The Washington times., 1905-04-02
Agitation Begun Against
Flats on Narrow
/ Streets.
SOME VIEWS ON SUBJECT
Present Year to Be Record
Breaker in Building
Operations.

Considering the constantly increasing
erection OF large apartment houses in
nearly every section of the city, the
agitation just begun against them takes
no little Importance. The objection
is directed not so much against the
building of this class of structures, as
against the erection of the skyscraper
kind in localities where their height
would contrast unfavorably with sur
rounding houses, giving offense to archi-
tectural estheticism in the despoiling of
the skyline. or doing violence to the
law OF sanitation by excluding light and
air. 1t may be readily imagined that
the proposition TO restrict the building
of the so-called sKyscraper apartment
houses will call out some highly inter-
esting arguments pro and con when the
subject comes up for hearing before
the Commissioners next Tuesday.
There are not only two, but several
moro sides to this question, Real estate
brokers and the men who have been
conspicuous in the building OF apart
ment houses of this character contend
that to enforce restrictions such as are
now advocated would be almost a con-
fscation OF capital. inasmuch as they
would prevent an investor to so employ
it as to yield him the largest possible
revenue consistent with the rights of
the community in general. They hold,
moreover that in localities where
ground is expensive a four-story apart
ment house could not &c built and oper-
ated profitably.
Millions Brought Here.
Account must be taken, they say, Of
the fact that capital seeks investment
where it may be used with greatest free
dom and wnere a fair end just return
from it is t. be confidently locked for
It is pointed out that within the past
few years millions OF dollars have been
brought into the District from other
cities for investment in Just such VEN
lures; that there is every reason to ex-
pcct a continuance of tkis influx If nor
nal conditions continue to obtain. but
that outsi3ers cannot be expected to
place their funds here if profitable en-
ployment thereof is hampered or made
impossible by building regulations that
would have such an effect
On the other hand, some real estate
brokers say that the establishment of
regulations restricting the heights of
apartment houses under certain con-
ditions would probably result in the
hardening. Of prices for unimproved
land in the neighborhood specially az
fected This view is based on the
assumption that man having a given
sum to invest in the building of apart
ment houses would, If unable to put it
all into one structure, seek to build
two such and thus be compelled to buy
additional ground, thereby creating
S,.,-
view OF the case is contested by others
of the real estate fraternity, who insist
that the enforcement of regulations re-
strieting the height of apartment
houses would operate as a bar to the
influx Of outside capital.
Architects Opinion.
These are the purely utilitarian opin-
ions on the subject. The esthetic side
of the question is Illuminated by an
architect, who says: There is no
question but that the erection Of
building over five stories high leopard
izes the skyline or the harmony of
height in the majority of residences on
narrow streets. But in this respect
the original ideas of LEnfant have
been construed so materially, and the
inability Of the Commissioners and
others 70 remove numerous eyesores
dotting here, there, and everywhere
the City of Magnificent Distances
that a movement to exclude the con-
struction Of a fine class of buildings
becomes a piece Of absurdity. Such
buildings tend to uplift Washington
architecturally among the other mod
ern cities of the world. Then, TO look
at il from common sense view it
seems absolutely absurd for anyone
TO attempt to dictate to another as to
fhs disposition or Improvement OF
property so long as the tightly drawn
regulations of the District are OBJ
served