New-York tribune., 1885-02-01
CAUSES OF ovERCRoWDING.
FAILURE or RAPID TRANSIT.
MALARIA IN THE sUBURBs-COMMUTATl
RATES TOO HIGH.

aud shops attract thousands OF wofKhoh wno vi
necessity must live near TO their work. Even "
reach Westchestcr County takes time ana cos's
moro than the average mechanic eau AFFORD. Even
cheap transit Is beyond the means OF the vast ma
iortv of the Iaborng class those who less than
one dollar per day. while they have neither time
nor strength to ride any distance to and from their
place of work The model houses in Seventy-first-
At. and First-ave have had to depend on the popu-
lation in their immediate vicinity In Philadelphia
the suburbs have developed as manufactures nave
been built there and have encouraged workmen 10
seek homes in their vicinity
OF the leading Industries in New-York Clty ehe
building interest ranks first. The great army oi
carpenters plas.erers. bricklayers and piumDers'
who have to be at their work at O'Clock IN tho
morning and remain until or y, cannot live very
Ear of OF run any risks OF detention by ice or fos
The 5000 'longshoremen do not earn sufficient 10
enable them to live at any distance while the
same is true of day laborers. peders hucksters and
the great mass of unskilled workers. The manu-
facture of clothing is chiefly carried on in the tene
ments. So also are cigar-making. hat-fnishing and
many other light trades to a great extent.
GROWTH OF POPULATION.
Therrow th' of population In NewYOrk has been in
tvodirections The mllionnares palace and the tene-
ment Sdouble-decker are monOpOlizing the whole
of Manhattan Island. Evidence of this tendency
is found in the statistics of church membership.
from 1S45 to 1882 the population of New-York in
creased 225 per cont. In the same period the mem-
bership in the Episcopal churches, comprising the
wealthy class. increased 215 per cent. while the
attendance in the Roman Catholic churches, repre-
senting the other extreme of the population. IN
creased 900 per cent At the same time the relative
growth of the Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian
congregations, which represent the middle classes
a;at;n ;yaIv ehoys n largo decreaa0.
The casual observer may well wonder at the ex-
traordnary segregation of population in the lower
section of Manhattan Island. Land has become toe
valuable in the heart OF CITY TO make ptontaDle
found TO paw Furthermore. there has been q lack
of facilities for reaching Harlem and the new wards
roads have been opened to extensive building. In
1883 when the city numbered considerably less
than half q million people. two surface railroads
s.S3554S passengers In 1883 there were twenty
three roads in operation. which conveyed 26S. I4S
S77 persons. over forty times as many as NJ ths
on the numerous ferries and over the East River
Bridge yet even our present facilities are made
quate to meet the demand.
Brooklyn would afford an outlet for the surplus
population of both cities. The Bridge has reduced
the annua earnings of the Union Ferry Company by
$50 S53, but this does not represent more than
1000 passengers daily. WOrklngmen are TOO tired
to walk across the Bridge and the car fare has been
that direction. but rather toward the Hamilton.
Grand and Roosevelt Street Ferries So far the
Bridge has therefore not accomplished the results
expected from it.
SUBURBS NOT HEALTHFuL
sgFurthermore the reputation of the suburbs of all
our large cities is being ruined by the neglect OF
sanitary precautions Cesspools and vaults. which
NAV be seen side by side from every car window as
the traveller passes by. with damp cellars and un-
drained house sites are the prime causes Oh tne an
public water supply the soil only becomes more
saturated ana consumption and rheumatism pre-
vail The turning over OF the ground iUr Sa,ans aara
fhorpugh drainage however, will cure all Of these
evils just soon as the public are awakened U 's
need. /. ...
An ex-physician moved some years ago to Astoria
and was at first charmed with ITS beauty. lie re-
maine9 there seven years anu assr s sosSea
with malaria" he returned to New-York. His house
rent at first was $4O0, but the landlord reduced 1t
now called Bankruptvie." The toll gate man at
the bridge over the shrewsbury River at Atlantic
Highlands, when asked If there was any malaria IN
that region answered by agitatng his SHOULDERS III
q doleful fashion and remarked significantly;
aEyerything shakes here except the fence posts"
Staten Island is notorious for its chills and fever
and the Inconvenience and cost of travel have
proved permanent obstacles to the growth OF that
beautiful neghborhood The oi1cla death rate .c OF
Pavonne Jersey City Heights. Weehawken, and
Tho vicinity proves leyond any theories what is tie
County is too distant ana the expense OF IaVei 700
great. , - A., o.;oo
of NewYork. could the bane OF malaria be removed
What more inviting places OF residence than Staten
Island or Bay Ridge or Fort Hamilton, fronting on
our noble harbor, if they could once more be made
heathful If the syndicate OF capitalists VINO con
templated buying Cuta from the Spanish Govern
ment would invest lew millions IN removing
malaria from these sections, they would find a
bonanza in the speculation.
The following letter from an eminent American
author formerly resident OF New-YOrk, csntalns
soule pertinent suggestions
The grand fundamental final remedy is to lessen the
pressure on Manhattan Island by making Staten Island,
Weschester County and Long Island nt Tor human ha-
itstion by killing the fever ard ague Efecual drainage
pIe would speedily be nled with people II the bed OF
Clay which rests were pierced and cut SO as TO let
fbroug and carry of the water 1have counted twenty
i've pools OF standing water on staten Island without
moving from my position The tenement House Com
from Harlem beyond Stamford and throughout all tue
region within nifty miles OF the City Hall; then people
will move away from the centre and leave room for
proper tenements. How | wish to you in your
crusade az inst these evils, words cannot say
LITTLE DONE BY RAILROADS.
Many workmen of the better class who moved to
East New-York. Hoboken. or Gowanus and there
invested in little homes, have been driven back TO
thecity by malaria and have had tose property
at a sacrifice Again. the railroads have offered no
Inducements to workngmen but have catered
chiefly to well-to-do residents. In conse,
Quence places within few miles OF the City Hall
have stagnated for years that business has been
diverted ana property depressed country seat
Mt Irvington, which cost Y73,OO0, was recently
offered at $4,000; another at kiverdale, costing
&35, 900 twelve years ago. was sold i'll 1888 for
$4,000. The following comparison between the
commuters rates to different suburban places is
suggestive. Ii would be impossible for an ordinary
laborer to pay such fares. -
Distance. Rate fare.
Place Miles. ! Per mile