The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-14
COST OF RUNNING A CLUB.
Enormous Expenses Connected With
Some of the Largest.

Some of the Largest.
1t costs over $500, 900 year to run the
Union League Club. 1t costs rather less
than one-third that sum to run the Cen
tury Club. Clubs like the Calumet, the
Knickerbocker, the Reform and the Co.
lonial are run for less than the Century.
The Union Club, the New York Club,
the University and the Manhattan are
among the most expensive to maintain.
So are some of the athletic clubs. The
Metropolitan is run at large expense, and
with increasing membership it will be as
costly a club to run as there is in the
country. The cheapest and most econom-
ically managed clubs are the Greek letter
clubs. Most of these clubs are run upon
less than $4,000 year. A few small
clubs with agreeable houses are run on a
little over $4,000 a year, though $500 is a
small income for comfortable club, even
when there is no attempt to maintain
restaurant.
Most of the large clubs have a consider
able bonded and mortgage Indebtedness.
The Century's new house, with its fur
nishings, is worth about half that sum-
There was an epidemic of club Indebted.
ness shortly before the panic of 1893, and
several clubs have found their interest &C
count since that time a serious embar-
rassment. 1t is usual to place a clubs
bers, and the hawking of club bonds about
the street is esteemed scandal. 1t is be-
Heved that only the strongest clubs could
now obtain takers for any conside cradle
bonded Indebtedness. The Union League
Club of Philadelphia, one of the strongest
in the country, was able recently to float
$175, 900 in bonds at A per cent, very low
rate for club bonds. The issue was greatly
over-subscribed, bids TO the amount of
more than 81, 500,0 900 having been put in.
There are few New York clubs that could
market their bonds on better terms than
these. 1t is pretty well understood when
weak club asks its members to subscribe
for bonds that the subscription is likely to
turn out an assessment. There are sew
eral New York clubs with bonded and
mortgage Indebtedness OF $500000, and
several others with property approaching
in value 100000.
Almost every club in New York loses
money in conducting its restaurant. The
Union League Cubs restaurant usually
shows a small loss, even after it has been
credited with $40, 900 for the feeding of en-
ployes. This restaurant, with the bar and
cellars, takes in from $l15,00 to $135, 900
per year. There are four or FIVE other
clubs that take in as much or more, and
there are few that make q small profit
when the receipts from wines, liquors and
cigars are accredited TO the restaurant and
proper credit is allowed for the mainte-
nance of employees. About third of the
income of the Century Club is from these
sources.
Nearly all the large clubs receive from
5000 to $25, 900 for lodgings. This is an ex-
| tremely profitable feature of large club,
as the cost of maintaining lodgings is
| small, aud the presence of permanent
dodgers in the house works for good order
and helps to maintain the restaurant. Few
New York clubs have greatly developed the
nonresident list, though it is becoming
more important in large clubs. Those
clubs that make Speciality of nonresident
membership find that is highly profitable
to fix nonresident dues and initiation fees
very low. The club with largest non-resi-
dent list obtains about $500 year from
nonresident dues and has so constant a
demand for its lodgings by non-residents
visiting the city permanent dodgers are no
longer taken. Such nonresident list,
made up of men from all parts of the
country, most of whom occasiona lly
visit New York, gives a variety and
interest to club life that nothing else can
give. One sees from time to time at the
club strongest in nonresident me bership
Cabinet officers, political leaders from New
| England, tbs South and the West, army
and navy officers on leave, leaders of the
bar from half dozen States and business
men from nearly all parts of the country.
1t is difficult to conduct a club complete
in all its functions with membership
of less than 300 and such club cannot be
comfortably run upon dues of less than
$40 per year. Out of the income from dues
must be paid rent, wages, cost of repairs
and whatever deficit may result from the
conduct of the restaurant. If that deficit
is not to be pretty large the club must
have considerable proportion of its men,
bers regular frequenters of the house. If
such club can have an average of fifteen
or twenty men daily taking breakfast and
luncheon la carte it is likely, with eco
nomlcal management in all its depart
ments, to live within its income. Ex-
penses may be set down roughly in this
| fashion:
| Rent ..........s 3 600