The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-04
|CITY'S OFFICE
BUILDING i
AT LOW COST
Borough President Marks Establishes
Record That Compares Well With
Privately Owned Structures

structure that he might civ, me 90,
tho business administratlor ne PROMISED
Like many other men wlo dil .u' kroy
tho trials and difficulties of the success
full building expert. Mr.. MARKS though,
that the management OF the Mu'ic..,I
Building could he acCompl she'd hy IN
same methods he pursued la h,, BUS.
ness.
Sound business methods would pro.
duce results. but he soon discovered THAT
linked with sound business .., El
to be n special knowledpr vh,n atI
mover been his. without this kunw,oire
the cost OF running Father kulcker.
booker's acres OF Office building would
have reached proportions that taxpayers
could not help but notice.
Past performances have taught New
Workers. that municipal operation IL fa-
from cheap. 40 that II was a question
what Il would cost to run tho h'g Office
building which had been built ut A cos,
to the taxpayers OF about 81. 900. uoo
win the building IN oi"r,t'oH many
considered that the honey IN the sclen'e
was now to run to the unElv mouth,
of politicians who have been doprlyci
Of tribute elsewhere.
II there had been any les cue fY
fleece tho already much hurd"ro1 o.
these designs have been TIM 'r'"I Il
the knowledge which Borough l'rosI..'
Marks and his lieutcuants received i,r
building managers during 3D." early
months of the operation II the Nun Ip..
Building, which has been In use I,'I
a year and a half. Tho result ~ his
Information and study has been That 'lst
year twenty-nine acres of 'iour space
was cleaned at an average NJ llH Dou'.
a square foot About the best 'ha' Ht.
been done in thfs respect WAS q tu,
buildings OF the United States H''l.v
Company. where 3 cents q square foo;
was the cost.
T%wenty-nine acres OF space is an
,rea about four times tho size of Ci'y
Hall Park. That area is wls ID arl
scrubbed and busted and pol nod -
least once every day. An army
about 100 men cleaners and sevorli
women do this Arranged In SHIFTS, '1c'
begin at . o'clock In the morning ar'
keep NJ II until far IN tho night E1,f
man gets $500 n year for helping q;
keep Father Knickerbpckers big ha''
ing spotless. The eight hour avs Ni
Civil Service conditions control labor q
the big building. In other h~uill.Hsi
there are no such hamporiur olomrr't
and men and women are worked Longer
which influences in NJ small measure
the cost Of operation.
Tho cleaning area is divided Int se''
tons. Each area IL cared FOR .r D.
regular gang in charge VI q f''"~.I
who in turn is under Janltor Kur''rtr
A spirit of rivalry evtSts t"tw',. '.I
gangs as TO the appearance ~ t-'
sections. This Is an inuovatior Nj
Marks introduced, a scheme which Is
has found worked well in his prlvt't
business. n consequence IS mat
soldering" such "a all city emp'oy"'f
are credited with II mininl'zol he-'I.1
every cleaner Is his ~neighhor's monitor
and sees that he does his work.
The cleaners are the largest o. 'b4
operating force OF tho building. wh 'l
numbers 1928 and cost the city I,H.'
sis6.ls9. 20. Next in number .s o,-
vator men, There are ~fortv-fiVe ~ '''U
TO operate thirty-,wo cars. Tho, nI.
In shifts like the cleaners an1 dU. =
the day care FOR nearly lo,ooU .~.
ployees and visitors TO the hu.ld ~
To promote efficient running o' '"~
cars they are started by an elect. # o.
vice on the twenty-hf'h floor. Tbs .
chine sends two cars away "vcrv ''i'
seconds. There Is a telephone Dn Of r
who studies the movement uf ',
When grouped together W. 90
them 10 take no more passenger
The Woolworth Building i- 'E.
other structure whose e~l,N1'..- t
sta rted In twos.
To keep the elevators IH good ..-