The New York herald., 1879-02-25
An Evil That Dema nds q Prompt
Remedy.

pecullhr construction OF the island, long
and narrow, has left room for growth only
in one direction-northw hward. Business
has heretofore crowded into the lower part
of the city. The demand for labor on the
docks, in warehouses, factories aud stores
has been mainly down town, and laborers
have been compelled to live within easy
reach Of their places of employment be-
cause they have had no means Of travelling
rapidly and cheaply long distances to and
from their homes. The limited space in
which they could seek residences has in
duced the erection of buildings capable of
holding large number of families, and the
packing of these together in manner that
has shut them out from tie chance Of light
and ventilation. The greed of landlords
has suggested two points in the construc-
ton of these buildings-one, that they
should be put up as cheaply as possible.
and the other, that every inch OF space
should be so utilized that persons may be
crowded into every hole and corner with
out regard to comfort, decency or
health. The extent and character Of this
speculation is shown by the authoritative
statement that there are twenty-one thou
sand such Objectionable tenement houses in
the city, seven thousand of which have
been built within ten years, and that their
tenants average one hundred souls to each
building In many places similar houses
are built also on the rears Of lots, thus
effectually shutting out light and air
from all. In ten years eighty two million
dollars are said to have been invested in
such property, warranting the conclusion
that it has been remunerative even in the
recent stagnant times and that unholy gains
have been realized out of the sufferings of
the people. The result of this crowding of
the tenement house districts has given us in
some blocks q population Of seven hundred
and fifty souls to the acre. While there are in
London's most densely populated neighbor-
hoods one hundred and seventy-five thou
sand people to the square mile there are
in parts Of the Fourth ward two hundred
and ninety thousand, or over sixty per cent
more. AS natural consequence of this
overcrowding cleanliness has become i'm
possible The regulations Of the Build
ing and Health departments have
been disregarded, laws and ordinances
have been violated, and badly drained
houses, without the required means
with scarcely the conveniences demanded
by common decency have been supple
mented by filthy, neglected streets. The
people who are doomed to live in such
neighborhoods and in such homes are pow
erless in the matter and have no choice.
They are rs much the slaves of their grasp
ing landlords Us the Southern blacks twenty
years ago were the slaves of their so-called
owners. They have nowhere else to 60.
They are compelled to pay in such dens
rents that would secure them u decent home
in other cities, because there are no cheap
suburban residences in New York, no cheap
apartment houses in healthy neighborhoods
where working people may live. They
cannot board. They cannot find houses
at rents within their means. They must
enter these tenement dens or leave the city.
Hence the startling fact that half million
of our people live in such places; that sim
gle rooms often contain two or three fami-
lies, and that in some buildings nearly two
hundred people huddle together, breath
ing the same poisonous atmosphere.
It would be difficult to exaggerate the
evils and dangers arising from this mode of
living The risk to the public health and
life is great, because pestilence knows no
boundaries and is no respecter of persons,
and the bills of mortality prove that disease
is rampant in those terrible districts.
Seventy per cent Of the deaths last year oc-
Cured in tenement houses, while only
about forty per cent of the population is
found in such dwellings. The deaths in
New York last year exceeded those in Phil
adelphia, where there are better dwell
ings for the poor, twenty per cent
on the ratio of population. Among
is dreadful. One Of the most pain
full features Of the abominable system is
its destroying effect on infant life. Ninety
per cent Of the little ones born and nursed
In the foul air Of the tenement houses die
under five years OF age. The poor tene-
ment house children make up forty-six
per cent Of the whole number Of deaths
in the city, and their corpses num-
ber ten per cent of our whole child
population. Over twelve thousand little
ones under five years old died in those pest
houses last year. Sorrowful as this is to
contemplate no parent can tell when the
blow may strike other homes, for how often
do the nurses who attend tho children
Of richer parents come from such
places and carry with them the
seeds OF the diseases that thus swell
the yearly tables of mortality. The
risk to the public health is not the only
evil of the system. Pauperism and crime
are largely increased through the tenement
house influence and the taxes ofthe city arc
proportionately swelled. The influence of