August 21, 1915
RECORD AND GUIDE
327
A McKINLEY MEMORIAL.
J. H. Parker Company, of New York,
Obtains Contracts for Important
Operations.
Williaip McKinley's name and mem¬
ory will be perpetuated at his birthplace,
Niles, Ohio, by a beautiful and monu¬
mental edifice, for the erection of which
a general contract was recently awarded
to the John H. Parker Company, 315
Fourth avenue, Manhattan. This struc¬
ture is to be built under the jurisdiction
of the McKinley Birthplace Memorial
Association, which is composed of J. G.
Butler, Jr., chairman; W. A. Thomas,
C. S. Thomas, A. J. Bentley, J. N. Bald¬
win and W. H. Stevens.
McKim, Mead & White, architects, 101
Park avenue, prepared the plans and
specifications for this building, which,
when completed, will cost in the neigh¬
borhood of $300,000. The plans call for
a structure 238 feet long, 136 feet wide
and 38 feet high. The exterior will be
of silver gray Georgia marble, quarried
by the Blue Ridge Marble Company, of
Nelson, Georgia. This material has been
used in the construction of some of the
most notable buildings in this country,
among which are the Art Museum in
Cleveland, Corcoran Art Gallery, and
Pan-American Building, Washington,
D. C.
The Court of Honor in the center of
It has been the ultimate intention of the
owners at a future time to erect a build¬
ing which will be more in keeping with
the growth of the locality; but at the
offices of the Oceanic Investing Com¬
pany, last week, it was stated that there
was no positive plans yet determined for
improving the site. The property is the
corner formerly occupied by the Colum¬
bia Bank and the American Safe Deposit
Company and was acquired by Felix
Isman in 1906. In 1911 he sold it to a
syndicate headed by Edwin Wolf, of
Philadelphia, and the present seven-
story building was erected. In Decem¬
ber, 1913, the property was purchased by
the Oceanic Investing Company, com¬
posed of Albert E. Thorne, George I.
Nichols and Albert G. Milbank, and they
leased the property for fifteen years to
a syndicate composed of some of the
former owners. The Oceanic Company
later acquired part of the property cov¬
ered by the new Rogers Peet Building,
at the northeast corner of Fifth avenue
and 41st street. The development of this
corner will be watched with exceeding
interest.
MUTUAL LIABILITY INSURANCE.
Architect for Riverside Drive Apartment.
Gaetan Ajello, 1 West 34th street,
was retained this week to prepare plans
for a thirteen-story apartment house of
the highest type of construction, to be
erected at the northeast corner of Riv-
A Dividend of 20 Per Cent, to Policy¬
holders and 25 Per Cent. Carried
Over for Surplus.
A very creditable record has been
made by the Metropolitan Mutual Lia¬
bility Insurance Company of New York,
which was organized to provide employ¬
ers' liability and workmen's compensa¬
tion insurance for the building trades at
cost price.
Although the company did not re¬
ceive its charter until June 17, 1914, it
included from the beginning some of
the largest and most substantial firms
in the subcontracting and supply manu¬
facturing lines.
The officers serve entirely without
compensation, and, no business being
accepted from brokers, the amount which
is usually expended for the procuring of
business is saved. These facts account
for the low ratio of expenses, which
were appro.ximately 20 per cent, of the
premium income during the past year.
The Losses.
By supplying the best available medi¬
cal attention to the injured employee,
the loss ratio has been reduced to about
28 per cent, of the premium income.
The prompt settlement of fair claims
and the prevention of avoidable acci¬
dents have been instrumental in estab-
J. H. Parker Co., Builder.
McKim, Mead & White, Architects.
PROPOSED McKINLBTY MEMORIAL AT NILES, OHIO.
the building will be supported by
twenty-eight monolithic columns, and
plans provide for the addition later of
busts and tablets to the memory of prom¬
inent early residents of the Mahoning
valley, and also to the memory of those
who contributed to the prosperity of the
local industries. The building will con¬
tain a public library and an auditorium
which will be used by the residents of
Niles and vicinity.
The main entrance of the Court of
Honor will be graced with a 12rfoot
statue of McKinley, on which J. Massey
Rhind, a well-known sculptor, is now at
work.
Active construction on the memorial
will start at once, and the building will
be completed in 1916. Arrangements
have been made for the laying of the
cornerstone this autumn, with Governor
Frank B. Willis of Ohio as the principal
speaker. Invitations will be extended to
President Wilson and ex-Presidents Taft
and Roosevelt.
