New-York tribune., 1896-05-25
MISSION HOUSE TROUBLES
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MAY BE ASKED
TO SELL TIE BUILDING.
COMMENT on THE RECENT REPORT OF THE
BUILDING COMMITTEE HEARD IN SARA
ToGA-FoR AND AGAINST THE
INVESTMENT.

ToGA-FOR AND AGAINST THE
INVESTMENT.
Saratoga. May 24-The final report Of the Pres
hvter,an Mission House Building Committee. which
appeared last Friday. has revived interest mere III
the 81 600 600 investment OF the Presbyterian ioine
and Foreign Mission Board at Fifth-aVe ana I"en-
,ie,h-st New-York City. Commissioners TO the
Assembly from the distant West whose ideas OF
church investment have not reached the two-niIioh
mark are being favored with some details OF the
Investment that do not appear in the puo"S"eu ie
mort Friends of the two boards are mere reau! W
make statements in defence oi the H'NeS'''"' ~
called upon to do So ,,
The Foreign Board defenders who desire 10 reheVe
themselves from the responsibility are zealou''!
creating the impression that the great deo'S VI
the Home Board treasury have caused 'he 'ii''''
They saw that the Foreign Board treasury Is all
right This Board has instituted retrehchiheh'S
ond economies that must In another year wipe out
tho small remainder OF debt In their trcasur! anu
establish a handsome surplus In It's place. Inc
Home Board treasury, however. is IN une'e''
,a,e The debt OF $4,000 OF last year. although
reduced by the transfe Of 10000 from the meinor"
fund stands to-day 1T $4,000. owing 10 'A'se
deeci, incurred IN the current work OF the year
II is also pointed out that the sum OF s'o" Drawn
from the Million Dollar Memorial Fund by the HUME
Board TO reduce its debt OF last year was Pald oNe'
by vote of the Board directly to John S kennedy.
one of It's own members. who had advanced 'hat
sum TO the Board at a time when It's treasury was
exhausted and its credit fully spent The advance
was made TO the Board under such onerous cohu'-
tlons that the work OF the secretaries was greatly
hammered and repayment was eagerly voted BY the
BOARD out Of the memorial fund money 10 relieve
the executive department from the heavy bnrdeh OF
these conditions
Two members Of the Home Board are here as
commissioners defend their administration. tne
Rev James S. Ramsay. pastor OF the Harlem fres-
hvterian Church and Elder II. Edwards Rowland.
Iall' RHCncl
Kennel of Ncw-York. and Mrs Thaw, OF Pits
burg two OF the most liberal donors to the MIS-
sion Board will be here some time this week. II Is
understood that their presence In Saratoga at TINS
time has to do with the coming a'tdVN "f'' NV
Mission House investment
Two wears ago at Saratoga before ground had
been broken for the new Mission House, the whole
subject OF the investment was thresned OUT III cum.
m!ttee room In the presence Of Elder Ihonas NC
DougaIl John s. Kennedy and John E Parsons. IL
was known at tho time that the argument "h'eh
ouieted the opposition in the committee was that
tho continued OCCUPANCY Of the old Lenox mansion.
at No 50 Fifth-ave.. great expense 10 the
boards and the Church. owing 10 the waste Oh III
terest on the great sum Of money represented " ''e
property 1t was shown that this property cost
the boards s2OO00 and 1t was argued 'hat '"o''
suitable modern quarters could be provided Tor the
two boards in the building at lower ra'e oi
interest the capital invested
Commissioners now here. who remember tnis
argument by which the critics or 1881 were ~
enectually sIenced express surprise at the state
ments contained in the published sclemuie ol 49,,
penses OF the Building Committee ms I,poa ~
gives a table Of prospective income on the Dasls Oh
present rental values OF the building ana aHowIns
certain fO taxes. repairs ana COMMISSIONS;
The sum allowed for taxes Is $1,000 per annum anu
the claim l. made that this Is ridlculOusIy low.
For repairs on n 100000 building the sSneuur eIt
allows $1,000 when the critics say the actual repaiI
charge should be several times as large iout WIZ, WIZ
the experses and rentals set down IN me Host
favorable terms the schedule shows a net pros.
pectiye income OF $30.57l 70 an investment OF
f1 757 500 49, But this sum OF income IS inaoe up III
Gin Of rentals over cost. maintenance COMMISSIONS;
taxes REPAIRS interest. etc. 5n 7J rental Vaue OF
seventh and eighth floors occupied by the Two
boards 81 900; surplus. should building be fuiiy
From this IL will be seen that the Boards are
act,lally charging their treasury the sum or SZoVW
Tor rent when the object in moving was TO secure
cbeaner quarters The rent OF the old quarters
1nurcd AZ 4 per cent the cost price, less $2.VO
rent received from No. IS Fifth-ave.. is 5000. TO
Roards were moved into quarters for which accord
tnc 70 the schedule issued by the Building Commit
.ns thev must charge themselves more than three
.t,mas as much But the schedule, While showing
O. "a ncifu profit OF less than per cent on the In
~aadrenf reveals an actual deficiency FOR the year
" Tho rentaIs of the Mission House as now rented
are s63 476 7 as per the schedule while the inquired
Cost OF maintenance is. according 10 the same au-
thority, $ll7.520. , 49, .o,,,ss,o,or.
interested In the matter are asking the Boards how
a. wouid do for the Assembly to advise the home
and Foreign Boards TO vacate these expensive quar-
ters IN the new building and reoccupy the l|enox
Mission which Is empty. thereby saving 70 the
treaanrv the difference between $4,000 and SOU In