New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-04
SAGE SUBURB DESIGNED
AS IDEAL HOME PLACE
Manager of Forest Hills Project
Says Purchasers Will Save
Speculative Realty Profits.
BEAUTY AND DURABILITY AIM
Colony Not Charitable Enter
prise and Will Not Be Within
Reach of Small Wage
Farmers.


organized q short time ago to develop in
a manner at once aesthetic and COM
mercially feasible the property owned by
the Russell Sage Foundation at Forest
Hills. Long Island. gave out yesterday the
first official statement Of its policy through
John NJ Glenn vlCe-president OF the COM
pany and general director of the Sage
Foundation Mr. Glenn points out that
the undertaking was in no way charitable
one, but was an experiment to test the
proposition tina, suburb may he built not
only to satisfy the owners with profits. but
also to please tho tenants in the way OF
economies and agreeable surroundings
The trustees Of the foundation, Mr. Glenn
explains. wished 70 build suburb that
would combine beauty In the arrangement
Of grounds with attractiveness and per
,nanAncy in building He said the pans
called for an expenditure Of H,W@o". me
maintenance Of the work Of the founoat'on
required that its capital be kept IN
diminished. hence this scheme. like all other
Investments. would have TO Weld a good
business rroft ANY other basis of action
would mean merely 10 give charitable aid
TO the individuals who might occupy tho
propertv. a policy. says Mr.. Glenn, which
would be vicious and demoraizing' and
contrary to the principles Of the tonhoa
ton His statement adds
With these aims in view the trustees OF
the founda ton bought traCt OF epou'
40 acres and organized disllIlct ~
poration. the Sage Foundation Homes
Companv TO hold and develop the lanu.
The foundation has loaned the compah!
the necessary capital for laying out the
g.F
maintenance Of a proper force ana EQUIP
ment and for other Incidental purposes
In what respects will this company oIfer
it's clients something better than can ps
had for the same money in other hleh
grade suburbs? It might offer lots ana
houses at prices less than cost, 10 pfoNide
for a few people with very small incomes
much better housing than they coulu mn =.
elsewhere Put that Is decidedly what II
will not do Such attempts to help
limited number OF persons hnanclahy are
nearsighted and tend TO keep back socla.
advance. Nothing could be less in harmony
with our views.
No Speculative Profits.
Neither will Forest Hills Gardens he a
suburb for laboring people with smal
wages Possibly the company or tle l0un-
dalton NAV see its way to establishing
such a suburb in the future. But II seemed
bes: that it should first test, and II pos,
sble prove, the feasibility or creating ana
marketing suburb combining Rstneuc
charm, economy OF management anu Coi"-
mercal marketabliity.
Mr.. Glenn remarks upon several advan-
tages which his company had over many
others engaged in suburban development.
In the first place It had at It's service
committee on development. including FRED
erick Law Olmsted. landscape designer
Grosvenor Atterbury, architect, and Will
lam F. Harmon and Edward II. Bouton'
real estate experts: each pre-eminent IN MS
speciality, according to Mr.. Glenn.
In the second place 1t did not have 10
oo into tho market TO borrow funds. the
foundation being ready TO advance money
,,,ben NODDED. and not being compelled to
have an immediate interest return. AGAIN
it could afford to take time to study the
manning of the land and buildings anu Tue
economical selection of materials slhce II
WAS not looking for undue specuiatiNe
nroft 1t could give buyers a falr ldea
NJ tho appearance of their property Wheh
finished through its ability to complete III
odvance Of building large share or the
street construction and of the landscape
work.
The statement adds:
The visitor finds on arrival by iIain
beautiful station, approached by stalr"ayS
Iotwaen hanks covered with shrubs anu
vines Looking out from the station ne
sees a large open square, surrounueu ps
oDartment houses four and hNe stories III
height, with two polygonal towers rlslns
above them and all joined toSetner u!
bridees These buildings are wholly hre-
proof. of steel and reinforced cohcrele
construction, with varied BRICK ana stuoCo
facinps and tile covered ROOFS. Inc
ground floors of the buildings contain
stores and "A restaurant. station square
nresents a uniquely attractive comDlha-
tIon of entrance, open space and business
Further along appears the green,
large omen space bounded by roads ana
nlanted with a variety of trees ana Shrups.
on each side of this are rows or houses
well set back from the roads ana WIN
green spaces behind the houses ana az
zach end of the blocks Rows or groups
OF houses. built of terra Gotta hollow uIe'
with brick and stucco faclngs, are an I'M
nortant feature of the place. some arr
entirely fireproof, the rest semi-hreprool.
THE company aims to provide good houses
on comparativclv small lots, with ample
Iiqhf and air spaces. These houses VIII
not REQUIRE much repairing, nor VIII tney
have to he torn down in a few years ne
|ausl thev do not correspond 10 an IN
creased land value, conditions winch arse
in similar localities where detached lrdine
houses predominant.