1912–13 Volume 37 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

116 THE SCROLLquadrangle will have three sides, the open side toward Lake Michigan.The friendly spirit of the university authorities to fraternities isshown by their offer to assign to fraternity chapters three houses ineach quadrangle, the two end houses and the middle house, the otherfour to be occupied by non-fratemity students. The houses assignedto fraternities will be leased to them for ninety-nine years, and eachfraternity shall make a small annual payment, sufficient to cover thecost of the building in ninety-nine years, but if desired larger paymentsmay be made, so as to cancel the obligation earlier. A lowrate of interest, probably 41/2 percent, will be charged on the unpaidbalance, also a sum. sufficient to pay for necessary repairs. Whenthe payment^ of the principal are completed, ownership in the housewill vest in the fraternity.The style of exterior architecture of all of the houses must beuniform, but the interior plan of each house will be left to the discretionof the fraternity that contracts for it. The university willimpose no other restrictions on the management of these houses thanare now imposed on chapter houses, except that, in the event a, commonsis established, the university reserves the right to require fraternitymen to take meals in the commons.Excavations have been made for two quadrangles, and it is hopedthat fourteen houses will be ready for occupancy next fall. The advantageswhich this proposition offers to fraternities are important;1. No charge is made for the ground. 2. The cost of the housemay be paid in sums to suit each fraternity, so that the payment eachyear is not less than one-ninety-ninth of the cost. 3. The housebeing on university property, there will be no taxes. 4. The universityagrees to furnish heat and electricity, for cost, from the universityheating and lighting plants.Five fraternities have accepted the proposition and signed contracts.The only fraternities at Northwestern which now own theirhouses are * A ®, which owns a $12,000 house, and 2 N, which ownsa $7,000 house. The house of 4> A 0 is largely paid for, and it isexpected that the chapter's equity in the property can be sold formore than was paid for it. At the annual meeting of the IllinoisAlpha Chapter House Association, June 7, 1912, the proposition ofthe university was favored, and a committee was appointed and givenpower to dispose of the chapter's house and contract for a house onthe campus. This committee is composed of Harry Wesse, L. T.Wilson and Herbert Harker from the alumni, and H. L. Wilson andAnderson Aldrich from the active members.Northwestern's offer to fraternities is the most liberal that anyuniversity or college has ever made. $ A © chapter houses havebeen built on college grounds at Lafayette, Gettysburg, Dickinson,Pennsylvania State, Sewanee, Lombard ahd Stanford, and the site