New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-02
CHEAP HOMES IN PHILADELPHIA.

HOW wORKINGMEN ACQUIRE HOMES AT SMALL COST
AND SLIGHT DISADVANTAGES OF THE GROUND
LOAN sYsIEM-AID GIVEN BY BUILDING AsjO-
CATIONS.
lFRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. cit is a hard struggle
for the clerk mechanic Or aD0rng man to live II New
York. 4 house OF his own out OF the question. a
floor No., poorly adapted for separate hOlseAoep-
ting. or few rOOmsil shabby tenement building, IS all
no Afford Il wants anything fulfilling the good
oifdsbOned idea Of home he must seek the suburban
towns, and then railroad fIras TO and from The city con-
sumo MA elru.ng- and the long rides take the htte
leisure tine he .fOr5 AMI aGer working hours. In
Philadelphia all classes OF men OF small earnings are
mach better or in this respect Il has long been tIe
cys that every industrious man can II he makes
the effort his house, and II not the owner can
become tho possesio by ren1nS. Of separate house
with all comforts for home life Hard times,
high taxes. ald bad municipal government have made
the position Of the poor mAl less advantageous than
formerly In comparison with that OF his brethren III
other large Cities but have yet destroyed the system
under which thousands every year acquire homes Even
in the past Summer and Fall when building in most
cities almost ceased dozens OF squares OF small two ana
threestory houses put up the outskirts Of This
city, each with the stereotypod Philadelphia character
sc3 o bright red brick front marble steps and WINDOW
sils and white 1oari shutter Every year the city,
already vas IN geographical extent Is enclrced Win
a
OF growth the trunk Of tree Each or these little
houses is the home OF a slago family the head OF whch
is mechanic factory operative merchants clerk. or
labOrer OF kind depending upon weekly or monIny
wages The chief circumstances favoring the erection
OF this class OF houses are the ImtaDle area u lever
ground which surrounds the original city, the system
OF ground rents-a legacy from the days Of William
Penn-and the cooperative building aSsocialohS OF
which there are hundreds in Successful operation
BENEFITS or THE BUILDING ASSOCIATIONS.
Aea ting cit zen who takes great interest in the growth
of Philadelphia, furnishes the following interesting IN
formation about the workings Of the building association
and OF the peculiar system OF perpetual ana redeemaoe
ground rates. e takes the case OF poor man earning
ANAL davis wages who determines to secure himself
home. The man. whom We will call John JONES' goes 20
the extreme suburbs OF the city about threequarters OF
An hours ride by street from che State House. ana
buys lot say OF James Smith. 10 feet front on 6Ofoo
street and deep for 800 without paying Ior H. oy
enterag into obligation To pay yearly rental or W.
or ak per cent As long this interest on the purchase
money IS paid annual :the groundrent landlords nc
| is caled-cannot demand the principal
But here is discovered the vertabie ground hoor
which underpns every value put upon the property.
TIL the adoption OF The Constitution. the ground
rent landlord might elect whether TO sell the property
on failure to pay the interest or TO dtran on all the
| goods and chattes the lot Cases have occurred
where tenants have been forcef to make good
! This is now however abrogated. It would be well If
other States would enact similar law 20 this one which
40 favors the poor and vet amply protects the capt.
tast Let us follow John Jones his effort TO obtain
home which shall be all his own, and on which ne can
expend all his efforts TO make comfortable WITHOUT an
ticIpang any shall deprive him OF the addi-
tons his spare time has enabled him to put upon MS
home. John now Joins building association and takes
saw five shares each share 81 Is TO be paid monthly,
and as there are 1000 shares each month 00o Is paid
into the association Then tho money so paid In is put
| up at auction among the members, and tho bidding
mounts up from five per cent premium 10 perhaps
twenty at which IL is Knocked down TO john he agrees
TO pay besides his per month per share-say s. per
mouththe interest $1,000 plus 500, % per cent pre-
MUM amounting to 81 per annum
With this al 900 John contracts with o competent
builder who puts him up house 1A feet fron leaving
passage feet his 1sfoot lot HIS house Is to DO
Of brick 80 iees deep with well aud pump and shed
over them and his lot surrounded sby fencing seven
feet hgh. His house will be entered by front door
oDenlng on a parOr having one window 'front.' ana one
ON the side Passing through the parlor, door opens
on u small entry, from when straight STAIRS rise 10
the second story On the opposite side OF the entry
door opens into the dlnuRroOm lighted win one win
when Is a good range. AZ the kitchen door stands
under pump. Behind this again is the gar
den lot, 50 by ls
| cuEAPyRss or rIIB HOUSE,
Now leu Us examine the financial result Of Johns eI-
pertinent
Jane. Saith rouud rat PEI ,nnan per cen, cd saoos
Baking Association - month amoHnsng bo.,....- %
Budding baa ~
1AKss - pei 800 N-laAusa Of aOase, $oJu. 10
Thus for 81 80 per month John las nom f' g. nm
self, where morals Of his family are pr rom
the COMMUNICATING Influences of she ten, use,
the comfort and dOmesticty or hts houaeholG Is
promo ed, and TO which no 10 tenptcd 10 AID Que little
| thing aud another
It Is In effect mortgage which never lures unless
there is failure to pay tue interest or II may be d.
scIlUcd rental, which gives the reuter- pcrmancht
possession OF the estate N ne promptly pays the rent
familiar and popular has THIS mode Of conveyance De.