Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 88, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1907 — American Landlordism Curbed. [ARTICLE]

American Landlordism Curbed.

The village of Rhlnebeck, N. Y., neat Foughkeepsie, has drawn attention to a certain tendency toward landlordism on the part of the wealthy idle class In America by taking action to limit tht private estate of John Jacob Astor. A»tor’s estate, which already comprises 2,500 acres and touches the village boundary on two sides, was abou. to be extended by the purchase of another larg* farm, when a wealthy resident of the town bough) the farm, the avowed purpose of checking the further extension of Astor’s property. The purchaser has formed a home-building syndicate, with the intention of placing the contested tract of 360 acres at the disposal of small homeseekers, part of it to be reserved for public use. In the last few years Mr. Astor has destroyed at least twenty-five dwelling houses, has exterminated ons village, and disposed of several public in stltutions, in order to create an extensive private park, or hunting gronnd. The property is known and Astor’s intention is to extend It to 10,000 acres. Much of the land bought up now lies undsed, awaiting the perfection of the larger scheme, thus tending to restrict the increase of taxable land value*.