The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-05-23
Artisans Homes.

experiments in the direction of bright
ening human life But, with less than
half dozen blocks of municipal tene-
ments, she is still far from pointing tho
Way to beatific condition. She is also
far from having become socialistic city.
She had the opportunity to make expert
ments in the most wretched of her dis.
tricts. The experiments have succeeded
and private enterprise here, as elsewhere
has made similar experiments and with
similar success.
The municipal tenements or artisans
dwellings, as they are variously called
consist of blocks Of flats on either side
of the Saltmarket. The buildings are
four stories in height The ground floors
are occupied by shops The houses are
usually arranged so that on two floor
there are three tenements n tenement OF
two rooms being on each side of the
staircase and tenement of one room be
tween them. There are also several flats
of three rooms each. The tenement of
one room is IA by ID feet, 1t is fitted
with bed closet, which is expected to
answer the purpose of a second room, G.
scullery, a large press or cupboard,
commodious dresser and kitchen range,
Such an apartment rents for $40 year.
The two roomed fiat has small lobby
fitted with a press, or closet On one
side of the lobby is the living room,
which is completely furnished as
kitchen. A scullery adjoins There is
also bed alcove in the room. On the
other side of the lobby and on the front
of the house is the sitting room, to which
is also attached bed closet. Such a flat
rents for $40. 80 per annum. The three
roomed flats rent for $50 year. Gas IL
supplied by the city at the usual rate OF
60 cents per 900 feet. There is laun-
dry at the top of the house for the use
of the tenants These artisans dwellings
are constructed in the most substantial
manner. The stairs are stone, and the
stairway walls are tiles or glazed brick,
which is easily kept clean.
1t has long been objected that these
dwellings do not meet the necessities Of
the poorest class of laborers The rents
were too high for men who work in the
streets or on the docks and at other kinds
|
slider whether it We're possible for the
municipality to reach these men in any
way. If it had been question of letting
rooms to single men, the arrangement
could have been made easily enough.
But the disculty was to devise homes
for large families, and it usually hap
pens that in this part of the world the
poorer the man the larger is his family.
Houses could be built, of course, but
could the poorest class of laborers afford
to pay rent which would return to the
municipality an interest of 2, or A
per cent on its investment? Could the
municipality compete in that respect
with the owners of rookeries, where
families live in single apartments?
Much deliberation was given to the sub
ject 1t was found that the municipality
could put up block Of substantial
buildings to meet the wants of the class
hitherto left untouched, but that 1t
would not be practicable to provide any
thing more than what are called lone
roomed houses'--that is to say, one
room to family To be sure, the rooms
could be divided by a PARTITION REACHING
within two or three feet of the ceiling,
the sleeping quarter being thus separated
from the cooking quarter.
1t was finally decided that block Of
single room tenements should be con
structed. A place was cleared at the
rear of block Of artisans dwellings,
and plain building of three stories was
erected, with four single room tenement:
Oh each floor, two in the front and two
behind. These were let at rents wei
within the means of unskilled laborers
The building was opened and it ha
Jeen filled ever since. The experiment
is financially successful, but i'll other re
spects there is little to be said for it. O
course the apartments are larger, lighter
| healthier better built than any singh
r room tenements in the old rookeries
Nevertheless the objections to the herd
Q ing of family in one room are not there
0 by removed. They are merely minimize'
/ and in very slight degree 1t is not b.
4 any means demonstrated that munich
pality is justified in doing anything t
: perpetuate the single room tenement sys
! tenn for families.
k The construction of Glasgow's muniC
n ipal tenement houses, whether Of tn
: better class or of the poorer, is admire
n BILE. The stairways, being built entirel
# Of masonry, are consequently fireproo
The stairs themselves and the hall fiool
% are of stone, and the walls of the hal
ir are faced with glazed tiles or glaze
v bricks, as the case may be, and, as HAY
3. said, are easily kept clean.
Y, A very large amount of work yet +
A. mains to be done ON the municipal esta
IN which comes under the administrative
b. of the improvement fund Old houses a
to still being torn down, and crowded are
I'd are being cleared away. OF course a
id this is very expensive business. But
ne is being gradually carried on so that Il
cost may not fall excessively on al
n. single year.-Glasgo,o Corresponds
"a, Boston Herald.