The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-05-02
Moving Day i'm New York.

is at an end.
Moving Day in New York.
The first Of May is an anniversary full of ter
rors for householders. "reminiscences of broken
penates, irate helpmeets, bad colds and rheu-
matte affections combine to render it as serious
an epoch with us as the Ides of March with the
Romans. What family has not associated with
it the memory Of some domestic calamity We
know Of scores who date all their physical
troubles from it.
Why the first of May should have been selected
for general moving we never could very
clearly understand. It seems just at the period
of the year when rain can be counted upon with
the most certainty. People, therefore, incur
great risk of having their mattresses soaked,
their damask coverings ruined, and the varnish
Of their furniture chilled, all for what merely
to time their Encouragement with that of their
neighbors. Some will say that it was the land
lords who fixed the custom; but we doubt it
1t more probably originated with the house.
holders themselves, from Its concurrence in
point Of time with the annual whitewashing,
painting and securing, which were 80 vigor-
ously practised by the old Knickerbockers.
What was proper for the period when domes-
tic arrangements were allowed to influence
materially those of business is, however, but i'll
adapted to them now that the practice Is
reversed, and that New York has be-
come . great metropolitan city. The
increase Of population has far outstripped the
increase Of house accommodation, and the
necessity ofmoving on fixed day consequently
Odds to the inconvenience occasioned by the
scarcity Of dwellings, The spectacle Of one
family moving in while another IL moving out
is very common one. To this serious obstacle
are not unAequently added disputes and pugi-
listic encounters between the cartmen of the
respective partiea We shall say nothing Of
the extravagant prices which the demand ON
this particular day enables these men, never
moderate, to extort from their helpless victims.
That is q matter Of municipal regulation, which,
like municipal regulations in general, has no
sensible motive to recommend it. Why, Of all
days in the year, when the enforcement Of the
city ordinance fixing their remuneration Is
most called for, the Common Council should
think it necessary to suspend II, Is beyond our
comprehension.
OF the influence on the public health Of this
general movement Of our city population We
have abundant evidence in the mortality re-
turns. There is no season in which q more
uniformly marked result, and that Of a most
unfavorable character, is to be observed than
in the week in which it occurs.
A
no doubt be hailed with very general satisfac-
ton both by landlords and tenants The in
convenience and loss to the former are be-
coming almost 40 great as 70 the latter.
II Q landlord does not succeed in letting his
house by the first Of May he has got to reduce
his pretensons considerably. This is occurring
In great number Of instances just now. We
do not, In fact, recollect period when SO many
householders were selling or storing their fur
niture to escape the extortionate rents asked.
Some people advocate the adoption Of the
plan Of letting which ID In practice in Rochester
and other provincial cities. In some, houses
are let by the month, and in others BY the
week, thus giving both landlord and tenant
the option Of terminating the agreement ct the
end Of either period. The effect 10, Of course, to
prevent the Inconvenience Of general moving
Of families. We own that We prefer the Eaglish
plan, which ignores any fixed date for the
commencement Of lease other than any one
Of the four quarter daya In London people
take houses in the August quarter - frequently
- In the May one. Notwithstanding il i'm
mense and rapidly Increasing population, no
one finds difaculty In procuring house in
suitable situation in that city d almost any
season Of the year. The moving nuisance d
therefore reduced to the smallest amount Of
Inconvenience, and Is effected q tho smallest
possible cost This is the system which &s
should like to see adopted here II would put
IN end 70 the present inconvenisnt and absurd |
practice Of putting whole populstions{ 9th
their goods and chattels, into The streets a the
rainiest and most unhealthy season in the