The age-herald., 1901-11-21
SKY SCRAPER TOO
 MUCH FOR LONDON
People Wrought Up Over Plan
 of American Syndicate
ASKS LEASE FOR 999 YEARS
Some of the Papers Fear the New Office Building Will Deform the horouehfare-British Work
 men Will Be Employed.

London. November 20.-The action of an Anglo-American syndicate in applying to the London county council for a 9s9-year lease of site on the north side of the Strand for the erection of an office build Ing on American lines, to cost $2,000 00O has caused much comment and interest and is discussed from various points of view. Many people share William Wal dorf Astor's views as expressed in to- days issue of the Pail Mall Gazette, throwing cold water on the proposed "ad- dition to that conglomeration of archi- tectural chaos, which is modern Lon don."
 The Pail Mall Gazette fears the mann moth building will .deform the new thor oughfare. The majority of the business community, however, share the views o1 the London Times, which says we ar, far too slow in meeting the wants of tn, enormous populations; we are far toC much given to muddling along with timit extension of methods essentially anti quated."
 Capital From America. More than half the capital for the of flee building is to come from America MT. Esler practically promoted the whole affair." What American interests he is representing he refuses to say. There IS still much doubt as to whether the coun- ty council will lease the site to this syn dicate. Even when the site is secured the promoters will probably be obliged to ask parliament to change the building laws of England it is proposed to erect the building on the steel system of construction in use in America, which is at variance with the regulations here compelling the use of brick walls of a thickness utterly contrary to the steel construction of the United States. Among the financial interests concerned in the project are the British Electrical Trac- tion Company and the New York and Brooklyn Tube Company.
 MT. Esler said to a representative of the Associated Press:
 'The moment the county council de- cides to lease the ground for 999 years we are ready to commence work. The build ing will be put up by British workmen. British material will be used and we'll known British architect Is now revis- ing the plans I had made in America. Some special American devices will be employed. Nothing definite in this re- BdTu VIII De Sellleu uIllll we hnOW the county councils decision, which we ex- pect in about a month
 Public Opinion Against Sky Scrapers.
 Public opinion will not at present stand for skyscrapers. When that Is changed we can add any number of stories to the seven which we now con- template. This enterprise Is the forerun- ner of the inevitable rebuilding of the whole of London on American lines. With the increasing taxation. property owners cannot long subsist from the small buildings which distinguish Lon don."
 Sir Michael Farrant will be chairman of the company.
 The inclusion of young Lieut.. Corn wallis West in the directory is ex- plained by the fact that since his mar riage he had become a director of the British Electric Traction Company, and, accordingly, a director of the new con- cern. He has displayed marked ability. Moreover, 1t Is added his wife. formerly Lady Randolph Churchill, is much inter- ssted in this office building scheme.
 Nr. Esler is the only American in the a.. l.ectorate.