New-York tribune., 1885-02-22
and suread OF infection, are sufficient TO justify M
nonncng q dwelling unit for hsbItation" and IA

The law to regulate the plumbing In new
buildings has accomplished great good. and further
to include work in old houses. Furthermore, by
more rigid examination OF plumbers. incompetent
and unscruPnlous men wonia 90 weeaea out OF The
should by all means DO abolished; Hopper closeta
are recommended by many as substitute. but they
are liable to be choked with rubbish and are MOI
easily kent clean. School sinks would be preferable
If placed low enough to avoid freezing and
properly flushed and supervised by janitor
vehtilatiag hues reaching from outhOuses to the
tops of buildings, it would be desirable in all new
to Sf the I stshsa o. s &
where it would be constantly heated, so as Ia
maintain a continuous upward draneht. This
would not be expensive and it would do much to
Another reonisite for Nsw-York is an abuudaucs {.
of clean, orderly, decent aud cheap lodging g-houses
where single woman or a FAMILY can hnd shelter
Vile cpmpanionshp and separation of families in
the police lodging houses.
New-York requires more parks and breathing
places 1t would be fine thing il the city author.
ties could condemn small sections oil tenement
property, which is noted for its unhealtLfulness
and after compensatng the owners convert the
same into parks or Fairgrounds; Private
individuals might well set the example by buyinga
few lots in tho tenement region and soddng and
planting some trees Oh them Ii certain piers could
be built over with promenades like the one next
the Battery, where the Coney Island boats land,
they would he good substitute Tor parks and
by, who can now be seen on any hot evening trying
to snatch breath of air along the water font.
The model tenements erected in this city and
Brooklyn are credit to the sagacfy and pblan-
thropy of their projectors and should prove an
example to other capitalists But they cannot Of
necessity influence the status OF the downtown
sections. II IL in crowded centres like Mulberry and
Jersey SITS. that better tenements are most wanted
Still more necessary is the renovation of existing
tenernents such as has been accomplished by Miss
Octavia Hill in London and by Mrs. Miles, Mlss
Dow and by Miss Ellen Collins IN this city. The
moral effect of cleaning out a hthy rookery and
then putting IT In repair and keeping It In good con,
dlti0n Is wonderful. Here Is iield OF practical
philanthropy which is open to any one with little
means and a disposition TO DO good IN practical
way The tenements bniit i'll New-lork since the
passage OF the amended law IN 1879 show vast
advance over their predecessors and are compare:
lively clean aud healthful, but even these will
ultimately 90 to rack and ruin II neglected. care:
less tenants will destroy the best plumbing aud
model tenements will not keep themselves clean
without constant supervision by the health anthor-
lties. The citizens of NewYOrk NUT recognize IN
time If they do not do 50 now. that the whole
tenement system is bad and Is opposed To the
interests and welfare of the community. Inc best
tenements are open 80 grave objections on moral
yroun Is and are unit for occupancy by Ignorant
aud uncleanly people. There must be more rlgid
restriction upon this class of dwellings and
ty-owncrs should not have license to multiply
huge doubc-deckers and cram them with tenants
More water is required in tenenents 10 huSh
plumbing fixtures aud for domestic purposes; yet
the supply is diminishing instead OF getting greater
Ii is idle to expect people 10 be clean wnen every
drop OF water must be carried mp several Nights OF
ste. ID stairs Even where sinks are proydei the
water does not rise except at night. Landlords must
be compelled to provide tanks Tor each tenement,
and these must be kept full by pumping. The
present criminal waste Of water from ieaky pipes
and defective plumbing fixtures must be checked
and every measure taken to husband The supply of
water until the aquealuct IS completed.
The law relating to new tenemcnts requires tnat
not more than 90 per cent OF the Iot shaii 10
occupied. The Owoer is permitted to include the
space devoted to light shafts and wells III ths
estimate A more rigorous standard must now De
app ed and larger allotted for the necessities
of life and ar. Every room should nave "a n,Iec.
opening 10 the outer air and dependence shOud not
b. placed upon narrow sits mscallei Ycntlatlns
shafts for the vital essentials OF health. lie
present standard of 800 cubic feet oi ar space IS
not sufficient unless provision Is made Tor q
constant ant pure supply or air. room even OF
ample size which has no opening except INTO
c'nnot be considered sanitary. No matter how
large the supply of air, it VIII soon become ex-
hausted OF foul unless 1t Is constantly TepiehsnId.
Nothing short of means for direct ventilation and
through draft will serve any practical PURPOSE.
Ventilation to be of any benefit must be abundant
Next 10 the overcrowdng of people in tenements
perhaps the worst feature Of tue problem IS the
oyerciowding of buildings Large sections 0i tue
city are covered with houses standing so close 70
each other hardly to permit AIR or lignt 10 gam
access t. the lower rooms. There are no lees than
5000 tenements separated by yards rarely
more than twelve or fifteen feet from the 'front.'
houses while in many cases the space Is not haif
that amount. Only radical measures can remedy
this eEll. ENentudlly cllILcuS VI .NcW
must clear out the crowded centres of the city
blocks and open areas within them for the free
admission of ar and light.
To sum up what is required to deal with the teIfe.
ment problem: We must stop the erection ot OLD
fashioned doub e-lecke we must weed ont the
most dIlapilated and unsanitary houses IN the
Older sections of the city we must strictly enforce
the Sanitary Code and compel tenants ana land
lords to keep their houses clean and decent; we
must lay out summer parks in different parts OF
the city and provide Fairgrounds to neep children
out of mischief; must have public baths IN
winter a, well as summer. and also pubic laundnes
small fee rapid transit must be supplied so that the
better-paid mechanic can escape from the crowded
tenement region e. the suburbs; we must have
more attention given to the education OF the chill
dren in the primary schools, who have TO go TO
work at an early age and provide technical schools
to train mechanics and give employment 10 tho
Youths who become idlers, thieves ana rtlfnans
we must take hold OF the temperance question anu
limit the licensing of saloons, especially III the
tenement districts. We need better paved streets,
better sewers in certain sections with better means
OF draining the lowlying localities along the wafer
front, so as 10 secure dry cellars. We Heed lever
agencies tor distributing d0les OF aims aud nloro
societies tor helping the poor 10 heip themselves.
The masses require less coal and grocery tIckets
and more of human sympathy and personal counse.
They require nourishing food more thanSmeaic,nes
and diet Kitchens rather than dispensarles VINO
ever will take steps TO provide an ABUNDANT supply
of nure milk to the babes of New-lork. VIII do
service greater than has been performed by any
pbilanthropist of recent times; yet one man o
woman with ccuragaHnd enthusiasm for humahlE
'A'eA' 'N'' CHARLES T. WISGATE