Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-29

SuuruaI sna Gouri.r.
sIaGLn CoP1rs TWO GENTS.
Friday, February %. 1884.

THE TENEMEST-H0UsE PROBLEaI.
 Professor Felix Adler is at present inspect
 ing the sanitary and the general condition of
 tenement-houses and their inmates in New
 York. This is bnt preliminary step ts his
 proposed plan of erecting improved tsas-
 ment-houses that will, by system of yearly
 reserved rent-psyments, secure to the tenants
 gradual interest in the property. Twenty
 thousand dollars have already been subscrib-
 ed towards this reform movement.
 Whether or not Professor Adler will sue
 cesd in awakening sufficient interest in his
 plan to make 1t . success, or even to insure 1t
 fair trial remains to be seen It is to be
 earnestly hoped that he will, for the condI.
 ton of those obliged to live in crowded
 tenement-houss in 8 city is very sad one.
 It is encouraging that in many large cities in
 this country this matter is receiving attsn-
 tion. Already some very successful expert
 ments on small scale in dealing with the problem have been made. One of the most
 interesting of these has now bean in progress
 in Boston for four years. It began with the
 leasing by some benevolent ladies of 6 large
 and much dilapidated tenement-houss situat-
 ed in the heart of poverty-stricken district
 of the city. It contained twenty seven
 tenenents, and the rent agreed upon with
 the owner was $1, 900 per year. The house had degenerated morally as much as 1t had materially. It was half empty because of the degraded character of its occupants. Needed repairs were made, and tenants were soon found for every domicile. They manifested at first some curiosity as to the new and untraipsd landladies, but treated them respectfully, and showed no rudeness or contumacy even on rent day. A close account was kept of ali receipts and expenditures, and at the end of the first year the balance of cash in hand was $111.67. Subtraotiag from this the eusto. mary percentage for paid agent, there would still be net income on the invest ment of $60, or per cent. The second year yielded net sum of S157.47, and the third somewhat less, but more than the first year; and throughout the per cent. annually or more on the investment has been realized An important phase of the general policy pursued wasin the ascertaining of the records officers of public charity before accepting them as tenants. Personal references were also required of applicants, and. if possible, information was obtained as to the former homes of such applicant. In this way the vicious and predatory class of people was avoided as tenants, it being of no use to begin with such people. as, fer the aake of the comfort and peace of ether tenants or because of predetermination on their part not to pay rent, they would have to bs sk- pelled from the premises.
 The lady who has had charge of the build ing says that her experience has shown that
 in dealing with the poor there is nothing which is so important as to help them to
 preserve their self-respect; and this, she adds, is 8 delicate and difficult task. One rigied rule enforced upon the tenants
 was that the floors of the entries and the stairWays should be scrubbed once week. For doing this, they were paid, it be- ing classed as obligatory upon the Iandladiss;
 but the daily sweeping of the house, it was insisted upon. should be done by the tenants. Cleanliness, generally, and especially about the sinks and drains, was required; and, although there were periodical relapsss and interruptions from changes of tenants, gradual improvement in home habits on the part of the tenantry in general was witnessed. Thus it cszne about in many instances that tenants would voluntarily clean and scrub their special premises regularly every satur- day, and the force of example and precept went so far that when wall papsring was to be done they consented to remove the old paper entirely from the walls, instead of pasting the new upon the old, as had been their immemorial custom. The rental was 1 regularly compelled to be paid in spite of ] pathos and tears and during the whole ex- pertinent but one dollar has been given in l charity.
 The success of this experiment has encour- aged the leasing of another house. 50 that l two are now carried on. We believe that | similar experiments have also been successful | in London and NeweYerk. There is an | abundant field for them in any large city.