The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-23
LANDLORD AND TENA Nj.

| mitted except meulum slzpu lainiiy
adults" and that they must be American,
and, moreover, "no one need apply that
smokes in the house"
We have not examined the tenement
and consequently can not express an in
teligent opinion as to just how
much of sacrifice it might
be worth for the privilege of
occupying it. We are frank to admit,
however, that as il contains only "four
square rooms and two attics,' that the
provision against anything but a "me-
dium sized family adults" is wise
and that it is consderate of the
landlord to state this in advance
else applications from large sized
families, or small-sized families, Of
adults with ten or dozen children,
cook, perhaps, chambermaid, waitress
and coachman, might apply for that
tenement to the needless annoyance OF
the landlord aud their own disappoint-
ment at being shut out from the four
rooms and two attics.
We recognize the inalienable right of
the landlord to let his tenement only to
Americans, native or naturalized, just
as some other landlords might prefer to
have Italians, or Irish, or Germans, or
Swedes, or Hottentots for their tenants
We recognize, too, that paternal con-
Germ for the atmosphere that is to sur
round the prospective tenant, as well for
the smell of the curtains in the other
part Of the house, indicated by
the provision that "no one need
apply that smokes in the house."
This landlord, it will be observed, makes
no objection to the practice of smoking
on the part of any medium sized family
Of American adults that may come
along, but they simply must not smoke
in the house. OBVIOUSLY, though, the
same end is reached as if the
practice itself were objected to
for you can't expect man to sit out in
"A snow bank and smoke his after-supper
pipe. The rule will take care of itsef
IN the summer, but in the winter time
it is a case of smoking in the house or
not smoking at all.
If we were a medium sized family of
adults, American, and not desirous of
smoking in the house, we should still
hesitate to apply for that tenement lest
after we got well inside new regulations
might be made, as, for instance
the restriction of our usual
privilege of coming home nights
at what hour we pleased, rule not to
sift the ashes within two blocks of the
parlor windows, bylaw to shovel coal
only with an upholstered shovel so that
it wouldn't rattle, and provision
against letting the cat have kit
tens. Under good many
landlords a mans house is
no longer his castle, not if ne pays
rent instead of owning his own home.
Blessed be the landlord who let's his
house, takes his rent, and keeps his
hands off until he is invited around to
pay for the windows the children have
smashed and repair the plumbing that
has been knocked ont of joint by causes
mysterious and unknown.
Here in Providence. as the situation is
today, the landlords are often as hard put
to 1t to get good tenants as the tenants
are to get good landlords. The rapid
house-building keeps tenement property
values on the downward scale, and
good tenant at fair price
is welcomed by the average land
lord nowadays who does not seek
to restrict him in his comings and
goings. IL is often the tenant, today,
rather than the landlord who has an
undue sense of his own Importance in
the community and feels that he is
necessity to the landlord on any terms,
just as the autocratic landlord used TO
feel that he was a necessity to the tenant
class. 1t was this kind of landlords
which, unconsciously, did much
to help the booom in land
buying and house building schemes
among the plain people who found
that the methods of the real estate
man who bought large piece of the top
of the earth, cleared it, plated it, anl
planted it with shade trees, and
then offered it in house lots at
few dollars down and
few cents week, offered fine induce
ments for escaping what they had come
to feel was the tyranny of landlords. We
know lots OF landlords and tenants who
hold each other in mutual respect, and
who are always considerate, each of the
others interest; but that there are los
of the other kind Of tenants is indicated
by the precaution taken by the landlord
we have quoted as to whom he will admit
TO this tenement, and that there are lots
of the other kind of landlords is demon
strated by the splendid business that j
30 a al