New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-09-10
HIGH Rents.

There j, universal and Just complaint
of the enormous rate Of house rents in
this City. Especially is the evil felt by
laboring men, many one OF whom even
with fair wages finds an excessive proper
ton of his earnings consumed by the cost
of an insufficient tenement. To the pres
sure of this fact is mainly to be attributedthe
extraordinary spread of Building AssOcia-
tons which hold out the prospect of own
ing ones own house on the payment for
few years Of sum not much greater than
would be given for it. rent alone. This Is
an excellent object. and we trust II may be
extensively attained.
But we see no reason why the efforts of
working men should be confined TOT single
means IF escaping from high rents. Why
not carry further the principle of Comb
nation and apply funds obtained from Build
ING Associations or Otherwise. 80 that more
comfortable. convenient aud elegant tenc-
ments may be had for the same or even for
less money than under the ordinary plan
Of building The hint for new system
Of houses may be found in any large hotel
where suites OF room, are arranged FOR the
accommodation of entire fimile-. Why
should not working-mcn combine to build
houses essentially on the same method,
with broad ~tairwavs. and ample corridors,
and suites of rooms. including parlors. bed
rooms, kitchens, store rooms, baths gas.
and in short all that j, required for conye
MEN, dwellings In this way hodse-r)om
could be obtained for family Of five or ten
persons at much less cost, and with many
more conveniences than in any cottage that
could be built!
In Paris this system of building Is uni
vers,l. There people OF all classes live
thus in suites Of rooms, a in hotels. The
plan is also adopted in most parts Of the
continent. and also. rs we believe in The
cities of cotland. II would be surprising
that ii has no, been adopted here. were not
our slayish submission to usage and ashion
in all social habit, notorious. In Paris the
landlord rents the suites of rooms in his
house. lust a. here he rents the separate
house, in a block. A porter or FORTRESS
attends the door and takes care of the stair
ways. court yard, &c. This person occu-
pies room beside the entrance. ard. with
out leaving it, lets the terants in or out by
pulling cord which draws back the bolt Of
the door.
We believe he would be public bene-
factor who should introduce this system,
or some modified form of it, 10 this City.
for ii would enable many families whose
income is now eaten up by house rent, TO
make both ends meet and live in a much
more comfortable and happy way. But it
especially deserves the attention of those
who earnestly desire TO emancipate the
laboring classes f.om the pressure of hard
necessity and want. We are aware that
among the poorer of them especially, it Is
already customary for several families to-
gether to occupy single house. But the
difficulty is that such houses are never
properly built for the purpose. They are
erected on lanes in filthy quarters of the
town, are made simply to pack people 10
at higher rates of rent than sthers pay for
good houses. Consequently all, who pos
sibly can, avoid them. Wha. is wanted i:
a system of building which shall at once
afford cheap habitatiOns, and satisfy the