money. It cannot afford one cent of graft; it cannot afford one cent of inefficiency or incompetency. The locations must be carefully selected. There can be no land speculations such as we had just before I came into office. Contractors must know that when they put in a bid, they will not be confronted with a shakedown and will not have to place a large percentage of incompetents on the payroll as timekeepers and clerks - you know the payroll gang of the political club, the political club loafers who go on the payroll and split twice. No, no, don't be surprised. Didn't Mr. Hiram Todd find them on the payroll of the State Legislature? Those same bums would get jobs, payroll jobs. Now look out for that, please.

Keep the Planning Commission intact, keep your Housing Authority intact. That Housing Authority was established in my time, the first in the City of New York, and there has never been a word of scandal nor bitter politics in the control of its affairs.

Here is something else. There will spring up groups here and there -well meaning people, some of them, but always some scheming promoter in back of them - with plans for public housing without any resources whatsoever -not one penny of equity. Oh, there are several plans kicking around. One, that the City should buy the land and lease it for sixty years, then they take the lease and they get a mortgage on the lease, then they take the mortgage money and they get a second mortgage from the contractors - all sorts of schemes without a penny of investment. Look out for that, my friends, and look out for that group. I used to know the group so well before I became Mayor and could do something about housing. They are always talking housing but they never want to do anything about it. They are always looking for the perfection and destroying and opposing and criticizing. They really do not want to see low cost housing. They don't. If you trace it back, and back, and back, you will find the same old law tenement houses. They like the present system. So look out for that, won't you.

So , (1) politics out of Housing; (2) protect your Planning Commission and your Housing Authority and (3) see that the contracts are clean and that the bidding is clean. Watch this very carefully so that the politicians do not get their percentage, either in patronage or in money. Watch the selection of the sites; - the State Housing Authority is very good and it cooperates. Sometimes they seem a little fussy but they are very good and they will be helpful with the change of administration.

Of course, also bear in mind - it is a little early now - but when Federal funds are appropriated, I hope that the State and the Federal Congress will both provide that a certain percentage of the men who work, the men who work, must be veterans. So bear that in mind. That just goes on one of the "I Am Telling You" programs.


HOUSING AUTHORITY REPORT

And, incidentally, talking about Housing, the first copy of the Tenth Annual report of the New York City Housing Authority is now available. The Housing Authority, as you know, is composed of Mr. Edmond Borgia Butler, Chairman; Mary K. Simkhovitch, a pioneer in Housing; William Wilson, Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Buildings; Frank R. Crosswaith and John S. Parke. Maxwell H. Trotter is the Executive Director. It is a very fine report and it is available now. If you are interested, you may write and get it.

I think this is a good time to pay tribute to men who were on the Housing Authority and who are not on it now, such as Mr. Gerard Swope, who was its Chairman and did fine work; and Mr. Louis Pink, who also pioneered in Housing; Edward F. McGrady who is now Special Assistant to the Secretary of War; B. Charney Vladeck, who we regret has since died, but who had contributed a great deal; Nathan Straus, another pioneer in Housing; Hugh S. Robertson, a great engineer; the Very Reverend E. Roberts Moore, another pioneer in Housing, and William H. Davis who is now the Economic Stabilization Administrator.

The report, which is very informative, is available to all authorities and officials, but there might be a slight charge for private individuals desiring this report because it is costly and, as i told you before, the Housing Authority is not a wasteful authority.


THREAT OF BUILDING SERVICE STRIKE

Here is some news that is not so good. Talking about housing, I note in the papers that the Building Service Unions have voted to strike. That is very bad. We had two threats of strikes during my time. They were both settled here in City Hall. Now we have established official machinery for the settlement of labor disputes and I hope that a settlement will be expedited.

Now, in so far as dwellings are concerned, I should like to point out that the interruption of services threatens the public health. In 1936 I found it necessary to issue an emergency proclamation declaring that a discontinuance of elevator service in buildings used for dwellings of over six stories constituted a menace to the life and health of the people residing therein and also that people living in dwellings of over six stories were entirely dependent upon building service for the necessities of life, consisting of food, medicines, medical treatment, nursing service and milk for children.

The Acting Commissioner of Health, Dr. Calderone, is in my office now and I am going to confer with him immediately after this broadcast. I am asking the Commissioner to convene the Board of Health tonight or early tomorrow morning, and to take into consideration the threatened interruption of service of elevators in dwellings over six stories. When I issued the proclamation in March of 1936, the weather was cold and we had the additional menace of heat. That is not involved now, although the Board of Health may consider the lack of hot water as a health menace, if any building depends upon the generation of its own power for elevator service, I hope it will make arrangements to use power from the power company so that that will be eliminated. If the Health Department declares the emergency as I expect it will because of the precedent and the apparent need for it to protect lives, I shall then issue a proclamation of emergency and shall delegate full and complete powers to the Health Commissioner to call upon all Departments of the City for such help as he may need. The Health Commissioner will man such elevators as he deems necessary for the protection of the health of the people therein. He can do nothing less.

I sincerely hope that all of the machinery for the settlement of labor disputes will be invoked and that there will be no need for the Commissioner or for the Mayor to invoke the powers of the emergency that I have just stated. In the 1936 strike, we had reason to cover 857 emergency spots. I hope to get a report in the course of this afternoon or tomorrow morning and will keep in constant touch with the situation.


NURSE SHORTAGE IN HOSPITALS

Last week I told you about the situation in our hospitals. We are hoping to hold the line and get more nurses. It may interest you to know that since Pearl Harbor we have been confronted with a crisis in personnel. We have increased wages and the cost of personnel and hospitals since that time amounts to over $7,000,000. Again I call upon women who are trained registered nurses and who have given it up because of marriage or other conditions to please, please come to the help of our hospitals until the present crisis is over. We need all the nurses that we can possibly get.


P.A.L. OUTING

Here is something pleasant. I got a kick yesterday morning when I went down to Pier A at 8: 30 to see the kids of the P.A.L. go on that outing. There were 2700 of them - all healthy, happy, cheerful kids from every section of the City, all with their lunch boxes. There were also the officers of the P.A.L., Inspector Nolan and the volunteer workers and the men assigned to the Juvenile Aid Bureau. Each seemed to know the kids by name. You know, it is a surprising thing, 2700 children are just a lot of children, but the discipline was just perfect. Yet they were happy when they went on board to go to Bear Mountain and spent the day there. Lew Valentine, the Commissioner was there too, I have been in some pretty tight places with Lew Valentino but he seemed rather drawn. I asked "What is the matter, Lew, are you worried?" He said, "Worried? I am going to worry all day until they get back home." I think he had cause to, but knock on wood, all the kids came back and it was great. I think they are going to have an outing almost every week and we will cover most if the kids that could otherwise not get an outing during the summer.

Say, why do you suppose I am telling you about it? I am telling you about it because we need members for the P.A.L. It is one dollar for a one-year membership. So if you send it in to me, I will pass your dollar on to Inspector Nolan, and he will send me the certificates and I will sign your certificate if you send it through here. That does net mean that you can buy only one membership. Oh, you can buy any number of them. Send the names of the people in whose names you want them issued or we can send you membership blanks and you can fill them out yourself. One dollar a year for membership and I want to get 100,000 memberships. And, say, every penny goes for the purpose of P.A.L. and that is to give recreational, sport, and educational facilities and activities to children who otherwise are not provided along those lines.


Patience and fortitude.