New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-08
COOPERATIVE APARTMENT-HOUsEs.
VIEWS OF HUBERT PRISON Co-hLo0Li9 We
rHrFE YFA. s. EXPERIMENTS

VIEWS OF HUBERT. PlRSsON w. w.
THREE YEA S EXPERIMENTS.
Messrs, Hubert, PRISON e. Co.. the architects VINO
first proposed and built cooperative apartment en-
houses in this city, have written long ielter 10 M
TRIBUNE in answer to an editorial on me suoleee
IN last SUNDAYS issue. The letter replies hrst 10
the assertion that the yearly expenditure on CO.
operative houses is several times as great as was
anticipate1 The time during which the expert A.
ment has Deen tried, the writers say is 700 snoIt "
datarnine fLis question. 1.-THE estimates ongl-
nally made" they continue, were Dastd Oh nJ
actual expenditure on other apartment "'i
prepared with much care by the associate
The nrobability IL that when the thing setties uomn
info roper working order these estimates VIII prove
nearly correct In the meantime We are o
actual occupants that they are perfectly wen sats
fed with the practical working OF their estaosn-
ments and the only two persons VINO nave gwen
nnbc account of their experience as ciuD incnioelS
Zone in Hdrpe's Moathly and one IN the Real Estate
Record report large saving IN FAVOR OF co-opera-
Ar fbe same time the writer's freely admit that
in many cases cooperative apartment-houses have
cost far more than had first been estimaieu MS
however. they ascrlbe 10 tho careIesSheSs anu 81
travaqauce of the owners that would Oe quite as
likely to show themselves III houses Dun' UPON
any other plan" In other aseS tue extra eApI,n-
diture has been caused by judiclgns changes Ill me
plans, as where ordinary buildings nave oeon
changed into tTo-prOO! ones. .,
The writers also contend that It is not entirely an
unfortunate thing that cooperative apartment
houses have proved too expensive, except IoI 'he
very rich The whole matter IS as HTl
an experiment, they say; ,aud ~ Is pct ,'
that the experiment should be maze WIN INC
morey of the rich rather than with the savings OF
those Who could not aiioc'l 10 los by it, Let us
have patience, they say, and let the thing iaEG
form and becomr perfected and matured II VII
work downward IN due time, if ii proves best that
it should do So" ,e-,,..ol t
The fact that the project was selhshiy u 'el pY
spectators, tie writers continue, was uIavoiaaDie,
and Tho remedy for that is for those uniting In Sucl
nm enterprise to select their lots and ther own
architects to make their own contracts aud 10
award tie work of erecting the buildings To tlie
lowest responsible bidder afer fair, open compet
| ton The writers sum up the results OF the thre'
! wears, EXPERIMENTING with the scheme as follows
| Sixteen companies have 10 our knowledge been
oroauizcd COMPRISING some 2GO families, anu invest
INC over 81 500 600 In land and buildings. Oh me
bindings SIX are finished, two viii lie ready III
OCCUPANCY tins spring. live M to the seventh Oh
| ninth story. one mas just received tue hr
tier of beams one has not yet been comm NC l.
and one has stopped building Tor reasons nhtHo - u
| TO us 1t would be strange, indeed Il ID.
| co-oneratiye movement, under such circumsta1c $
/ and subject also 10 the wel!-deserycd blame hlougn
upon il through the III snalagcment OF many i'i.,Jr
tant features of the system that must undVoidaOH
| result from ine1perencc, SHOULD not have manv
enemies and many dctractOrs. All we can 90 Is u
| work hopefully on and trust TO the lutuIc