Another important contract recently
obtained by the John H. Parker Com¬
pany is for the construction of the
$2,000,000 office building at Washington,
D. C, for the Department of the In¬
terior, from plans by J. A. Wetmore,
Supervising Architect of the U. S.
Treasury Department.
erside Drive and 108th street, by the
Anthony A. Paterno Construction Cor¬
poration, of which Anthony A. Paterno
is president and Joseph Paterno treas¬
urer. Operations will be undertaken
immediately. Plans for a similar im¬
provement of this type are also being
prepared by Mr. Ajello to be erected at
West End avenue, northwest corner 103d
street by Jos. Paterno. The thirteen-story
apartment house, which is now receiv¬
ing finishing touches, located at the
southwest corner of West End avenue
and 88th street, for Dr. Chas. V. Paterno,
is also from plans by the same architect.
New Riverside Drive Project.
Geo. Fred Pelham, 30 East 42d street,
has completed plans for a six-story
apartment house to be built at the south¬
west corner of Riverside Drive and
149th street, on a plot 100.7x138.6 feet.
The owner of the projected building is
the West Side Construction Co.. Jacob
Axelrod, president. The cost is esti¬
mated at $200,000,
Plans for Fifth Avenue Building Still
Undetermined.
The announcement during the week of
the improvement of the plot at the
southeast corner of Fifth avenue and
42d street with a tall business structure
is still in a very preliminary stage. It
has been rumored in building circles for
some months past that there-was like¬
lihood of a twenty-story structure being
erected covering the entire plot which
measures 73.4 feet on Fifth avenue and
100 feet in 42d street, now occupied by a
seven-story store and oflfice structure,
which was erected about five years ago.
World's Largest Marble Building.
Construction work on the new $5,000,-
0(K) Field Museum of Natural History,
which is to be built on Chicago's lake
front, has been started. More than three
thousand men will be employed in the
work. It will be the largest marble
building in the world, comprisin.g three
stories and basement, over an area of
700 by 350 feet. The late Marshall Field
gave $9,500,000 for the building and en¬
dowment fund. Norcross Bros. Co., of
New York and Worcester, Mass., has
the building contract, and the material
employed will be Georgia marble.
—Were the population of Greater New
York evenly distributed it has been esti¬
mated that there would be sufficient
room to accommodate twenty-five mil¬
lion people.
lishing the most cordial relations be¬
tween employee and employer. All ex¬
cess hazards have been reinsured, and
in this way the absolute safety of the
company is guaranteed.
A dividend of 20 per cent, has just
been paid in cash to policyholders, and
this has been done notwithstanding the
fact that the rates have been reduced
by more than 20 per cent, on the aver¬
age by merit ratings. In addition there¬
to, the company carries over into this
year about 25 per cent, of the premiums
received during the past year as a gen¬
eral surplus.
Taking into consideration that the
number of policyholders has been more
than doubled, and the premium income
increased by 40 per cent, or over since
May 1, 1915, the prospects for the com¬
ing year for this company appear to be
excellent.
The Directors.
The directors of this company are:
Benjamin D. Traitel, of the Traitel
Marble Company; Edward B. Brooks, of
Bramhall. Deane & Co.; Chas. C. Alex¬
ander, of Alexander & Reid; Richard
Moller, of Sloane & Moller: Chas. F.
Sanford, of Lieberman & Sanford; Rich¬
ard Foelsch, of Voska, Foelsch & Sidlo;
Herman Plaut, of L. Plant & Co.; Wil¬
liam Schlichter, of P. M. & W. Schlich¬
ter: Avon C. Burnham, of Black & Boyd
Mfg. Co.; Herbert W. Heyer, of William
Jackson Company; Herman Petri, ot
Herman Petri, Inc.; James Gamble
Rogers, architect: E. W. Holland, the
Horn-Holland Company: Frank Wil¬
liams, painter and decorator; Ferdinand
Alexander, of C. W. Klappert's Sons,
Inc.; David G. Morrison, marble cutters
and polishers.
The officers are: Benjamin D. Traitel,
president; Richard Moller, vice-presi¬
dent; Avon C. Burnham, treasurer; Ed¬
ward B. Brooks, secretary: Herbert W.
Heyer, assistant secretary; Lee J. Wolfe,
actuary.