Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-02

tents. There never has been a time in the
past 80 years when the income from the
Randall estate has not exceeded In
amount the requirements of thrice as
many inmates as Snug Harbor has ever
known. The excess has gone in the cree.
ton of buildings and the making of inn
provements until the end in this direction
has been reached. If the Randall lands
had been developed along the lines which
have been followed by the Astor, Goelet,
Vanderbilt and other large estates, the
income of Snug Harbor would be terrify-
ing, But despite the incubus of the Eng
lsh system of ground rentals or land
lease-holds which was implanted in this
country in the colonial days, and under
which the Randall estate has been adj
minstered, the unearned increment has
piled up.
Five years ago the trustees awakened
to the necessity of recognizing modern
demands. There was a threat too, that
an appeal would be made to the Legis-
lature for relief. They We're confronted
by the dilemma of either erecting modern
buildings on their own account or seeing
the tenants of the property move else
where. Tenants have ever been 10th, and
are more so now than at any other time.
to put up expensive buildings for SO
short term as q years, facing an In
crease of per cent on the increased
valuations of the property at the end of
that time in order to renew their leases
for 81 years more.
In order to induce the SWanamaker
stores to remain on the Mimic farm and
give the influence of their business and
their improvements to surrounding prop
i ia
ter into a 90-year lease. The lease of the
block bounded by Eighth and Ninth
streets, Broadway and Fourth avenue,
upon which the Wanamaker annex has
been erected, began in 1910 to run for si
years. The total net rent accruing to
Snug Harbor for that period will be
50, 600 O00 This may sound big, but, on
the whole the Randall property is pro-
ducing on an average less than per
cent. and in a great many instances less
than 2 per cent on appraised valuations.
Under the terms of the trust, which is
in ''perpetuity," the trustees may not
sell any of the lands. The resources OF
Snug Harbor are insufficient to improve
them on n scale To meet the present nee
essities of business and congestion.
Tenants themselves will not improve
land which may be snatched away from
them by prohibitive values in the course
of q or ~ years. They will not build
that rich institution may grow bigger.
So the trustees hope that the courts will
discover a way for them to sch parts OF
the property to improve other parts.
Since the gates of Snug Harbor were
opened about 60o0 sailors have been adj
mitted Nine hundred is the average ac-
commodation of the institution, and of
these about a third are usually confined
to the hospital. The average annual
death rate is about 60. Under the rules
which have been established, an inmate,
| if he be an American, must have served
at least five years under the flag in the
merchant marine. An inmate not native
born must have served not less than 10
years under the flag. Besides this SER
vice qualification, age or broken health
must have incapacitated inmates from
further sea service.
With the American merchant marine
growing less each year and the require
ments mentioned holding good. the sup
ply of inmates is limited What will be-
come of Robert Richard Randalfs IN
creasing largess Pm. Y. Times.