rear or men lly occup ot so easy: eir occupans would sho average co il blocks : gwhat may represence rent, is as are usual d lot as f retired at y and certi ent rents par Courth to ca e ownership of st as an United other stocks is 000 in value each, is carried easily from the outset in permanent negotiable investments in this form. As soon as dwellings attain advancement in the course of erection, the ground rent becomes a security, and when completed and capable of occupation, a mortgage of one-third or more of the value is a negotiable security. The business machinery of these building operations is somewhat difficult to explain, though simple and easy in actual operation. The land is "taken up on ground rent," by the builder usually, who pays for the ground itself on ground rents or first mortgages, contracting to build the dwelling in a specific time, in order to make, or as the means of making, those obligations secure. The land-owner is relieved from taxes, and the value placed upon his land becomes a productive security, bearing six per cent. interest, payable semi-annually. If the owner furnishes the money to build with, called advances, he takes securities of the same class. The land constituting a square of 400 feet or more, between principal streets, may, as has before been explained, be capitalized in this way at say $75,000 to $100,000, to which, if advances are made, an equal amount is added, making $150,000 to $200,000 in ground rents or first mortgages, for 75 to 125 dwellings. The builder requires from one-fourth to one-third the total cost of the dwellings beyond this to enable him to finish them, and his share of the transaction is the value the whole may have above the ground rents or mortgages. To our own citizens all this is, of course, familiar, but it is an essential part of the single-house system, and capable of introduction in any and every other city. It must, in some form, be introduced, in order to unite the interests of the landowner, the capitalist who makes the advances in money, and the builder and final occupier of the dwelling built. When this is duly arranged, it will be found that the cost of the ground, even if large, is no obstruction to the introduction of the system. The necessity only is that this cost shall be capitalized in a way to enable the final occupier to carry it easily. It is also an essential point to afford time for the erection of dwellings, and to defer the commencement of interest on the several obligations a few months -three, four, or sometimes six months-in order to avoid obstructing the sale and occupation of the finished dwellings by accumulations of accrued interest. The first statement printed in the appendix gives the result of a survey, made as this paper is prepared, of a section of the city of Philadelphia, which fairly illustrates the single-house system as it exists here. The district stretches southward from the southern border, as built under the previous irregular systems, a mile in length by half a mile in width, two-thirds of it having been built up within five years. All the streets in this area are represented, and all the dwellings are classified. Factories and shops not used in any part as dwellings are not counted, but buildings used at the lower story front as stores or shops are counted, if also used as dwellings. As there would be 5,000 dwellings on this area if all the spaces were built up, it may be fairly assumed that a square mile would afford 8,000 to 10,000 dwellings under this system, yet still be conspicuously open and well ventilated, with no street less than thirty feet in width. Of these 4,252 dwellings, residents of general acquaintance with the facts estimate that two-thirds are owned by those who reside in them-in some localities, a half; in others as high as four-fifths. This very important fact has been verified by many visitors to the district during the past year. On the west of Broad street in the south-western part of the city a very much larger district is built up in a similar manner, affording fully 6,000 dwellings of this class. In the northern sections of the city, there are still larger areas built up in the same manner, the northwestern districts being built up with three-story dwellings chiefly, but on the north and northeastern border the predominating form is of two-stories. All are brick or stone; none in any case being of wood. In conclusion, it is proper to say that much more of explanation and elucidation is due the subject than is possible in this paper. It should be shown how the details of building are carried on; how the space is divided in dwellings of the various classes, and in what way further improvements are possible to be attained. The system cannot assume to be developed in all its beneficial relations, but it is remarkable that so much should be attained by efforts not directed in any especial degree to other than the usual objects of ousiness. It is often the subject of severe criticism that building operations of this class are undertaken by persons of insufficient skill, or of little capital; yet the remarkable feature is, that after much preliminary failure they are always made complete in the end. system as the souther ms, a mile ng been b represent hops not s used at I shall be amply rewarded if this peculiar feature of building progress and its striking social benefits receive the attention of thoughtful and benevolent men, who may see their way to apply and improve upon them in other cities. LORIN BLODGET. APPENDIX. also used a the spa emile wo t still be o ss than thi intance w se who re as four-fif visitors to t part of the c anner, affor n sections of me manner, th story dwelling predominat one in any case of explanatica in this paper e carried on classes, and attained. T ficial relations by efforts at sual objects ng operations nt skill, or d much prai BUILDINGS ERECTED AND OCCUPIED WITHIN TEN YEARS, REPRESENTING THE 17 23 23 17 14 31 O 19 13 8 +6000 1630 +0000 COMMON 24 34 4 10 3 15 2 13 19 19 18 40 10 12 I 13 21 478173025 O I I ONONONO000000000000 In all, 4,252, of which 87 are vacant and finished, or 2 per cent. only-132, vacant and unfinished. STATISTICAL SUMMARY OF THE TENANT-HOUSES AND CELLARS, AND THE DIS- Third. Fifth...... Sixth.............. Eighth Ninth Tenth...... Eleventh.... 250 2,181 82 8,564 344+ 54 486 498 310 534 1,248 246 Thirteenth. Fourteenth. Fifteenth....... Sixteenth.. Seventeenth........ Eighteenth Nineteenth..... Twentieth 1,162 Twenty-First....... 1,026 ..... Twenty-Second.. 996 7.714 72 346 17,597 151 4,473 This table presents the Statistics of Tenant-Houses, as reported by the Sanitary Inspectors of the Council of Hygiene, and verified in a recent inspection by the Metropolitan Police. The total number of tenant-houses, none of which contain less than three families, * Unfinished. |