The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-22
The Presbyterian Building.

The renort Of the committee of eleven on
tba presbvterian building in New York was
read DR.. Withrow, the chairman, read the
report 1t follows:
.eYour committee held it's first meeting in
New York city July % and -; h059, An hnords
tended conference was held with the poIIuS
of home and foreign missions ana sldlS-
ment given to the public the next week.
civ Of New York on March II and 10, 1897,
ali the members being present except Gen,
eraI Harrison and Mr.. Williams ana
adopted the following:
s.In view of the action taken by the as
sernbly of 1894 prior to the letung OF tne
contract for the building as SHOWN py It's its
Tninute hpreinbefore given, we conceive our
Onlv duty to be to confer with the TWO
boards and to advise as to the course 10
be pursued in connection with the new
.STbs Committee finds that there is no
nending offer from any one to puy the prop
erty; nor has there been since the nrSt
roe9Sfine Of this committee. Whether the
property on Twentieth street ana flIlH ave-
nue. as we'll as that on F1th avenue ana
Twelfth street, should be sold or not, are
matters which under existing conditions,
may lie properly and safely lett 10 the o3 oe-
termination of the two poards. ne espP1 apP!l.
cation of the money derived from the stuart
estate toward the erection of the new build
ing was not an illegal use OIL such money,
''iThe committee advises urgent appealS
+o ali the churches in our denomination 10
make not only their ordinary put increased
contributions for home ana 1orelsn nhlSsIon-
airy operations IN the IuII 3 eiVen
for current work be applied to the account
of the new building, but that the debt
thereon must be provided for by Other con-
trihntions for that purpose. In view OF
these facts your committee offers Tor adop-
ton the following resolutions;
q That the disposition Oh the Two prop
critics in question shall now be left to the
boards of home and foreign missions as
agents of our church. ,, ,,
7'2 That the General Assembly hereby
expresses it's cordial appreciation OF the
laborious services, the sacrifices of time,
as well IS the contributions OF money, mace f
in the conduct of these enterprises.
..3. That the General Assembly approves
of the action of the commltfee TT t1 ana here"lth
discharges the committee OF eleven:
The report was signed by j. l.. Withrow,
Reniamin Harrison, John Wanamaker, John
M Harlan, James M Beayer, Ihomas EW-
ing Samuel b Huey, II. b. Silliman, Alex
ander Mcdonald and Robert ). Williams
A financial statement in regard to the
PRESBYTERIAN building was also read. 1t
showed that 90 per cent. OF the office por-
tion of the building is already rented. On
April the actual rental announce 91aId Tee 20
enfire building of $125, 1853, or over G. per cent
on the above basis the income account
showed a credit balance of $701 over all eX-
nenses When entirely rented there will
be a net income of Sl3OOO, or per cent. on
the investment of the boards In the build
and the equity of the boards in the build
ing is $500 900, there being mortgages of
$500 600 upon it.
THE MINORITY REPORT.
At the close of the reading of the report
notice was given of a minority report to be
presented by one member of the committee
Elder Thomas McDougall of Cincinnati
This report was presented in printed form
constituting a pamphlet of sixty pages
After speaking of the authority of the COM
rnittee the report proceeded TO give an ac-
count Of the acquisition of the old property
of the boards at No SO Fifth avenue, and
also of that at Twentieth street The re-
port proceeded to show a real Indebtedness
of 81 $50 900 in the new building. Special
stress was laid on the offer of Mr. John
S. Kennedy Of New York 10 take the build
ing off the hands of the church, laid before
the assembly in 1896. The report proceeded
to consider the future Of the properties OF
the boards in New York and the question
whetaer the new building can be sold The
obligations of the boards to employ the
legacies of Mrs. Robert Stuart as a perma-
nent fund for the work OF the church were
set forth. The right TO dispose of the