New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-28
DIR. TRANSFORMS IDEA.
THE SOCIAL EVIL SHOULD BE CONFINED
TO DISTRICTS.
DIsORDERLY WOMEN NOW SWARM ~ THE POOR
PARTS OF THE CITY-TRINTTY CHURcHs
UNsANITARY MISUNDERSTANDING TEsTI-
MONY BEFORE THE TENEMENT
HOUSE COMMISSION.

HOUSE COMMISSION
! The Rev. Dr. William s. Ralnsford. rector of ST.
| Georges Protestant Episcopal Church. and Joseph
g. Reynolds. of the University Settlement. furnished
| decided sensations in their testimony before the
/ Tenement-House Commission yesterday afternoon
in the Old General Sessions Building In City Hall
| Park. Striking. also. the testimony OF the
landlord OF VIGOROUSLY vic tenement-house that
he leased hiSproperty from the Trinity Church Cor
poration and that that parish in position TO
know of the foul condition Of the tenement and
might have made him keep IL clean Dr. Rains
fords testimony perhaps amazing as has
ever been given by minister of prominence in this
city since Dr. Parkhurst told of his visits TO the
disorderiy houses protected by the police.
immortality in the tenements the subject UNI
der inquiry, and Dr. Ransford the stand,
He said that in the last few months. account OF
the raids d!sordorly houses. the standard OF NOR
atty had been greatly lowered in the tenement dis
tricts. lie said the number OF immoral
the streets III the tenement house districts han
alarmingy increased. and that whole districts hth
erto comparatively clean. from the point OF view
of morality. being corrupted at appalling
speed.
THE present system is all wrong" he declared.
Nothing could possibly be devised You
might well throw the germs Of typhoid fever
into the water that the residents OF house
going to drink as to allow prostitutes to gain
Judgment there. At the present time these women.
who have been driven out of the houses which
the police. have other place to go to than the
fats Of the middle and better class districts. and
the tenements Of the poorer localities. They
have hocked and are hocking TO these places in
demoralizing and omnous horde In the houses
which they formerly occupied they were not
| thrown into contact with persons who did not
| wish to meet them. There rarely any chill
dren in the houses. on the street they had their
| bad influence of course, but it did not compare
| with the harm that they do now where they be-
| come really a part OF the daily lives OF class OF
| people who would gladly avoid them II they could.
THE present system is all wrong. and New-York
| will have recognize It's sooner or later.
| These women will have to be confined to certain
| localities that other localities may be rid OF
| their presence"
HE DOES NOT FAVOR LICENSING.
Here Mr.. Foster interrupted the clergyman by
| asking him whether he was in favor Of licensing
houses of prostitution.
II did not say that" said DR.. Rainsford. 'and
/ do not think that that would be necessary
wise. do believe. however. that some plan OF
disricting this evil should be laid and put into
operation"
"Distrc,ing of the kind you suggest would be
practically licensing. would It not?" asked Mr..
Foster
NO / do not mean that the existence OF the evil
should be recognized necessary by any such law"
Then the plan you advocate would leave the mat
ter in the hands OF the police for adjustment and
regulation"
YES believe that some plan of dstrcting
should be adopted"
do you think that IT would be safe 10 trust this
in the hands OF Of the character that the
IcxOw Committee has shown the police OF this city
TO possessT'
81 di not understand that. that we have OBJ
taincd a reform government. W. were likely TO be
burdened by men Of that character any longer"
Have you any more definite plan to suggest
Il did not say that had. have simply said that
some plan OF districtng the immoral women or this
town. and thus saving the respectable mass OF the
population from their communicating influence H. In
my opinion absolutely necessary TO the moral wei
fare OF the city OF New-York."
DIR. Ralnsford also said that he thought the bar
should be opened in the isnemen,-housc dis
tricts on Sunday afternoon. The people down
there going TO have their beer. whether they
can get II legally not II Is right that they
should have II II they want it. IL would be much
better TO let them have II without forcing them 10
become criminals In order to get II. The child who
sneaks along the street sunday with pail. and
surrepilousy gets II filed At a saloons side door.
knows that in doing Il II is violating the law But
II does IL just the same, and T. will always do It,
DO you suppose that that increases It's respect FOR
the law Of the land? On tn" contrary. II weakcns
and lessons II. and in that way II does a distinct
and grea, harm For that reason II for not other.
the saloons OF the tenemen;-house districts should
be opened on Sunday"
HIGH RENTS OF THE POOR.
Dr. Rainsford has been a long and hard worker
among the poor Of the East side and his Interest
ing remarks by no means confined TO the
two subjects outlined. He SAID that in his opinion
when an unsked laborer PAID more than an eighth
or a tenth OF his income in rent collapse was al
most sure TO follow. In New-York the unskl!ed
laborer paid from one-quarter 10 one-nfth OF MS
total earnings for rent. and rents had adj
yanced in the city from % to 2 per cent IN 5he
viousy given by Professor Adler That me CITY
should acquire land IN the suburbs and erect there,
on suitable dwellings for wage-earners which should
be Jet at a reasonable and iixeTi rental 81, -.
University Settlement which preceded DE- Pains
ford's. quite as strong as ms IN us 3,atenon1s
ment house districts by the recently adoptcd pol
Icy Of driving disorlerly women out OF me nous
Ing hives OF the tencments. lie said thit inc phy,
Win when no was so intimately acquainted were
brought about principally 10y the mness Nv ba v
III vorst POSSIBLE effect on the bodily and mental
health OF the people In warn weather me gre er
forced into the streets until long after mldnf i{
The FIRE escapes too were ,verc dnrk and bs ad
yocated that they should be constantly hghteh py
gas The promiseuons crowding ,oge f 70 have
a demoraiizng effect on health and morals alikei
10 the districts and the respectable
young women and men wnte tS them This he
thought due to the closing OF disorders houseS
o. III" a,s fel, the necessity for more public baths
"a srne, conyenjen ,es and thought that all streets
a. anu ,nement-h house districts should be paved with
asphalt.
TRINITY CHURCH AS LANDLORD.
One Of the episodes OF the afternoon was the APP
.or,nce NJ Trinity Church In the investigation
II has long been known that Trinity was one OF he
largest tenement house landlords In New-iork but
few thought that the great religious corporation
yss subject TO the same faults that the Tenement
IIouse Commission has shown the other lahd'oro'
hay
vas nlaced on the stand to testify To ms re-
pert an the houses at Nos So and ~ chariton-st Inc
ppecretary read the report. which was somewhat IKE
this: . $3.50, A.h,.,to, Tho walls