New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-22
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
REFORM THE TENANTS.

REFORM THE TENANTS.
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE TENEMENT oUEsrIoN-A
LANDLORDS EXPERIENCE WITH HIS MODEL
HOUSE.
To the Editor Of The Tribune
SIR: The subject on the philanthropic car
pet just is the model tenementhouse; ana all Tue
discussions about 1, prove that largely still sentiment
rules the world When tendency towards the senti
mental shall he cleared away, 1t will be seen thst re-
spectDg tenements, IL the individuals wiIAh theh
who must first be cleansed-must cleanse themselves.
Then having eyes, they will voluntarily see thelr way
towards and find cleaner surroundings The most that
the model builder do Is TO see thattne shuting out
OF light and cir Is mpossibiiy
had friend into whose possession there fell per-
hans ten years ago. large rickety tenementhouse in
Bayardst To havo inherited palace would not have
given him nehalt the pleasure that this old tene-
ment gave him Now" said he shall show to land
how it ia to be exacn2 and unfeeng;
and shall prove 70 the world how much there Is OF lar
and good these wreohed people. when they are once
secure in less wretched houses" So he provided and
even paid for temporary lodgings for the inmates OF the
house while for weeks wOrkmen were busy In funi
eating and altering and repairing it, The cellar, into
which whole families had formerly huddled, he forbade
living be used except for fuel or storage Inc
rent every tenant and payments were to
be made monthly instead OF weekly. Weekly payments.
the landlord argued. al insult to the tenant
aud made him feel that the landlord had no faith In
him After weeks The flock returned TO the reno.
waited house, and prOuse IN their grautnde ana
promises the landlord firm III his faith that. IN
at least, he would prove TO the whole world
that the only barrier which shut off decency and sell
respect and happiness from the dwocr in tenements OF
this kind the overreaching, unsympathetc land
lord may coness Just that the millennium
clearly my friend did.
The collection OF the first months rent by the landlord
himself disclosed q condition of things which he felt
obg ed to confess litte different from what he
had expected. But perhaps they hadn't yet lifted east
ly" he kindly said. into such changed surroundings"
Ia the window each department had been placed grow
lug plants. Alter the second four weeks there wasn't
a pot Of flowers left in the house. They had died
been thrown away. When months had gone, two OF
the new hall carpets had been taken up and sold or
pawned the uprigs In the baus'ers had been chopped
ont for fuel for weapons the shutters were all mutt
lated and the damp cellar either let dodgers or
taken by who preferred it for themselves
and underlet their My TREND, like the good
Christian he was said, We must forgive even sew
cnty tunes seven tines" he reasoned with and
helped far IA he was permitted hls mlSsded ten
ants bur found II ut last absolutely In VAIN After
year gold his house for any thing 1t would OIlng con-
fes-ed thot the tenementpou,t question was 700 pro
found his solution ami left % Oher hOuse-CwncFs
the task Of bumanzng the people, aud OF proving TO me
wurd-if they condtnat the wGetchcdness OF tenants
lay all in the indebtedness OF the lenementS
Tns "A sorry but true story. nave no GouDt
but could be repeated by any landlord to-day IN That
ctass al tenement Tenants must come to acknowledge
themselves that their present condition Is repuHY
one and q better condition possible. Then nothing
can hinder Them from rising to IT, We hear talk from
those who know nothing about 1t Of the great pehhtS
that nave arisen 10 the miserable classes Ia London
through the Peabody tcncmenis. But the fact Is mat
only me respectable and clearly classes-ihose who
would DO respectable and ceanyanyW here-iOoA adVan
tlge of these houses, ana White Chapel and the Seven
DiaIs were not a whit the better for them.
II seems to me That the only part OF tho tenemHnt-
house question that worth while taking time t. pub-
lIcy discuss that which beafs Oh ventilation aud
hight Drainage. As to rents the LOuse1Nner Is MN
self the best judge OF what MS rents sHou Dc ana MS
only duty IN direction IL TO make them as low as
his h cher duty himself and his family viii permit
The cleanliness AMI order within the house depend alone
upon tho occupants and, without their willing coOpera-
ton all the sentiment discussion OF ali tue pnilanhrO-
psts the cannot purge or Keep cIcai thc Dest
model tenement tDat ever was bulit. CALHOUN.
Nelr- IOrh. March l3, 1870.