The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-12
IMPROVED TENEMRNTS.
Better Homes for the Poor Again Discussed
by Leading Citizens.

A second meeting TO discuss the tenement
houses OF tho city VIA held in Cooper Union
last evening. Mr.. Samuel ID. Babcock. tho
President OF the Chamber OF Commerce. pre-
sidod. Tho audience was large. as on the for
mer similar occasion. and contained many we'll
known faces OF gentlemen wealthy and philan-
thropc and goodly number Of ladies.
The Rev. DIR. John Hall was the nrst speaker.
He called attention TO the fact that large num-
bers OF our fellow citizens lived in crcum-
stances ,hat rendered II impossible not only to
practice any OF tho higher virtues. but even to
resist tho ordinary temptations OF life. Ho
thought that a great doal in the way OF remedy
could be achieved by tho governmental
and city authorities. and that tho more
said would probably make these tho more
keenly alive to their duties. He would be glad
to know that this meeting and others like It
would operate on the authorities like great
external conscience. Not all tho blame in the
matter wns to be- nut upon tho owners: great
deal should be expected of and made incumbent
on the tenants themselves. A great many
OF the owners were very little responsible
for the condition Of their property; some lived
out OF town and never saw the houses they
owned. and some were Indies with no aptitude
or capacity for business Of the character. Ton
ants read In the papers OF the sympathy which
their condition was awakening, and were in
danger OF aurihuting AL their vices to the style
OF the houses in which they dwelt. Human
nature liked somebody or something else
10 reflect is own shortcomings upon. The
speaker himself felt tho same weakness OF hu;
man nature. and liked 10 be coddled and pitied
when he was at fault. until he came To- think
that somebody else was TO blame. and that he
was n pretty good fellow. with great deal OF
misfortune appertaining to him. Sanitary meas
ures the Doctor said were as necessary rs moral.
The tenement house people needed instruc-
tiOn in their whole ways OF liie, and their con-
dition was not wholly attributable TO their sur
roundings. There wero families doubtless
would make ducks and brakes OF II in short
meter. and there were families then living in
| brown stone fronts who would, on the other
hand, II they were moved into tenement houses.
| speedily transform these into pleasant places
Col. George h. Warlng. the next speaker said
! that he had come from New hnCland village
smells to a city in which the last effort Of genius
seemed to be directed to tho deyisng OF some
means whereby l00. persons might live whole
some virtuous. and happy lives on twenty
yeSo' iS co dc sS had %aiS farSSs Mnd o
| his own metropolis on MASSACHUSETTS, Bay.
| but no had never smelt-or hardly cver-any-
| avenue and Murray Hill. He asked his hearers
| to 60 and smell Tor themselves. ana told them
| that he could only regard them rs being ground
| beneath neither and an upper m!lstone oi
| consolidated nlth. and that he pitied them from
| the bottom OF his heart As for the tenement
houses. he thought that they comprehensiyely
The Rcy. pr. Henry G. Potter hoped tha, there
| would not be too much exaggeration. Some
| things had been said In the course OF tho two
| meet ngs which won't TO indicate that the tene.
| ment house people were tho embodiment Of all
evil The speaker recommended tho building
| Of a certain number OF suitable houses and the
| establishment OF a trust fund upon the plan OF
| that founded by George Peabody in London. the
interest thereon TO 20 10 the construction oil
| other houses similar.
Tho Eev Dr. Bellows said that the tenement.
house system was only thirty years old, and
that rs II had grown out % ignorance. II would
die OF knowledge. But Il was advisable To Kill
IT, and not to wait and SEQ II die. The trouble
wus TINT the tenement-ho population was
not half so dissatisfied rs It ought 20 hr, and
that il liked the crowd He advised strengthen
ing the hands OF the Health Department. and OF
cXacting from them moro than II has been Gus
| tomary 10 exact.
| Dr Chandler, President Of tho Board o
Health said that Now York was a very healthy
city. and that the comparative tables oi the
| death rntc in different cities. published IRON
time TO time in the papers. did not give nccu
rate notions. Brooklyn. for instance, made q
| better showing because, first, She raised hcl
| consus 5000 by a stroke oi tho pen. and thef
| did not count in the deaths Of those who per
ished in the hospitals. because these were
outside the city limits Philadelphia sim
| ilary made centennial census. whicl
| Immediately exalted her to tho position OF th'
| heahicst city N the world. Tho terrible pic
ture OF tenement houses given in some OF th'
| illustrated papers. the speaker said, did not cX
ist in point Of fact though they did exist iftcel
years ago. DIR. Chandler closed by exhibiting
| number OF stcreopticon views OF tho plans To-
model houses received in tho late competition
Instituted by tho Plumber and Engineer.