Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-16
SKYSCRAPERS LOSE
MONEY FOR OWNERS
Buildings Built Too High in the
Air Do Not Pay Interest
On Money Invested.
EXPERT TALKS AT NOON

Iohn L. Lathrop of the department
OF city planning OF the American
City bureau New York, spoke at
noon before the Omaha Building
Owners and Managers association
Oh the proper heights OF buildings
need for public comfort stations and
the importance OF light and air Tor
apartment houses.
Mr.. Lathrop emphasized the neocs-
sity OF providing public comfort sta
lions at all times i'll ali cities; but es-
pccially the need which will be pres
: cnt in Omaha when the saloons shall
so ont under the prohibitory law.
The saloons have been the public
comfort stations for vast numbers OF
men in times past. When these sa-
looms have been closed, Omaha Ger
tainly must make provision. 1t seems
to me there should be something more
than public comfort stations to take
the place Of the saloons faculties
along these lines. There should III
addition be provided abundant social
ccntcrs where men who have been
accustomed to spend their leisure
hours in the drinking placcs-and |
am glad you are doing away with the
saloon-many have places in which
they may assemble, otherwise the re-
form begun by the prohibitory law
will be only half achieved, and you
will suffer a serious reaction which
will make enforcement OF the law dill
ilcult.'
Light and Air.
He dwet upon the importance Of
light and air for apartment houses AMI
for all dwelling places and business
establishments.
1T should not be necessary to en-
phasize this need of light and air as
essentials OF health. happiness, eff
cheney and morality"
Mr.. Lathrop urged limitation OF the
height OF buildings He pointed out
how American cities have neglected
to place such limitations; have per-
mtted the investment of hundreds of
millions of dollars i'll buildings which,
being built too high, are Improbable
to the owners and certainly arc I'M
profitable to society at large. He Pre-
scented some astonishing facts-not
theories, but cold, business facts He
said i'll part:
Skyscrapers Do Not Pay.
III high buildings would be prohta-
,,,,,,,,loro 4ho ,,,or1J thai, ,,-0,,1I
be in New York City, for there would
be found, if anywhere, an excuse for
going up in the air"
He astonished his listeners by tell
ing them that the New York sky
scrapers had not paid the owners a
profit and in most cases had been. AN
actual loss.
The world has wondered at the
massive, immensely high structures
which have made the New York
skyline the subject OF much COM
ment: yet these skyscrapers have not
paid the owners, and they have given
society problems unsolvable.
Three years ago a commission OF
business. professional and technical
men was named by the government
of New York City to inquire as to the
rock bottom facts relating to heights
OF buildings. They brought into the
commission consultation room the
officers OF the companies owning and
operating the skyscrapers, with their
books. This astounding fact was dis
closed-these world marvels had not
paid interest on the investments
Many of them had been dead losses
from ali investment standpoint. Two
per cent was found TO be a good re-
turn on the best while some did not
pay interest, upkeep, operation and
depreciation. They lost money actu-
ally.
why these surprising facts? There
is a normal height to build to which
is to reach the economic unit of going
up into the air Up to that economic
height buildings may be prohtable
above it they are losses. After you go
beyond that height every ton OF ma
tcrial elevated costs abnormally The
foundations are abnormally heavy and
expensive. Very high buildings must
be wind-braced. and that is vastly ex-
pcnsiNe. Operating the extremely
hlgn Du'ld1nSS IS dDnOrIlldliE cosby.
In the abnormaly high structures
an immense amount of the hrst-hoor
space must be devoted to elevators.
The corridors must be extra wide. So
that the most valuable-the ground
floor is nonproductive to large
extent. SO soon as you rise above the
ground floor, rental values drop in
most instances so per cent. You may
rent space on the floors above the
ground at Sis square foot year,
in which the ground-hoor space