Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1888-01-15
WOMEN'S DEPARTMENT.
EDITED BY BELLE MEADE SMITH.


what Win be Done with the
Homeless.
A tolerated outrage, and one which
is telling and will continue to tell
against Los Angeles, is the extortion-
ate rents OF houses and rooms. The
climate, the land and the business
advantages are being doomed at a
tremendous rate; in consequence
of which people Of all circumstances
and from all parts of the United
States are pouring into the City OF the
Angels, Those who come with a
good bank account, and who can
afford to buy lots and erect homes,
fare indifferently we'll; but those who
have migrated with nothing in the
way of capital, except hope and
energy, are in some respects
worse off than the social outcasts OF
older and larger cities. Near the
Santa Monica freight depot, or Park
Station, as it is more generally
known, there is big barn, over the
door of which is inscribed, "Tramps'
Hail." and which is said to be
the Mecca of that footsore fra
ternity. But there is no such
refuge as this even for the many
who neither own nor can afford to
own houses in Los Angeles; and who,
so to speak, are more unfortunate
than either the dreaded tarantula or
the despised gopher, both Of which
can get and hold for a certain period,
land upon their own terms. have
had these facts fooced upon me
recently by painful experience;
but an experience which | regret to
know is shared by all who occupy
similar circumstances. For three
months a family of five and consider
able furniture and countless trunks,
were wedged into two rooms, waiting
as best we could for the possession OF
the entire house, which was promised
to us at $50 per month. At last we
got the place to ourselves, and in
q delirium OF JOY set about keeping
house on an Eastern plan somewhat
condensed) once more. At the ex-
piration of the first month, however,
the landlord, who had known from
the first that in the absence OF pipe
holes we were compelled to use gaso-
line. assumed to discover that inf1am-
mable fluid on the premises, and there
by made it an excuse to raise the rent
SIS, whereupon we protested, and he
passed the property over to a pur
chaser who has every appearance OF
being a bogus but who, all the same,
has legally notified us that in future
the rent is to be $45. So it is all over
the city. The poorest and most $50
lated houses are renting for $50
and $50, while single rooms can
not be had Tor less than $40 or
SIS. This taken into consideration
with the exorbitant prices OF wood
and coal, the occasional scarcity OF
gasoline and the horrible quality OF
oil which is being sold, such as "The
American Flag" brand, ETC., makes
living a serious questi III to large
majority OF the Los Angeleiios
of the present day. Vegetables,
groceries, meats, milk and bread
range here as they do else where, but
fuel and houses, there's the rub"
The question therefore arises, What
will be done with the Homeless ?"
Send them East again with horrible
idea of Southern California, or pro-
vide them with homes such as
thew have left behind. If
somebody woul start building
association, that would be help; or
if the passion prevailing for buying
and selling could he changed into a
passion for building and renting, Los
Angeles might become to the poor the
paradise it is to the rich.