The New York herald., 1876-01-13
A. Strong Endorsement Of BENEFIT
Building Societies.
The DAILY NEWSPAPER PRESS.
Suggestions for a New Mode OF
National Government.
posror. Jan. 70. ls7e.

BOSTON, Jan. II, 1870.
The American Social Science Association held its
eleventh annual meeting at the Lowell Institute Hall
in this oty to-day Although the attendance was not
large it nevertheless embraced many OF the leading
minds Of the country who have made various phases
Of social science a special study. The Hon David A.
Wells presided and called the meeting TO order.
AMER the transaction OF some unmportani routine
business the various papers and topics appointed for
consideration submitted
school Hygiene, - paper on "Tho Sanitary Reform
pf Schools by d. F. Lincoln NJ d. OF Boston Sec
Jetary Of the Department OF Health, read. The
paper a summary Of The results OF investigation
upon the subject made in al directions during the past
few years
''THE FoRrY-FouRTH CONGRESS"
paper on the above subject read by Gamaliel
Bradford Esq. He began by alludng 10 the power Of
the Speaker and committee system in legislation at the
present time There very strong inducements
for the Speaker make corrupt appointments, while
there were very few 70 lead him honest ones The
system is a bad one, and IL wonder 10
aim, not that az Washington we're
so corrupt but that they we're not more corrupt than
they are Mr. Bradford spoke Of the financial steps
taken by the present Congress, and thought that
under The present system, there could be
definite and decisive action IN that direction. He
did not propose advocate the admission Of Cabinet
officers into Congress but he asked, had not
MI other schemes failed TO advance step
beyond where we're at tho close Of the WARP 1t
matter which Congress could easily regulate, and
ft did not work well could be repealed any time
and what other governments found be feasible and
valuable was surely worth trying.
HoMEs FOR
During the past year the Committee Of the Depart
ment Of Social Economy the Chairman ofwhch is Pro-
fessor W. Rogers, OF Boston, and the Secretary F.
II hac ak
report upon the subject of homes for the peopen
American cities. Pursuing its investigation from
point to point one of its members llir John Ayres, OF
Boston, during the month OF April, examined the
dwelling houses Of Philadelphia and collected nforma'
tion regard to the numerous and now famous build
ing associations Of that city, by means OF which,
nj least ID part, Philadelphia has become pre-
eminentlv "A city OF homes In reference 10
The overcrowding Of houses, which said 10
be greatly the increase II is said
tbat The census returns OF 1875 show that
n Boston there are 800 900 inhabitants and 40 Sl7 occu-
pied dwellings, the rate, that is, Of 81 persons TO
each dwelling while IL the old wards the rate IS as
hiph u aud III In Fall River there are 45 $40
Inhabitants and only 4,l92 occupied dwelllngs-lO.S
persons each house. In Hoyoke, 1920 inhabitants
house The town OF Adams, in Berkshire county, has
persons 10 each house; the city OF Lawrence. So
persons the city Of Worcester So persons In all or
nearly all these places the rate has risen since 1870
In Providence there 100 675 inhabitants and Il 054
occupied dwellings, or 7.76 persons to each In Brook
yn and IN New YORK CITY there IS somewhat more than
lhe overcrowding noticed IN 1870 The contrast
between the two largest American citesNe~ ork and
Phadelphain hisrespcct Is very marked ana u the
highest degree unavcrabie TO New York where also
lhe condition Of things IS growing worse, while in
Philadelphia II rs growing better BY the census OF
1870 the number OF dwellings IN New York was about
o. O44 for population OF nearly Inillonan average,
therefore OF nearly 10 persons 10 each dwelling.
But In 9 Of the - wards of New York population
of 3G5 GOO housed m only lilo dWeLnBs-an
average OF p Is persons to each dW cling.
