New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-09
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Tit ,oulc 81 New olk have never proved
th... 500 oycr-zcaous in tine work OF furnish
iul - supply Of healthy and comfortable homes
m reasonable rents for the laboring classes. II
our!,t however. to bc assaulted that 81 long a.
the nuns Of the Nadl,0n-st. tenement c0ntinGc
tn ,inn. O.. every body feels Interested i'll having
honsc, 50 constructed that their inmates will
have some chance of ESCAPE from fires when
lindlcd by caIclcss plumbers ut midday. 1t l.
therefore natural that public attention should
he special, directed at this time to every honest
effort ut trncmcut-housr reform.
Ia the block Of buildings on Flrst-ayc., be-
tween ~cvcntv-irst auG Scycntv-~cr 'nd->t-.. now
in rouisc Of erection 10y the Improved Dwell
ines A,,oca.ion, every possible prccautlon has
been taken against danger TO LIE by hic. lhc
uartitian walls are 50 substantial and the sau
eases Of slate steps built into brick walls are so
constructed that it would be possible tor one
entire building To burn from the sixth story
down while DWELLINGS on either side stood I'M
harmed. besides this, the lireprOof stalrways
WI,h Nhich each suite Of rooms - directly con-
nccied would give ample opportunity Tor safe
exit, while the angles OF the constantly repeated
Ian ling5 between the short flights would toe
places of refuge for tn less active to rest for
moment out Of the general line Of descent in
case of Il panic aud rush. In short, everything III
the way Of protection from death and danger by
fire seems to be done for the tenants except
what they can do for themselves.
of coutsc, the problom5 OF drainage, light,
and ventilation have been treated with
caro- Each tenement, whether 1t he of
two ropnIs, or three rooms, or four
II. tI., Mt Il Of IN
tenant and his front door opens from window
lighted, and therefore airy, staircase hail, but all
the halls and passages aud stairwayS are swept
and garnishcd by the Association, which also
undertakes to carry the as "a from the cellars
to the streets. 1t has also been thought dosr-
able TO make thorough test OF the public laun
dry plan, and therefore while III one block
every tenant has wash room, in another block
a certain number of families aIo furnished with
n we'll appointed and steam -hcatcd laundry.
Altogether novel, and direct contribution to
the health of the occupants, Is the ombfa or
shelter on the root where light, pure air, and
shade are always available. "a privilege which
may often prove the turning point between lie
and death tor sick infant III August.
Without calling attention to any other fca-
lures of this interesting experiment, ~ a more
detailed description OF these dwellings is glyOn
elsewhere it is worth noting that the men who
have undertaken this enterprise are business
men, who are conducting the experiment on
business principles and who expect to receive
n reasonable income from their Investment.
And, after all, pecuniary success or failure is
the final test by which undertakings OF thus sol t
must stand OF fall. Public spirit m3y fail, and
individual philanthropy may chill, but it 1T can
be demonstrated that it pays to build safe and
healthy dwellings for working people, working
people will soon find such dwellings waiting to
be occupied by them. IL this experiment
should provo unsuccessful financially, the grind
ing builder OF nois0me death traps viii chuckle,
" told You sor If successful, as we anticipate,
another unpleasant possibility Is to be met, for
the occupants will Mt. once assume that they are
charged too much Ivy the capitalists who have
taken the risk of making them comfortable.
The natural remedy for this feeling OF distrust
and antaeOnism is cooperative building. But
in this country it seems to be almost impossible
fer small. capitalists to organize without the
direcSine genius OF large ones, and it there are
no small Investors the anomaly remains OF
pnUr people depending entirely upon rich people,
Now il. thebuidiDg experiment pays theBe is
simple way out OF this embarrassment.
Wealthy men might guarantee to small .in-
vestorsa fixed incane, say pei cent, and thus
encourage cooperation. This would involve the