o w ^ P 
Community Life in Tuxedo 
small plot, together with exclusive control of 
the lakes and the killing of game, to the I ux- 
edo Club. The key to the situation lay in a 
provision that no one could buy land from the 
Tuxedo Park Association until he had been 
elected a member of the Tuxedo Club, and 
this rule has remained in force ever since. If 
one wishes to become a Park resident, he goes 
to the managing director at Tuxedo, Mr. 
George Griswold, and selects a building site, 
for which he enters into a contract with the 
Park Association that a deed shall be given 
to him, upon part payment, at a certain date. 
its transfer to another owner, but no one has 
been foolish enough to buy at second hand 
unless assured of election to the club. I he 
valuation of land varies greatly, according to 
the size and location of the plot. In some 
parts of the Park it is verv costly, as many of 
the most desirable sites, particularly those 
along the eastern shore of the lake, have 
already been built upon. 
Property once acquired, the new member 
of this cooperative community quickly real¬ 
izes that he has become part of a wonder¬ 
fully ingenious administrative mechanism. 
WINTER CLUB HOUSE AND DAM 
In this preliminary contract, however, it is 
stipulated that before such date, the intend¬ 
ing buyer “be duly elected and qualified as a 
member of the Tuxedo Club,” or else the 
agreement shall be void, and all payments 
made under it shall be refunded. A com¬ 
mittee of the club considers the application 
to membership, and if the newcomer be 
deemed undesirable as a neighbor or asso¬ 
ciate, no action is taken. 
The club initiation fee is $200 and annual 
dues are $100. The land once sold, the Tux¬ 
edo Park Association does not formally forbid 
The Tuxedo Park Association collects from 
him a yearly maintenance tax, which, it is 
stipulated, shall not exceed one per cent, on 
“the fair value of the property.” For this it 
agrees to light and keep in order the roads in 
the Park, and to supply water to house and 
stables. 1 he Association maintains a police 
force of its own, a fire brigade and a sewerage 
system, none of which involves extra charges 
upon the resident. This tax, with club and 
other rentals, and sales of land, is the source 
of the Association’s income, and from it is 
saved the money for dividends on the capital 
63 
