New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14

Congratulations 10 Thomas Scow-
croft on getting the first report of the
sale Of the Billings property on Wash
ington Heights. He is one OF the
greatest editors who ever set foot on a
realty path.
It looks as il the tenant strike in
Tho Bronx will spread 10 Manhattan,
as there is certainly going to be big
advancement in fathouse rentals all
along the line.
Landlords are aware that thousands
Of families In ordinary circumstances
will suffer intensely, as these families
are now having a hard time to meet
their rent, clothe themselves decenty
and TO have enough food 20 keep them
selves alive. Harder times are right
ahead. The landlords would like 20
help these families, but they arc power
less. The cost of maintaining prop
erty. particularly fathouse, is much
higher than it was a few years ago; 1t
il going 10 continue soaring after the
war. when there will be a greater de-
mand for all kinds of building ma
tcrial. and skilled mechanics will be
paid very high wages. II hathouses
are not put on a paying basis they
soon get 10 the foreclosure market.
The foreclosure mill cannot be slowed
by the agOnies Of landlords overcome
by financial troubles. Neither does the
law permit tax collectors 10 show a
lenient hand 70 tax burdened landlords.
/ have never seen a tear shed in the
Nesev Street salesrooms, even IN the
busiest foreclosure days, when IN n
twinkle millions in equities have been
wiped out. But l have heard the walls
of sick mothers, thinly clad, at the
municipal courts arouse the sympathy
Of the judge and the spectators. /
loved the world more for this display
of kindness, and ! wondered why the
terrorizing distress that stalks in and
out Of the Nesey Street rooms IN the
form Of foreclosures never causes the
public TO feel sympathetic toward the
landlord. If a man loses a house by
foreclosure, he is rated as bad man
ager or q spendthrift or something
worse; if he Is a successful owner, he
is usually thought 70 be a grasping,
heartless sort Of man.
The emancipation OF landlords from
overtaxation may come soon as re-
suit of tenant strikes or the woes OF
tenants resulting from rising rents.
Oh, speed that day Of emancipation
Alfred II. Wagg, president OF the
Real Estate Association Of the State
of New York, says he expects the or
ganization Of the Realty Taxpayers
Council will be completed within ten
days.
There is a good market for private
dwellings in the West COS. Slawson
& Hobbs report 4 number Of such
leases.
The estate OF Eugene A. Hoffman has
a new tenant at 122 9th av., owing TO
the leasing by j. Samuels & Bros,
clothing, Of the third floor for term
Of years through NJ. & l.. Hess.
$40 Fifth Avenue, the apartment
house that replaced the old Progress
Club home, at the north corner Of ODD
81. and 9th av., has a rental list of ap-
proximately $4,000 a year The last
remaining typical apartment of twenty
rooms and five baths was rented last
week by Douglas l.. Gilman & Co. TO
o. A. Barnard.
The rents in this house range from
$4,000 to $4,000 a year. Among the
tenants are August Belmont, Alexan-
der S. Cochran. Robert Goelet, Mrs. $.
V. Hardness, G. X. G.. Billings, George
Arents and Harold /. Pratt Thirty
thousand dollars a year for an apart
ment house suite is the high record
figure. But we will soon have many
$4,000 a year suites at the rate and IN
the style we are building.
fur L. IA
busy last week IN filling up space IN
Gold ST., Barclay st and Church ST.
/. J. Tompkins placed last week VIII
son Bryant at 25i3 Amsterdam az.
Facades in the style Of the Italian
Renaissance will be features OF the
two apartment houses 10 be erected
from plans by Shampan & Shampan at
the northeast corner Of Clarendon Road
and East 23d St.. Brooklyn, for the
Lenord Realty Corporation. Other
features viii be linen and clothes clos
cts, broom closets, pedestal wash
basins, porcelain washtubs. white
enamel refrigerators and sanitary gar
bage closets. Building will be equipped
with electric light. gas and steam heat.
This enumeration of the conyeniences
of this building brings up the thought
again as 20 the causes OF expanding
rentals. In my boyhood home, in the
CITY of Churches. We didn't have broom
closets or a white enamelled refrigera-
tor or a sanitary garbage closet. These
things cost a pretty penny. Maybe this
ace really needs them and scores OF
more conveniences. but we must not
forget these things are dangers in a
too pampered age. First we should
strive to Give everybody non-burn-
ahle. aLrv. sun.hlny and sanltarv home,