New-York tribune., 1908-08-30

-, ron,la-dtv OF spartment houses and hotels
a, rroving RAPIDLY AS a result large areas OF
,,5 IN the most attractive residential zones are
,nx improved with the latest modern type of such
.-rc,nres Notwithstanding the amount of
r,h ouerstIons which have been carried out in
r.cent wears speculative builders and operators
h,ye not yet been able to catch up with the de-
,,na for such buildings There may be an over
u,rly of medium priced fathouses In various dis
,ricts which are numbered among the newer resi-
a.rt.sl zones OF the city. But there Is no
simply of high class apartment houses and apart
-osnt hotels. according many experts who
.baroughly oonYersant with conditions throughout
MARTY IL is undoubtedly true that many of the
,.3i,n priced fathouses are not renting quickly
os Was anticipated they would after they
we're ready for occupancy by persons who pro-
i.r-ed them. In view OF the Ito let' signs cover
tng the sront OF many recently built nathouses. a
large number Of persons who unacquainted
win realty affairs imagine that the renting
i;tions affecting high class apartment houses and
hotels are similar to those relating TO fathouse
buildings. There is about much difference. how
ever between fathousc and apartment house
rs there Is between dwelling house one or
.wo families and fathoUse-
MANY TYPES OF FINE HOUSES.
Though Tenement House Department Of this
city cassihes all buildings erected for residential
rurroses which have for than three
families as tenement houses. with IA. exception
greatly from the modern hathouse that 1t is an
essy matter distinguish building from an
other. The modern fathouse Is q slightly better
structure than the original apartment house, and
the apartment house of the modern type is q
building erected with the special aim of meeting
the varied tastes of the residents of this city The
majority Of fathouses follow about plan Of
architecture. but regards the up-to-date high
class apartment house and hotel there are many
styles.
who thought they were able to gauge the desires
81 the public for newer buildings for residential
that the apartment house of that day would
only be a building hard 20 rent, but ore which
would be unatIractive wide awake investors.
This opinion was largely based on The fact that
the cost Of operating the first buildings. which
were styled apartment houses and hotels, often
considerably higher than the income derived from
properties under the most careful and efficient
management. e.
EARLY STRUCTURES EXPENSIVE TO BUILD
Frs
The greatest item Of operating expenses was
not the total Of the salaries paid TO
employees, but the cost Of furnishing steam TO
run the elevators and heat the house, and addi-
fional power TO operate the electric light plant,
end. in some cases, an ice making plant for the
summer season. The future Of apartment house
building looked anything except bright IN this
period of experimental work in the construction
snd maintenance Of such buildings.
The apartment house. then, even in spite OF the
fact that many property owners found at the end
OF each year that they had lost large sums of
money by holding such properties. only
slightly attractive structure than the mod
ern fathouse Of the present day. IT truly looked
If the advocates OF apartment house building
would have make a quick fright about face
and vacate the slluring residential districts 10
projectors Of improved flathouses and builders of
one and two family dwelling houses But the
public demanded that apartment houses be
built, and various persons who had been occupants
of some Of the original houses offered suggestions
es to how the buildings could be improved
better suit the needs of the tenants.
SERVANT QUESTION CHANGED REALTY
SITUATION.
Some Of the students of apartment house build
ing of those days somewhat perpieXed TO
discern why the popularity OF such structures
showed signs of diminishing and why there
were evidences Of many shrewd operators planning
TO become identified with apartment house and
hotel operations The only plausible solution that
many experts who studied the situation then could
find for this increased popularity and growing
restlessness among big operators TO further apart
Inent house and hotel projects the inability of
many families OF means TO get faithful and eff
cient servants. without efficient servants, living
under the roof of the old type dwelling house
far from being a comfortable existence TO the
heads of large numbers of Hell-to-do families. who