Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-05-18
NEW YORK t
Some OF the Pleasures Of Living
In the Metropolis.


$ n and the landlords have mott.
I fed us that the LIST of May is only JUS
around the corner. 1t is a day differ
emily celebrated in different countries
p In England, in former times, it seemeC
, to have belonged exclusively TO the
D chimney sweeps and the queen of the
' May. In New England the children
|, used to plunge into the woods anc
l seek for early violets and a few scrub.
r by white flowers that just escaped
being weeds. In New York it is the
day when the landlords annual strike
goes into effect. They strike for more
rent, and as there is but limited room
on the metropolitan raft, they general
J ly succeed in getting it. 1t is a way
they have of encouraging the tenants
to become active and enterprising. In
the feudal times the landlord was
always the gentleman distinguished
for having the best horse and the
thickest pair of steel breaches. If one
of his tenants had a better horse he
never succeeded in holding it over
May day. The village boss did pretty
much as he. pleased. When short OF
cash he remembered that Sir Scrabble
stone, his neighbor, had on some for
mer occasion called him names. He
summoned his vassals, and ordered
them to put on their iron pots and
pick up their very offensive weapons,
If he was as condescending as Conk-
ling. perhaps he addressed to them a
short speech something like this
boys, | am going after Scrab, who
has been taking gold from the French.
shall kick the life out of him, and
plumber his castle. After the victory,
you can eat anything there is about
the premises, and get drunk at the
traitors expense. But if you secrete
any of the plumber, look out. My
eldest son is going to Palestine and
wants money. The bravest of you
shall accompany him" Hob and
Smell doubtless cheered and went in
perhaps received a pint Of hot pitch
down the small of the back or in the
ear-and never got to see the old
Jerusalem, whatever their chances
were for the new The surviving
vassals went home to their huts, glad
to escape with life.
Now the difference between the old
baron and the modern one is not so
great as it would appear at first glance.
The former made his tenants turn ont
at the sound of a trumpet-the other
makes his turn out with a writ of
eiectment. The former compelled his
tenants 20 fight; the latter forces his
to vote, especially if president of a
horse car company or a cotton factory.
The old tyrant allowed his men to
have a rude shelter and plain food,
keeping all the luxuries for himself,
The new one sits in his Office and fig
ures up the cost of what is essential
to existence, and says: MY men you
can have that much and [ will keep
the balance, He does not send his
son to Jerusalem, knowing that Jeru'
salem is situated in New York, but he
sends Tom to Paris and buys his wife
a pint OF diamonds simply by raising
the rents on his property. More lucky
than the old time robber, heknows all
about the transmution Of base metal
into gold. And SO rents go up, and
why should they not, as they are gov
erned simply by supply and demand.
The Baron could not raise them if it
were not for the perpetual emigration
to this city, which has its varied
sources in every city and large town in
country. 1t is a pity that the new
corners cannot bring their houses with
them.
There are a great many people who
say they think it is cheaper to board
than to keep house and move to a
hotel. Unfortunately
THERE ARE NOT HOTELS ENOUGH.
The man bent on domestic revolu-
ton calls on a landlord OF hotel, who
has, perhaps, just received a call from
his landlord, and is consequently COM
PEELED to make an advance in his
prices. He wants Sc a day for a bed
room and board, which is about three
times what was charged in the middle
of the war, when the dollar was worth
only 40 cents. Hotels then charged
Sesame as 81 in gold. Now they
charge Sc in gold. Let any mar take
a piece of chalk, stand up before a
blackboard and figure up if he can the
value of a dollar at the present day,
measured by its equivalents in the
n-ecessaries and luxuries of life and by
the amount of labor required to obtain
it. Carpenters who strike for So 80 a
day and get it are not nearly so we'll
off as they we're with 81 a day twenty
five years ago. And as for the men
who receive 81 % a day compared with
those of a quarter of a century ago,
the miserable poverty of their condi-
ton is inealculable. But this poverty
is inevitable-it is automatically so.
Take the valuation of property in the
city at 81, 200, 600, 1000 in round num-
bers; population, 100000. This
would average $1,000 to every man
woman and child. Now, there are
six people who own $780, 00, 900 out oil
the 81, 200 600, 900. This alone reduces
the average to $3.50. Now, figure up
the comparatively limited number Of
property owners, and it will appear
that there isn't a penny to divide
among many thousands Of people.
And so the man who earns his 81 % a
day ought to console himself with the
reflection that he is a necessary and
inevitable result, and hat if he rises
above his position he will be Obliged
to shove somebody else into the va.
cancy.
There are a good many people il
Washington and in some other cities
who think it is a pity that New York
city was ever deprived Of SO valuable
a postmaster as Mr.. James. As {
postmaster general they don't like hin
at all. According to the new STANDARD
he is certainly making himself very
ridiculous. He presents a picture o