September 22,  1917





RECORD   AND   GUIDE





361





FEDERAL   MORATORIUM    ON   RENTS

Question Needs Mature Consideration
—Hasty  Legislation  To  Be Avoided





By LAURENCE McGUIRE





THERE was actively agitated during
the special session of the State Leg¬
islature the enactment of a moratorium
on real estate mortgages. The proposal
brought forth considerable opposition.
The question, however, it would seem,
might well be held in abeyance for the
time being, and those owning and inter¬
ested in real property concentrate on the
proposed Federal moratorium, having for
its purpose the protection of sailors and
soldiers who are actively in the service.

We are at war and every patriotic citi¬
zen of this nation will, I am positive, favor
the enactment of any legislation that will
justly and fairly protect the property
rights of those who are about to risk
their lives in the country's defense.

Recently there has been much of what
is commonly called hasty legislation. The
enactment of a moratorium at this time
will require the most expert and mature
thought.

To place a moratorium on rents and at
the same time not on mortgages would
be unfair and unjust. If the soldiers' and
sailors' property rights are to be protect¬
ed, the man obligated by law to protect
him should also be considered.

It is difficult to conceive the formula¬





tion of any moratorium of other than a
general nature which would not ultimate¬
ly visit great hardship and possible injus¬
tice on certain classes. One, I believe,
may feel reasonably certain that Congress
will not enact any form of moratorium
that is not fair and just to all. We should,
at this time, be very willing to make every
reasonable sacrifice to win the fight which
we are in, the greatest in the history of
the world.

While Congress has the power to make
laws, some of which, because of existing
conditions, must of necessity be drastic,
nevertheless it is fair to believe that in
any form of moratorium adopted by Con¬
gress the rights of all will be fairly and
justly considered and there will be no
discrimination.

Nothing can possibly be gained by
speculating at this time as to the form and
character of moratorium to be enacted,
but it does, however, behoove all inter¬
ested, and particularly owners of real
estate, to follow carefully the trend of
thought in Washington and to be pre¬
pared and ready to act when the proposed
bill  is  submitted.

There is nothing at this time, in my
judgment, to cause property owners un¬
due alarm.





LARGE COMPANY FORMED.





ACTIVITIES   EXPANDED.





Will Do National and Foreign Engineer¬
ing   Work   of   Every  Kind.

ABOUT two weeks ago the Hedden,
Pearson, Starrett Corporation was
incorporated under the laws of the State
of Delaware for the purpose of acting
as consulting engineers, contractors for
engineering work, contractors for opera¬
tion, purchasing agents and representa¬
tives of foreign corporations in the fol¬
lowing industries: Steam and electric
railways, tramways, highways, bridges,
canals, hydro-electric power plants,
steam power plants, submarine dredg¬
ing and rock work, shipbuilding, mining,
docks and waterfront improvements,
building construction, chemical works,
electrical equipments, water works,
street lighting, telephone systems, etc.

The following is a selected list of en¬
gineering work and building construc¬
tion, with which the personnel of the
corporation has been identified, as prin¬
cipals :

Metropolitan Life Insurance Com¬
pany's building, Madison Square, Man¬
hattan; Sears, Roebuck & Company's
building, Chicago, Illinois; Electrical
Development and Power House, To¬
ronto, Canada; Rio de Janeiro Tram¬
ways Light & Power plant, Rio de Ja¬
neiro, Brazil; Hotel St. Regis, Fifth
avenue, New York; Hotel Taft, New
Haven, Conn.; San Antonio Land & Ir¬
rigation Company's plant, San Antonio,
Texas; Mexico Northwestern Railroad,
El Paso, Texas; Metropolitan Street
Railway, New York; Prudential Life In¬
surance Company's building, Newark, N.
J.; Union Railroad station, Columbus,
Ohio; Oakland National Bank, Oakland,
Cal.; Barcelona Traction & Light &
Power plant, Barcelona, Spain; W^est
End street railway system, Boston,
Mass.; Dominion Coal Company's plant,
Nova Scotia, Canada; Union railroad
station, Washington, D. C.; W^anamaker
buildings. New York and Philadelphia,
Pa.; Sao Paulo Tramway & Light &
Power plant, Sao Paulo, Brazil; New
England Gas & Coke plant, Everett,
Mass.; Union Bank of Canada, Winni¬
peg, Canada, and Merchants Refrigera¬
tor Company's plant, Jersey City, N. J.

William H. Burr, D. Sc, is the direc¬
tor and has been tendered the presi¬
dency of the company. The vice-presi¬
dents are: Louis O. Hedden, Ward E.
Pearson, Theodore Starrett, Edward H.
Beckert and John V. Clermont. Harry
J. Kane is the treasurer, and V. A. Van
Valkenburg, secretary.





Queens Chamber of Commerce Broadens
Scope   of  Traffic   Bureau.

GEORGE J. RYAN, President of the
Queens Chamber of Commerce, an¬
nounced that plans have been complet¬
ed for broadening the scope of the work
of the Chamber's Traffic Bureau, which
v.'as started a year ago. Hundreds of
manufacturers who feel they cannot af¬
ford to establish traffic departments of
their own can secure expert advice
through the Traffic Bureau of the Cham¬
ber on all matters concerning rates,
routes, classification of their products,
tracing of shipments and rulings of the
Interstate   Commerce   Commission.





