New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-27
City and Suburban Homes
Co. Successful in Build
ing Achievements
Scope of Its Work
II Strives to Make Tenements
Real and Permanent Home
for Occupants

Over eleven thousand persons live in
the large modal tenement properties in
Manhattan of tbs City and Suburban
Homes Company, Of which Allan Rob-
inson is president. The company also
owns and manages in Manhattan a
working girls home, and in Home
wood, Brooklyn, has $50 one family
houses.
1t was organized in 1896 TO supply
wage earners with improved, whole
some houses at moderate rates and
rentals
"This company is sowing one Of the
greatest social problems" says a we'll
known man, "by making tenements real
and permanent homes for their occu-
pants and creating good citizens by
maintaining a standard of self-respect
and self-control in furnishing them
with clean and sanitary quarters and
with neighbors who are self-respect-
ing"
Among those identified with this
housing project besides Allan Robinson
are Isaac n. Seligman, r. Fulton Gut
ting, Adrian Iselin, jr., Ogden Mills,
Alfred T. White, Frederick Gilbert
Bourne. Joseph S. Auerbach and others,
who believe that with the owners OF
property more than with the city
authorities rests the responsibility of
making good citizens of the tenement
population; this, too, without great
reduction Of income on the money in
vested in maintaining tenement prop
critics.
Regarding the work of the company
Mr.. Robinson says: Attached 70 the
privilege of real estate ownership are
certain duties not discharged by the
mere payment of taxes. One OF these
duties is TO operate property so that it
is not nuisance or a detriment to the
community. but positive contribution
to its social life.
"This duty applies with great force
to tenements where large population
resides, whose physical and moral WELL
being is an important consideration
from the point of view of the general
good. The municipality recognizes the
Importance of training its citizens by
furnishing them with schools and
Libraries, and it enacts laws to bring
about the erection of good tenements;
but the erection of good tenements
does little to improve conditions un-
less the househousekeeping is properly
conducted by the owners.
No Race Riots Now on Hill
"Thc effects Of our methods of man.
agement are not confined to the four
walls of our own buildings. but extend
over a considerable portion OF the i'm
mediate vicinity and affect thousands
Of people who never come under our
supervision. Race riots used to be Of
more or less frequent occurrence in
the negro quarter known as San Juan
Hill, but since 1910, when we opened
our negro tenement, the Hampton,
there has been no recurrence Of these
disturbances.
Moreover. according to the testi-
mony OF those who are familiar with
conditions. the character of the people
living in the vicinity of our First Ave
nue. property has changed in a marked
degree for the better since our great
block of tenements was erected there.
IL is inevitable that our methods Of
management and the living conditions
which we established in our own build
ings should have some effect upon
others, but | doubt If the founders Of
the company realized when they
planned the first tenement in 1896 how
far the circle of influence would ex-
tend itself and how many people would
be affected thereby.
Heavier Ownership Burdens
"The burdens of ownership of i'm
proved real estate in New York City
have been greater in the last twelve
months than in any similar period for
many years, yet, through the efforts
that have been put forward to develop
the company's resources and to ellmi-
nate waste from its management, this
Years excess in net earnings over divi-
dend requirements is more than three
times that of 1915. This is the result
Of centralizing all the administrative
functions of the company, by means
of which the president is kept in close
touch with all the company's activities
and has been able TO eliminate waste
and effect economies. such as IN the
purchase of supplies, coal consumption.
water charges and by modifying the
women workers who collect rents and
who have immediate charge Of all the
tenants and the mechanics"
A. rHtk c. RoutaIs