The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-04-26
The Misery OF the Tenth Ward.

Since tho first OF February all association
81 private individuals, called the Sanitary
Aid Society. has bcen engaged In thorough
examination into the condition OF the tcnc-
ment houses In the Tenth ward. Seven in
spcctors have been In the employ OF the So
ciety, and they have now completed their
work. having infinitely examined every house
in the ward, and presented detailed reports
as to each and its occupants.
The Society deserves commcndation FOR
this methodical work In q part Of the
city which, moro than any other. suffers
ssoSs. .'....Ss.-.s.
square acre Is greater In the Tenth ward
than In Tho most dcnsely populated districts
OF London-the Strand. for instance. The
tenement houses there are largely, even
chiefly. old private dwellings which have
long been falling into decay, and which lack
the conveniences and sanitary safeguards that
have been introduced into tho great tcne-
mcnts OF recent con ,truction. Tho occupants,
too arc mostly Polish Jews and Italians, who
constitute tho worst part OF the population
OF tho city, so far as cleanliness and regard
for tho laws OF health arc concerned.
No better field for tho practical philan-
thropic work OF this Society could, there
fore. have boon chosen than the Tcnth ward,
and we arc not surprised to find from the re-
ports of the inspectors that n vast amount OF
misery, squa!or, filth, and moral degradation
was discovered, that the Investigations re-
vcaled "a state OF affairs than which nothing
moro horrible can be imagined, and which,
although perhaps cquallOd. can certainly not
DO surpassed In any European city" Worry
many OF the houses wore found to DO mere
rookerlcs, the stencil In them was often un-
bearable, and the wrctchcdness OF their sur
roundings had degraded tho occupants NOR
ally and physically. No wonder that tho So
cicty's inspectors sometimes returned after
their tours, declaring themselves un.
manned by the degradation and horrible SUI.
ferinR they had witnessed. aud one OF tho
best inspectors threw up his position DO.
cause he felt his health giving way and
nerves unstIung by tho enormities with
which he daily came In contact"
But the Society persisted In It's selinp-
pointed work. and already 1t has accom-
plished vast amount Of good, besides OBJ
tanning nh accurate knowledge OF the con-
dition OF tho 10000 people In tho ward. On
tho basis OF tho detailed reports OF the In
spcctors, about four hundred notices have
been sent out to owners and lcssces OF houses,
warning them that they must mako immcdi-
alto repairs or DO reported to the Health De-
partment for violation OF tho law, and one.
quarter have responded iavorably, promising
to proceed ut onco as directed. but the own
crs OF the worst houses stand out and defy
tho Society, which now complains with great
bitterness that the Health Board Is dllatory
In undertaking to compel obedience to the
law. 1t says that 1t has prepared tho way
for the authorities to go ahead but that they
move slowly, or refuse to complete what tho
volunteers have dono with 80 much pains.
They wanted the Health Department TO
mako their inspectors official inspectors OF
Its own, but without pay, the Society bearing
the expense. OF course, that was something
which the department had no authority to
do. Tho number Of its inspectors Is fixed by
law, and they hold places Of great responsi-
bility. The Society was also lrrltated because
the department refused at once to act on Its
reports, regarding them merely as prlyato
complaints as 10 the justice Of which Its own
inspector must make an Official cxamna.
tion, doing over again what the Society
had done before him. Such now In
spections, OF course, must cause great do
lay, for tho Health Department has a single
Inspector merely for district Of which tho
Tenth ward Is only part, while tho Society
had seven inspectors In that ward alone.
Besides, during tho last three mon his the
number Of complaints made to the depart
ment has boon much greater than ever be-
fore, their number being seven hundred
more than In any previous quarter. and the
official inspectors have their hands full OF
work In consequence, The business OF rem
odying the OWLS In tho Tenth ward therefore
proceeds SO slowly that the Society's officers
AFRO irritatod and Indignant.
But We do not SEQ how tho Health Depart
ment could do otherwise than require new
Inspections, and look on tho reports
Of the Soclcty's inspectors as nothing
more taaa private eomplala.s whose