This is not a new move on the part
of the Chamber, as it has operated the
Traffic Bureau for more than a year,
but the scope of its service has now
been expanded. Instead of a single traf¬
fic man as manager, two men have been
employed, Charles S. Allen, as Traffic
Commissioner, and P. W. Moore, as
manager  of  the  Traffic   Bureau.

Mr. Allen will handle the larger ques¬
tions, which require representation be¬
fore the Interstate Commerce Commis¬
sion and other regulatory bodies. Mr.
Moore, who has taken the place of E.
H. Best as Traffic Manager, will be re¬
sponsible for the details and deal di¬
rectly with the manufacturers in solv¬
ing  their  everyday  traffic  problems.

Mr. Allen was associated with the In¬
terstate Commerce Commission for a
number of years, his duties taking him
to all parts of the United States. He
has also been connected with the Traf¬
fic Departments of the Southern Rail¬
way, Seaboard Air Line, Chesapeake &
Ohio Railroad. For the past several
years, he has been engaged in private
transportation practice in New York
City.

Mr. Moore, manager of the Traffic
Bureau, was formerly with the Mer¬
chants' and Miners' line as chief rate
clerk and was in charge of the issuance
of all their tariffs for ten years.

Two important transportation matters
that are of vital interest to every in¬
dustry located in Queens and to all in¬
terests of the Borough, are, first, the
restoration of free lighterage on New¬
town Creek by the Central Railroad of
New Jersey, which filed its tariff a year
ago eliminating this facility which has
been in existence for over 25 years.

The second is the securing of through
rates between the New Haven Railroad
and the Long Island Railroad, similar
to those now in effect by all other trunk
lines entering New York City. It is
estimated that the establishment of such
new rates by the New Haven, which
would absorb the local charge of the
Long Island Railroad as far as Jamaica
and Flushing, would save the shippers
of  Queens  $250,000  annually.





Increased Passenger Rates.

The Public Service Commission will
shortly decide upon the proposal ad¬
vanced by the Long Island Railroad
Company for an increase in its passen¬
ger tariff rates.





NEW   YORK   BUILDING   MANAGERS

HOLD   REGULAR   MONTHLY   MEETING





THE regular monthly meeting of the
New York Building Managers' Asso¬
ciation was held on September 11, in the
Public Service room. Equitable Building,
120 Broadway.

The Legislative Committee reported
that a hearing was held before the Board
of Standards and Appeals, on the matter
of revolving doors being allowed as exits,
and that the rules as published in the
bulletin of the Board, on August 30, were
adopted with few changes. The bulletin
is on file with the secretary of the asso¬
ciation.

Arthur C. Bang, Chairman of the De¬
partment Orders Committee, reported
that Tenement House Commissioner
Murphy had about made up his mind to
refuse permission for coal to be stored
in the yards of tenement or apartment
houses. Mr. Murphy has been somewhat
influenced by a statement made to him
by the Merchants' Association, that the
coal situation is not bad. The opinion
of the members of the New York Build¬
ing Managers' Association, as published
in the Record and Guide, is that the coal
situation is not at all good. The prices
are high, and deliveries are poor. ^ It is
suggested that the committee write to
the Merchants' Association to get a fuller
expression of opinion about this matter.
There is still a possibility that Commis¬
sioner Murphy may change his mind.

The Employees Committee reports
that the situation regarding the obtaining
and keeping of help in buildings is still
most unsatisfactory. The _ suggestion
was made that efforts be again employed





toward the fixing of a maximum wage
scale for employees in the various kinds
of buildings, or that a yearly bonus of IC
per cent, be adopted. It is also suggested
that, wherever possible, a scale of wages
paid in different buildings be posted in
various buildings under the management
of the association. The idea is to pre¬
vent misinformation among employees
as to the wages paid in other structures.

It is also suggested that, particularly
in the case of w^omen cleaners, it is often
found possible to reduce the number of
employees and increase the work each
one does, making a proper compensation
therefor. Clarence T. Coley reported that
he formerly employed 264 women clean¬
ers in the Equitable Building, but adopted
the system of having two women do three
women's work, and increase the wages
of these women accordingly. He stated
that he is now operating the building with
a force of 224 women, and the work is
being done satisfactorily with no total
increase in cost. It is suggested that those
who have communications to make re¬
garding the employees' situation, should
communicate with Mr. W^illiam R. Hpop-
er, chairman of the Employees Com¬
mittee.

The next meeting of the association
will be held on the evening of Tuesday,
October 9. It has been suggested that
elevators be the main topic for general
discussion at this meeting, and it is likely
that an elevator expert will address the
association. William Lightpipe will tell
the association members about the Na¬
tional Convention of Building Owners
and Managers, held recently at Omaha.





RKCORD   AND   GUIDE   TS   fS   ITS   FIFTIETH   YEAR    OF   CONTINUOUS    PUBLICATION.