The San Francisco call., 1907-02-18
B'NAI BIRTH WILL
BUILD At A COST OF
QUARTER OF MILLION
"Downtowners" Win Fight
for Location of New
Headquarters
WILL SELL OLD SITE
President Schloss Would
Erect an Orphange
for the Order
WILL SELL OLD SITE

After a days arguing and consider
able good natured controversy. District
Grand Lodge No. 4, Bnai Birth, in the
first meeting of its forty-fourth annual
session yesterday in the Bush-street
temple, decided to rebuild permanent
quarters for the Hebrew organization.
The site, which has not yet been Sc
lected. will be east of Van Ness avenue.
The discussion waxed warm over the
contentious of the "downtowners" and
the "suburbanites, but when the votes
were counted late last night the former
won.
The building to be erected will cost
not less than $500 900 and will be at
least six stories in height Part of the
structure, including the ground floor,
will be devoted TO stores and offices,
but the larger part will be given over
to the purposes of lodge work and to
such attractive features as will add to
the popularity of the organization
NEW LOCATION
Details as to the exact location will
rest in the hands of the general COM
mittee, which will consist of the presi-
dent, two vice presidents, secretary,
treasurer and trustees, who will be
elected before the close of this con-
vention, together with the outgoing
president.
It was also decided to sell the Eddy
street property, which, prior TO the
fire, had been the home of the order for
many years.
The decision to build downtown was
regarded as a great victory for the re-
eonstructionists, who claimed, In op-
position to the Grand Lodge members
from other cities, that San Francisco's
downtown of former years will be, as
before, the center of the city's business
and fraternal activity.
The various reports of the officers
were approved.
Following are the officers who are
presiding over the deliberations of this
convention, which will probably con-
clude its labors tomorrow evening:
BEN Schloss. president; George N.
Black, first vice president; DIR. NJ. s.
Levy, second vice president; Benjamin
Harris, treasurer; 1. ]. Aschhein, sec
retary; Max Marcuse, julius Platshek
and Edmund Tausky, trustees
PRESIDENTS REPORT
President Ben Schloss' report was
notable one and contained sufficient
matter to keep the delegates, mum ber-
ing more than 15o, busy until o'clock
yesterday afternoon in discussion
Schloss is affectionately dubbed the
earthquake president" for, as head of
the organization founded on philan-
thropic principles, he was instrumental
in distributing material aid and COM
fort during the days succeeding the
great fire.
The speaker recommended that the
sum remaining in the relief fund.
amounting to more than $4,000, be set
aside as a nucleus for the future con-
struction of Bnai Birth orphan asy-
Ium
The presidents report showed that
s23,5O5.50 insurance claims had been
collected on the library and building on
Eddy street and that $4,000 is still
due from German companies which
have repudiated their claims.
Secretary l. j. Aschheim's report
showed that $34,626.29 had been col
lected during the year of which sum
more than 10000 had been deposited
with the trustees. The assets of the
organization total s144,1S2.S4, consist
ing mainly of the Eddy-street property,
valued at $46. $50; the Van Ness avenue
property and realty on Noe street The
membership of the twenty-seven Pa
cif1c Coast lodges numbers. 212S.