National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-05
CHEAP LIVING.

Some Needed and Important improvements.
A great deal Of fault is found, and very justly,
oy ali CLASSES Of citizens Of Washington with the
high cost Of living. This is shown to arise from
the exorhitant prices charged Tor rents, fuel,
water-rates, gas, provisions, &C., sc. People OF
small means are always victims OF this class Of
necessities Economy, prudence, and SKIN VIII
overcome such necessities to great extenti In
housekeeping but there Is still very large pro-
norton Of our citizens who cannot, or do not de-
sire to, support households, and TO these there
seems to be no remedy for the Ills OF extorton
and Ignorance in boarding house keepers; IL -
often remarked that ''syefy otner house In wash
ipKton is boarding house" This Is nearly true,
and It might be added that majority OF them
are Rent BY persons who are ignorant Of the dm-
plest elements which 90 70 make up successful
boarding house keeper. So that persons who are
eompelled to live in furnished apartments and
Board nj common boarding house tables! have to
sustain all the ineonyeniences snd Wastefu ex-
pepssG Of extortionate rents exorbitant prices TOT
bToyisiops and fuel, the sometimes indifferent
RaS and poorer kerosene oil lights, the plumbers
OF inexperienced ho1sekeepers, the waste and
stealings Of irresponsible and vicious servants
and, what f. quite as AggraySting as au else,
honest boarders have indirectly to sustain the
losses Incurred By dishonest or impecunious
boarders failing to pay their board bills.
No mstter how hard the times; no matter how
great the scarcity Of money or the lack OF en-
pioyment, servants must have their pay; grocers
and provision and fuel dealers must have the
profits on their wares; the gas company must
have pay for its gas, whether consumed or
tnTss. boarding bousekeepers must be supported
ana landlords must have their rents monthly, and
boarders must foot all their bills. ..
few days ago an article In TIE REPUBLICAN
upon the 'icost OF living" in Washington gave
some details Of the high prices paid by the con-
sumers, as compared with the prices received BY
traced to nlddle-men. Now, to avoid these enor-
NOUS profits consumers must get nearer TO the
producers and how can It be accomplished?
In The frst place boarding house need not be
in the most fashionable localities, or very ex-
pensive house. Persons who desire to economiIe
In cost ofliving do not care for costly rooms they
are content with ordinary apartments II they are
| decently furnished, eleanly and we'll taken care
Of They are satisfied with unfashionaole Ioca-
| tions If only in respectable and healthy neigh;
| boThoods they are content with plain, frugal
fare n their food be well cooked, wholesome and
set before them at regular hours, and in neat,
home Ike manner; and in most cases they want
no useless servants and no unnecessary Psrapner-
MALTA. In short, let person who understands
house in an unobjectiOnnbe Fart OF the city, with
the conyeniences OF modern improvements; let
the house be furnished With furniture when Is
visions from the farmers, or the dealers
who can sell at Wholesale prices; let him, instead
| Of purchasing every day, lay in a stock OF such
provisions as are not perisha6le, at times when he
can purchase at the best advantage; let him pur-
chase fuel in summer, when 1t is 40 or so per cent
| cheaper than at the time OF consumption; let him
| employ as few servants as possible, and those
| honest, industrious, trustworthy and competent;
and lastly let him x his prices Of board At low S
I
| sirabie and responsible bOarders.
| 1t Is easy to demonstrate that board and apart
mepts such as here described can be furnished at
from twenty Ave to forty per cent. less than the
| present ruling prices in Washington. Once such
| a system introduced here 1t would become popu-
| lar and satisfactory. Many families, Temporal
| rily here would prefer such boarding houses,
| rather than incur the expense OF renting and
| Furnishing houses and the trouble Of housekeep-
ing More than this IL in the furore for building
| blocks of tenement houses, occasionally large
1 establishment were constructed for the purposes
| here mentioned, and fitted up plainly and CON-
| mOdiously SO that experienced boarding house
| keepers could afford the experiment OF cheap
| rates of board, we might soon have such sys.
TEN established as would enable clerks, either In
| Government or private employ, or mechanics OF
small means to live within their income, and even
| provide means for the securing for themselves
| future homes.
| Still another plan, much needed and never yet
| introduced in Washington, is cheap lodging foI
| strangers and for laborers without families
houses fitted up decently and respectfully, where
healthful lodgings can be furnished at dime, or
| even half dime per Rlght, with comforts and de
| cencies. Also, where wholesome meals can oE
| secured for from ten TO twenty-five cents each.
This sounds preposterOus to persons accustomed
to the prices charged 10 so-called cheap boarding
and lodging-ho but 1t can be shown how
| such establishments can be set up and De mad
to pay good proft TO the proprietor, at the SAINT
| time that they viii furnish temporary homes fo
| many now homeless persons, and keep many IRON
| necessary resort to station-houses or places les
desirable and respectable, and save many NOR
| from work. houses or lails.