Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-03-06
Houses for the Poor.

The committee appointed to make awards in
New York In competition OF designs for a
model tenement house, have reported. The
conditions Of the competition were these
|. Security against confiagration. Qncluding
fre-proof stair-cases open to the air. 2. Dis
tri6ution OF light. 3: Ventilation. 4. Drainage
and other sanitary appointments. D. SecluSiOn
OF each suite OF rooms, and publicity OF access
to them. 6. Convenience OF arrangements. Z.
city lot 25 by 100 feet, inclOsed by buildings on
the sides and in the rear. 1t was to be built of
brick, with floors OF timber.
suits Of their examination OF the designs or
model houses for worktngmen, received in the
competition instituted by your journal, the un-
the number and variety Of the plans submitted.
No less than 1870 separate designs were received
from above thirty different localities including
sides several Others In Canada. and one from
London, England. The object OF the competi-
ton, as stated at the time It was instituted was
TO obtain, II possible, designs for "a house for
WorkiDgmen, IN which may be secured proper
distribution OF light and pure air, with an ar
rangem6nt OF rooms that will yield rental suf-
ncient 10 pay lair interest On the investment;
ara that as result the single lot owner as
well as the capitalist may be shown how they
can benent those who are forced to live in tene-
nents, and, at the same time, secure paying
investment These considerations had due
weight With your committee, and their awards
are limited to plans for dwellings, which will
pay fair profit to their owners Many OF the
5pects, failed to fulfil this condition. and were
consequently rejected On this account plans
| for house accommodating but one or two FAINT
lies on each floor were not considered, while
other plans with narrow side courts, which II
built In couples might be satisfactory, were re-
Jected, for the reason that the competition is
limited TO plans for single house.
The object OF the competition was to demon
Strate IL 1t Is possible to build model house for
wOrktngmen on the existing city lot 25x1OO. and
while the plans selected for approval come
nearest to fulfilling the terms of the compett-
ton, the committee emphatically declare that
In their view It is impossible to secure the re-
quirements OF physical and moral health with
| In these narrow and arbitrary limits Never
theleSs your committee is free to say that many
OF the plans are an improvement on the existing
tenement houses OF New York, not excludingi In
this comparison those most recently built
10 secure proper reform In our tenement
mouse system, laws must be carefully enacted
ana strictly enforced regulating the number OF
occupants, the amount OF open space the pro-
visions for light, ventilation and cleanlinesS on
sound sanitary principles; there would then re-
suit gradual redistribution Of our city popula-
ton which would end in leaving the Income OF
real estate owners relatively as great as before
Your committee, therefore, recommend further
agitation to obtain needed legislation and be-
! liase that another public meeting will tend to
this end"