New-York tribune., 1909-01-16


property, proved by the committee in 1855, was
five times great the corporation reported Il
to the Senate committee. The report continued:
improvements on the Ieasehold property of Trinity
corporation generally cheap and poor, being
mostly the worst in the neishborhood. Below
Duane street however, the improvements are good.
or the original estate 3lS have been given away,
O5S sold. while the 69l remaining lots are estimate
TO be worth many times the value OF the original
The present value of Nos 1886 sE 13s s. 10 and 143 G
December. two months before the date OF , the re- re-
fixed upon these same lots the valuation OF N1Vy-
ground upon which sum the Hudson RiVeT
Railroad Company agreed TO pay.
The present value" Of No. 2.S Greenwich street
aotad Stt e. M TrorS lanes II Noe few days
received lot II ito. '@ai2 @ St,,,, Of 600 Gisl
The present value Of No. 52J Greenwich street
is estimated the report at $3.50 le The actual
sale 10 Matthias Clark. about week before the
report was, read Is proved to have brought the
nst :a Toqe en 0 sres s f2oW1s N6s 3 and ans IS
Wesev street nos is ard Is Barclay street No s.
Murray street and Nos IS and - Warren street
the evidence previous tho date of the report that
these nine lots had been leased by By ne ne cor
porati a aggregate valuation or s-y9.e"
LOAN AND MORTGAGE POLICY
In Speaking Of Tr!nity's policy OF giving loans
and mortgages 10 other churches the report said:
There are now sixty-six parishes incunbered with
these mortgages and accumulated lnieres. 70 TtT
gross amount Of nearly s9oooo. all held oy irlnlty
Church: and they can hardly be considered In any
othey light than az mortgages upon mar very mo- s
peudenCe which Il was one object OF tHe Ia" or
ISIS to secure The result has been that so far
tse s fe f iiGfee fhe Provisions Of the law Of M
securing the Independence OF TIE parishes. % seem en-
tended 20 facilitate endowments or land.
Trinity il appears. has never built any chuTch
for th Wording classes or in thosa parts OF the city
chiefly inhabited by them. The influence OF Trinity
succeeds in effectuaiIy preventing that growtn
which the law OF 1914 gave her new power in order
to promote There is 50 ,te interest TER IN tg te yssr
an average of hardly one in ten Of the corpora
twentv-three PERSONS voted for the twenty-five
wardens and vestrymen.
The wardens and vestrymen OF Trinity Church at
the time Of the investigation were Philip Reynolds
and Josiah Rhodes. wardens. and Daniel hutnett'
George Jefferds. William H Philips, Edward II.
Mercer Martin T. Bum. Moses Devoe. John Bogert
and Thomas Bell. vestrymen. W. T. Dunscombe
was controller.
st. JOHNS PARK.
In a letter from the vestry TO the Senate com
rnittee Trinity explained why St Johns Park had
been omitted from the report Of valuations The
letter said:
The vestry desire to make the following explana-
ton in regard to the nadvertent omission In their
by this Corporation their interest in 81 Johns
PARK, Hudson square Ihe ground colipre ptt
corporation of Trinity Church. as well as the lots
Srd of and bad bHn aid on out to the extent that it should
be and remain an ornamental square or PARK los
the common resort recreation and enjoyment of
the persons who might purchase might be or
hecome lessees of lots fronting toward the same.
and Of their families under suitable provisions @ ana
conditions for the support and maintenance OF such
square by such owners. Subsequently the church
sold all the lots fronting on the square excepting
only the land occupied by St Johns Chapel
and the parsonage adjoining the same; and on
Nav o. 1927 the church executed. with the adjoin-
ing owners declaration OF ] trust oy w I,Sm ad Ws yo
ever hold and stand seized Of the square: upon
trust 70 preserve and continue the same forever
hereafter a private ornamental park or square
for the common resort and recreation OF al t me
adjoining owners and that all taxes. assessments
and charges upon the same should be paid by them
the church always to pay It's part OF all expenses
in proportion to it's ownership OF adjacent land.
II was also agreed that only vote OF two-thirds
Of all the property owners fronting on the square
INTENTIONS OF TRINITY.
The intentions of Trinity In regard to St Johns
Park now occupied by a freight yard. were shown
IN an address by Mr. Wadsworth. of the cor
poration's defenders in the Legislature of 1859 Mr.
Wadsworth speaking of those who had applied for
a change in the law Of 1914. said
Again we trace the work Of these reformers In
attempting TO purchase St Johns Park. In the
where the ringing laughter ana noisy gambois OF
childhood go O through the HvelOng day; where.
through sequestered walks the sober matron ana
maiden can in summer see IN the Woe
spread of foliage above the kindly bepehcence OF
overruling providence. and in winter, through
without obstruction, upward to tFe dwelling place
faw speculators thought this a good place for
ou what terms Il could be purchased. Trinity met
tber-not to drive bargain. but to drive them
beVe heard so niuch. It hut a courteous method
Of notwithstanding a selfish proposition.