The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-16
RAPID TRANSIT.
The improvement Necessity for the Moral
and Physical Health Of the City.
CROWDlNG MAGISTRATES CRIME.
Suburban Homes the Cure for Civ SouaIor
and Tenement House Vice.

During all the discussion that has been going on
for many mon tbs upon the subject OF rapid transit
the deoaters have passed carelessy by the TACT
that II the people OF New York are enabled to go
rapidly and at small cost from localities in the
lower to others in the upper section of the city
ana to places In the es'chester suburbs there
will be great change wrought in the aspect Of
the city and IN the general character OF the nab.
itations wherein the poorest people dwell 1t is
not to be expected that rapid transit railway
Will revolutlonize the condition OF the poor here
nor that 1t will be agent transferring New York
into Utopia. 1t will, however, do part OF that
work which the sanitary regulations OF the
Board Of Health cannot do enectaaly now,
and 1t will give Increased opportunity for
the introduction OF m)ral agencies among such
flth.oppressed and sodden.minded people as can
not at present be affected by them. II Will elabo-
rate the city OF New York into the shape oil an I'M.
mense fan, the ringing CT which may be repre-
sented hy the respectable dwellings OF modest
people OF small meaus artisans who now innabit
the wretched tenements wherein dirt Is constantly
gathering and disease, moral aud physical, Is in
evitaoy bred. Perhaps this Sketch is faulty with
too many pen strokes; still, II conveys at least
half truth.
IT, Is needless 10 picture the condition or the
people who forced to dwell IN the squad
tenements that dlsfgare parts OF this city. They
hale it; 1t ouls their minds and keeps from them
the enjoyment OF perfect health. DIR. Arnott, the
great English ply stefan, IS reported to have SAID
tina: 'In London nobody enjoys perfect health ex-
cept the butchers boys" 1t may truly be said
that no resident IN a New York tenement house
has that degree Of health oil which that person Is
capable under better conditions OF ar. &c. IL
would be very interesting experiment TO make
IN order to discover just how long the period
hnf hoe haon I'D ~
ceaniy ways-perhaps person coming from the
country-becomes baoituared to living amid the
1hh OF o tenement house. Sir Arthur Helps, In
his ne book essays on Social PRESSURE" just
publlsned tells story which illustrates how
dependency and sense OF carelessness OF sur
roundlngs settles upon the mind OF sucn
person. II Is OF young country
woman, VINO, coming to London, had to live
within the loul precincts OF back alley. For
several weeks alter her arrival in the uncleanly
nelghborhood she was noticed in the mornings
sweeping and washing her doc rway and the
pavem cut Of the alley But gra iualy her efforts
ceased. Sne found that they were some.
thing like those OF old Dame partngton. she
could not overcome the tide OF nastiness that was
tlnudlly rushing into tue alley, and finally
became reconciIed to the nelgn oornooa OF dirt,
lost her animation and lived IN the same dull
conal!ion as her neghoors. Like them. sue lost
would DE too great.
Inc EftnC1pal OF Sir Arthur Helps' essays
SOCIAL Pressure is entitled '.lowns May BE 100
Large" Inc meaning oi ms Is that the popula-
lions OF large cities become condensed within cer-
tain Limits, houses are crowded VITA occupants
SO that cc anliness Is Impossible, and immortality
aud disease are generated IN irightlrl uegrees.
sir Arthur, speaking through one o! the members
OF the little company among whom ne divides lis
essays, says: -.'Of all matters important to human
civilization. after tae production OF sufficient
i0od, comes the dwelling place. what Is the good
OF insisting upon cleanliness and sooriety aud all
the otncr virtues 10 people who live with two
i
extreme case but, gong upward rom tnat, tho
in getting HABITAT for itself IN decent homes;
! ana IN All nations the test TO be given Tor real
civilization Is IN the comparaIve goodness or
badness OF the dwellings OF the lowest Glass;
Our population Is not condensed or lnassed to-.
the Jour great cities Of Continental Europe@Parls,
Berln, ST. Petersburg and Vienna. L. is q so u
portions OF dea ms aud ilsgIt.nale births in tns
city are smaller tnan IN the cities mentioned.
bn on now long WIN IL oe De,Ure an mmenss popl
part OF New York below Tlrty-iOurth street. Tor
instance. II nothing Is done TO prevent such an
aggfegatlony Inc raurodds are cont ually orllg-
Ing people TO this city Or employment who must
necessarily live below the boundary mentioned Tor
the reason winch mas been often urged
discussion. that the time occupied by
great Tor iaDoring people TO expend. 1t might be
answered to this That there Is no evidence given
New lork. hOw there be sucn evidence
given lta Everybody knows VI ought TO know,
|
willing 10 live III downtown uenements are going
from this city to New Jersey and Brooklyn in al
grants VINO arrive here. Rapid railroads are the
causes OF aggregation OF people III ciiics: con-
segregation OF that part Of our population when
otherwise VIII become the source OF great crlmi.
rapd see away VIII enaSe se those
respectable worklngmen, VINO are now forced to
nse IN % M1uses Wneae tney are thrown
ture, 10 make speedy trips. ut small cost, between
their business places IN tae lower part OF the city
and their homes III Harlem or Westc lcster 1t Will
thus prove an efficient ala to the Health Depart.
ment and tue Ponce. and, lnaeed, II II VIII not
AFFORD the opportunity Tor the reconstruction OF
TINS city, wItn The primary requisites Tor health,
beauty, comfort and grandeur" OF when Sir
Arfnur Helps talks 1t Will at least hep 70 dis
prove the statement that IN New York '.disease
and squaia misery OF all Kinds are as abundant,
" s'' o ID aT Word rapd ras.t '0n railway
ought TO be built then. not alone because IL Will
increase the population OF New YORK bv drawing
back nither people VINO are now residing In New
VIII lessen the number OF people who have To
reside IN foul tenements on drCy streets and dark
not because by Sy It's means the Waste
tied, but because the SUBURBS OF the CRY Will be
stretched out in every direction aud dwcit IN by
the working people; not solely on account oil own.
ers vi property up Town VINO are uurGened BY the
taxes upon land Tor which no OCCUPANTS can De
found, out as well because 1t Will afford men OF
small means the cnauce oil becoming owners OF
small pieces OF ground for their homes. rhus.
while the gross amount OF taxation may b. IT.
creased. the numoer OF people VINO pay taxes VIII
also be multiplied.
There can be no greater certainty than that
rapid transit VIII WORK Denenceni results In TINS
city. 1t VIII be sort OF safety valve Tor the COM
munlty.
In the TRANSACTIONS or tue British Social
Science Association Tor 1872" there are several
very important papers on the subject of over
cr0wdlng clues ana DWELLINGS,. which testify rom
the experience OF MAN. PHYSICIANS, that 1t IS the
iruJui cause OF epIdemlc disease ana physical
aud moral de gradation. Other scientific authors
ties do bot hesitate 10 say mat III 'tenus 10 the
physical ueteroratlon Of tne human racc.n In
two WAYS The overcf owding OF cities tends to I'M
moraity-hrsi, among the poor, thloI the
budding togc tner Of me seXc, IN confined apart
ments; and, next. among wel-to-do oy making
rent so formidable an Item IN family living tnar
many seek an easy substitute for marriage. iaclli-
ties Tor which are also created by the hotel ard
lodging system, wnlcn OvercrOwdlng lavors and
nccesSitates.