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Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 96, no. 2475: Articles]: August 21, 1915

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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.