When Paris Qn 1880 contained about the same popu-
laton that New York numbers the number Of
houses there was 80 40 the number persons
INuNa D. wa
crowding that find in the worst parts OF New York
In Philadelphia, on the other hand a population OF
6T4 600 1870 housed IN 1885 dwellings, giving
j house every persons while. ~ the worst
wards oi Philadelphia the average number OF persons
10 dwelling cd not much exceed 5, or only a
third part OF the New York average, which, IN one
ward OF nearly loot Inhabitants, was more than
"a persons 90 each dwelling
1870 is about "a goo iat the rate OF little less
than 5000 yearl so usi the present number OF
dwellings IN that CITY IS up"ars OF lo1vVV, Whlch, al
average OF persons 10 each dwelling, would ave
population IN 1875 OF $4,000 This rs more than the
estimated population OF the CITY, and therefore me
proportion OF dwellings TO population has been
Increasing there-the very result we should
expect from the system Of building pursued IN
Philadelphia and the very opposite OF what IS taxing
place New York h other cities the contrast Is not
so striking. In Boston, Tor example IN consequence
OF successive annexatons Of suburban territory the
proportion OF persons to each dwelling IN The whole
CIV has considerably diminished thirty years and
nov much exceed eight persons 70 each dwql-
Ing
is about double this and there 100000 OF the pres
ent population OF Boston housed at the rate OF twelve
persons to each dwelling. Thirty years ago wheu the
occupied dwellings was 1880 giving az average Of
nearly persons 10 each IN 1863 twenty years
later but before the anueSatons, a population or
1898 was housed N -UV4s dwellings, OF az NO Iaie o
and one-third persons 10 each IN 1870 tie popu-
iaton had increased chiefly by anncXauoul 70 -50o2V
and the dwellings, 70 2Ao-1, giving one SweihAg 10
every eight and one hail persons
According TO the census Of 1870 there we're ID Brook
lyn, n. " Ss60a9 Inhabitants and 20, 80 GNehngs-
one for every 23 persons; L 81 Louis $40 eus M
habitauts and 5000 dwclings-oue iOr every : .
persons; N Chicago, -sSoI inhaottants ana 45o-O
dwellings one tor persons, u Baltimore, 2U',ao4
inhabitants and 1880 Gwclllngs-one Tor 2S per-
sons. IN Cincinnati 2lG939 Inhabitants and -. $50
dwelhngsoue ioI 40 persons; IN New Orleans, l9l,-
GIS inhabitants and - 6a6 dwelnCs-oue for 2-S per-
sons. IN san Francesca 9473 nhabiauts and 25 go5
dwolngs-one tor 514 persons; n Washington, lu9 lSg
inhabitants and 49, 545 dwelgsone tor 35 persons;
In Newark n j., lO5o5e inhabitants and a. $50 dwell.
incs-one for 6N persons, Jersey City, suburb Of
New YORK. s25l6 Inhabitants ana s,eO' dwelnes-one
Cor l-3 persons
yn and Jersey CITY there aggregate population
OF about l42i 600 IN 1870 living less than l20 900
dwellings tone for twelve persons AZ The present
time it Is probable that these three cities contain moro
than l. 100 900 Inhabitants, occupying 40 more dwell.
nes than are found ii the single cy OF Philadelphia,
with less than half as many inhabitants
The results OF this overcroWane OF CITY population
perfectly well known and are pAniGly obvious IN
New York and It's suburbs The clay proper built along
ihc island Of Manhattan, IS thus crowded be.
tween rivers and the value OF the land for com
merciai uses has raised IT'S price that 10 all We
lower portions OF tho cty the dwelling houses on y
DC owned by the rich, with rare exceptions For We
same reason they built OF many stories and crowded
together without Sufficient provision for light ana AR
In many locations old buildings, once good but now
almost un6, for hab tailOn have been crowded full Of
poor families who pay expensive rent for wreehed
ienementS
The psper then went into an elaborate description OF
the various benefit buiding societies OF Phladel lphia
aud Chicago TO show that these the remedies for
ovorcrowdng Ia So LOUIS, where building societies
are largely encouraged the death rate lower than in
snv large CITY the world except those the Pacific
coast Al time THIS CITY was al tic other end Of
the list
The tenement house population OF New York and
Brooklyn probably exceeds 100000 Ia Boston there
are nov 2 100 tenement houses, containing A., coo
rooms and inhabited by more than 0O,OOO people A
portion Of these are and well built even costly
houses but nearly co. OO0 OF this tenemeEt house popu
laiiOn Boston living 10 discomfort from over
crowdng many Of them in houses quite unht 10 be
<untcd Tho cc9th rate h found Boston. IN New