The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-07-27
IN THE SLUM DISTRICTS.


of Great Importance
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 27-The
commissioner OF labor, Mr.. Carroll d.
Wright, has forwarded TO the president
his seventh special report. which relates
entirely to the slums of New York, Phil
adeiphia- Baltimore and Chicago, being
the results Of an investigation ordered
by congress. MIR. Wright considers this
one Of the most valuable reports eman-
ating from the department of labor.
The results of the present investiga-
ton relate only to the cities of New
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Chi
cago, and to certain districts within those
cities concerning which there eau be no
difference Of opinion as to whether or
not they are slum districts.
According to the best estimates, the
total slun population of Baltimore is
about $4,000; Of Chicago 162,OUO; of New
York 360, 900; of Philadelphia 35,O0J.
The districts selected are among the
worst in the city and may be denOmina-
ted as the centers of the slum popula-
ton The slulls OF cities according TO
the diction aries. are dirty back streets,
especially such streets as are inhabit-
ed by a squalid and criminal pOpula-
tion; they aEe low and dangerous neigh
borhoods.
The following is a brief summary of
some Of the results OF the Investigation:
Liquor saloons-In the city Of New
York there WAS, At the time of the inves-
tigatiOn one saloon to every 200 persons,
but in the slum districts canvassed there
was one saloon to every 12S persons.
In Philadel phia in the city at large,
there was one liquor saloon TO every $40
persons, but in the sIum district Canvass
ed there was one such saloon to every
SOP persons. In Baltimore, in the city at
large, there was one saloon to every 22S
persons, but in the slum district canvass
ed there was one saloon TO every 1O0 per-
sons. In Chicago, in the city at large
there was one saloon TO every PIP per-
sons, while in the slum district canvass
ed there was one saloon TO every 127 per-
soma
Sex-Comparing the sex of the pOpu-
Iation in the siums to that Of the whole
city, it Is found .hat in each case the
males predominant to a greater extent in
the slum districts. In Chicago the diff
ference is between 81. 3S per cent for
the whole city and 5393 per cent. for
the slum districts In New YOrk the diff
ference is between 49 "a per cent for the
whole city and 54.61 per cent for the
slums
Native and foreign bOrn-In Chicago
the total foreign born in the city at large
constitutes 40. 80 per cent of the pOpula-
ton, while in the slum district it IS SOL
per cent; in New York the foreign born
is 1923 per cent of the total population,
while in the slum district it il 6S.5S per
cent The figures show conclusively
that the proportion of foreign born per
sons in the slums of each city is very
largely ia excess of the proportion of
the whole population. This excess is in
Baltimore, PAPA per cent; in Chicago.
653 per cent; in New work, 2O.35, and
IN Philadelphia, 3. II per cent,
Illiteracy-In the city Of Chicago at
large the illiterates constitute 81 per
cent Of the native born population and
S31 Of the foreign born, the percentage
for both being f. 463, but IN the slum dis
trict canvasscd 5-64 per cent Of the ma
tive born persons are ilIIterate and 1886
per cent Of the foreign born, the per
centage for both being 25.S7. In New
York the percentage Is 1-16 for the en-
tire native born population and 14.05 for
the foreign born, the percentage for
both being 1852, while for the slum pop
ulation, the per centage of native born
who are nlerates is 7.20 and Of foreign
born 57.69, the percentage for both be-
ing 1853
Voters-In the city of Baltimore 2O13
per cent of all the voters Of. the city are
foreign born, but in the slum districts
canvassed -44C4 per cent of the voters
are foreign born. The variation in Chi
cago is not so great, the foreign born
voters of the whole city being 5O.62 per
cent, and in the slum district canvassed
61.31 OF the whole mum Der Of voters in
New York City 1898 per cent are foreign
born while in the sium district canvassed
adeIphia the differences are greater,
20 81 per cent Of tine total voters being
foreign born aud 5S.97 per cent Of the
voters in the slum district belonging to
that class
Health-The agents and experts en-
ployed in this investigation were nearly
Unanimous in the opinion they expressed
relative to the health of the people of
the slum district The statistics drawn
from the schedule replies show no
greater sickness prevailing in the dis
iricts canvassed than IN oIher parts of
the city involved, and while the most
wretched conditions were found here and
there, the small number of sick people
discovered was a surprise to the
1t may be that owing
TO the time of year (late spring. the peo-
pie were living with open windows and
thus not subjected to the foul air which
might be found in winter A supple
mentary investigation, however. made in
the winter disclOses substantially the
same conditions
Persons TO each dwelling
to the eleventh census the number Of
persons to a dwelling in Baltimore was
81; in Chicago g. 8 in New York 1882;
in Philadelphia 5. 90.