New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-12
D0UyTOWy CHURCHES AND TENEMENTS.

DOWNTOWN CHURCHES AND TENENENIS'
The Rev. w. w Smith. NJ d., vicar OF the
norish of the Heavenly Rest, in thls CITY, pro-
noses in THE Churchman n scheme 'Ii"'' III
his opinion. will ut once solve the tenement
house and the downtown church prOpieInS' ii'
begins by calling attention to the uptown 'ho''
nent Of the churches which mas D'eh "a
citing the serious concern OF religious pe"P' 'o'
many years. During the last ten years -
said M least twpnty-three churches beioW ro'''
oichth-st have moved away, and 1t Is estimate"
that before many years there VIII DE lew
self-sustaining churches in the lower part vi
Manhattan. although the population Is likely W
increase rather than diminish. InieSS' 'il'i'
fore this region of the city is TO be churchle~S'
enc Of two things must be done-the people
must build and maintain churches themselves
r adequately endowed churches must be estaD-
ushod for thcm DR. Smith does not consider
tho first alternative at all, probably because he
considers II unlikely Of fulfment when Is III
decd the case And he therefore addresses Mn
self to the best method of bringing ABOUT '"'
second In brief. his proposal is thar certa'h
sum Of money. as large as possible, be raised ~
religious people and that it be invested Ill ilou''
,oromonts downtown. "A mcney endowment III
"lhe hands of church trustees, he says mus.
..be invested as the law requires. IN git-euE'u
"secur+ties' rs trust funds. These securI''eS
yield not more than per cent on actual money
Invested and often not that. ms heceNS""''S
IAN enormous cash endowment for even sili'ii
"lncomc In tenement district nu'h Wis.,.
..plan could be adopted Tenement regions heeu
improved DIV eings. Tenement real eS'a'e -
"accordcd by every one 10 be wel-payIhS III
"vcstment. and to-day in our American 'l''''
"novor n loss Improved dwellings. termed
8. .modcl tcncmeuts.' are needed ana are 'he
"rnore practicable in the end. They nave peeh
corrected largely in England and the Continent
"and i'm many cities in this country, ho'apiF
"Brooklyn and Ncw-York. They have uhiVer-
sally met with marked success. They never
..viald less than per cent clear-that Is tneA
''pay all expenses. repairs. taxes etc' leave ~
"nor cont sinking or deterioration FUND income
"to rebuild or alter each twenty-five years, ana
.thcn above all this. pay TO their investors Il
"clcor : per cent on face value OF money III
vested at par
DR. Smith believes that such project would
appcal strongly to business men. ana That they
would be willing to lend all the money heeueu
10 carry It ont ut pig per cent ieaNihg Il
clear o. per cent yearly for the building ana
endowment of downtown churches. lie mas
found that available city lots could be purchas' d
for $1,000 on which could he Duilt SlA-S'orH
Grnnroof trncmentS. with large airy courts ana
confined with the most approved Saill'ar! Ut
ronqcments Such model tenclnentS Ill 'llS '"!
ore now paving clear income OF not less IMAM
Il nor cont and two such buildings in thS
countr.v WELD an income of 9 and 10 per cent
rosnectiyclv He believes that the demand for
such tcnemcnts would be far greater IMAM the
sunnlv and while their erection would 90 much
to solve the tenement house problem II WOULD
also give the Church a large and certain income
for the building and maintenance of places OF
Worship for the lower part of the city. or IN
fact. for any region where churches would be
needed.
There is much TO be said in favor OF this Stg-
ccsrIon from business point of view. An idea
on somewhat similar lines IS under consldera-
tjon bv the Ascension Memorial Chapel III
West Fortythird-st. namely. the erection OF Il
large hotel in the centre of which the chapel
auditorium would he. But obviously Such an ell
tcrprisc could only be made 10 succeed by the
opplicatlon 10 IT of the most approved business
nrinciples and by the employment or trained
business men to manage It. The men compoS-
ing city missionary societies do not, as rule,
nossess such qualifications and ii Is question
whether they could secure the right men To
manage the project for the salary which they
could afford TO pay.