New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-18
TENEMENT-HOUSE REFORM.
MR.. GILDERs COMMITTEE MAKES ITS
RECOMMENDATIONS.
REMEDIES FOR OvERCRowDING OF BUILDINGS
AND TENANTS sUGGEsTED-sMALL PARKS
IN THE LOWER PART OF THE CITY AND

IN THE LOWER PART OF THE CITY AND
IN THE NEIGHBoRHooD OF SCHOOLS.
Albany Jan 1.-THE report of the Tenement
| House Committee of 1924 was SUBMITTED W Tue
| Legislature to-day.
After some general remarks and statistics Inc
report proceeds the discussion of the overcrowd-
ing Of the tenement house population as tolio"s'
Il is here that large families occupy narrow quar- i
ters-as for instance. family Of eleven In only 'wo
| rooms 1t is among this population tnat .ne
Illegal overcoming takes place This latter over
crowding continues to exist even when the pressur"
! from emigration Is somewhat reduced Tor IL repre-
rooms, but the poverty both OF the dodgers and
the family which permits IFS floors 10 De covered al
for a place to sleep among people who speak their
| own language. The personal observation OF the
show that the overcrowding Of the population, Doth
to house and district has evil effects of various
midnight in the warn weather because the rooms
are almos; unendurape; making cleanliness OF house
and street difficult: hl'ng the air with unwhoie-
some carnations and foul odors OF every KIND
| Ing with the separaleness and sacredness of home
| life; leading to the promiscuous mixing OF all ages
| and in a single room-thus breaking down the
barriers Of modesty and conducting to the corruption
OF the young. and occasionally to revolving crimes
THE DoUBLE-DECKER.
The "doube-decker' called. is the hope
| less form OF tenement house construction. II began
| with the old New York dwelling altered over and
| gradually a type produced In some respects
better and I'm some than the earlier
forms OF the tenement. The douDe-decker
cannot be well ventilated: 1t cannot be well lighted;
II is not safe In OF fire II is built on lot %
feet wide by 10 or less in depth with APARTMENTS
FOR four families in each story. This necessitat"s
the occupation OF from " TO 20 per cent of the lots
depth. The stairwaywel In the centre OF the house
and III" necessary walls and partitions reduce the
width Of the middle rooms (Which serve as bed
rooms FOR least two people each, TO nine feet
each at the most. and a narrow light and air
shaft now legally required in the cssntre Of each
side wall. stll further lessons the floor space OF
these middle rooms Direct Hight is only possible for
the rooms at the front and rear. The middle rooms
must borrow what light they from dark hall
ways the shallow shafts and the front and rear
po 70 Their air. must pass through , other rooms
before Il reaches them. nve-story house OF this
" families population frequently amounting to
ana dodgers to 80 or
TENEMENT FIRES
or the danger from fires among the tenement
houses the report says:
In the year ending June 30. 1894. there were 2rj
tenemen, house fires involving a loss Of sos.7H-
and IN that time fifteen occupants killed out
right ami seventy-two injured II IL startling fact
that while less than one-third OF the buildings in
N~w-Nork AZ" tenement houses. among them occur
Annually more than one-haf OF the fires. During
the half-ycar or more that this committee has been
AZ work seven fatal tenement house fires have
taken pace. in each Of four ~ these one life was
lost 90 one TWO lives IN another three lives. ana In
stu another seven. making total OF sixteen deaths
The evils innlried by tenement house fires SHOULD
not We computed in mere statistics Of DEATH per
sonal injury o- of property destroyed Such fire.
~ wn.n NO r'ckon"i serious means a panic
suggested
IN" unrecofd"l III that follow such calamity.
Tho destruction ~ property. slight in money value.
entails sudden eviction anl generally the uninsured
Joss - al the worldly possessions OF the tenant
When 10 is remembered that the larger part Of oar
lp,'"In IT, l't,'SlE snolc,' 10 ne an2Vr ,
should there BE- legislation looking to the future
The number AMI virIl"nce OF tenement-house fires.
ovERCRowDING oF BUILDINGS
The ovcrcrowding - buildings IS condemned on
the grOupd that It j. serious menace TO health
the overcrowdns u Inhabitants. The report says
on mis- point.
80 discretion should be allowed the Building De-
partment In granting permits FOR houses TO cover
more than - per e"nt ~ the area OF any inside lot
covered but his permitted exceptions 10 be made
These exceptions have become the rule and block
rom 80 uer cent fo =; per cent ard total av@rags
FOR thirty blocks showing - u OF the built
upon
DANGERS OF OLD DWELLINGS,
Owners o. ancient 'aulmarks converted into homes
'or the poor receive htilr coun,cnance from the
follow ng portion OF the report:
II is wcll-known fact tina; human i"s'..ngs' py
prolonged occupation. become So saturated WIN lm'
bodily carnations Of those who rave nNru III ,nts
sick ana wei" ~ 10 De loss h,I,hy t"in r,,n, ~
houses This result " prolonged human m,S
which N" character ~ the popnaL2h IN ,, ,ne,
parts II the city has changed ana the iac, iha,
hon-es bn,I a. pr'1r her i'm rsspect to light ven
uaton water supply. privacy or faculties Tor eIrd'
private residence. then a boarding house, then a
tenement and finally IS totally negiec,e1 oy ..
on account Of IN, encroachments Of business, the
babIIitv thar fl will soon have to be torn down
and the consequent Individuality Of additional eN
penditure TO keep II In repair b,cotnvs ~ 5,9s
rhis "a nrnb,hv he main reason for the persistent
high death rate In the First ward wncr' , tne IN
nuence OF nationality hardly enters few Italians
living there Tor example-but where very rev |
modern tenements have been pull, ahe me '' an
Old dwelling house make way for IA business
structure.
CAUSES INFLUENCING THE DEATH RATE
Causes influencing the death rate are thus sum
married..
nafon,li,Y ~ th lnhab!tSnts the character Of the
subso and the facilities for drainage the age .tn
~row'Ilnr or i.oiation OF tn houses themselveS |
of thcs" factors. w9en We are phsr ~ ~ i'm
proving the sanitary condition OF the community
conn, Th"so ~" cannot alter. Provision for drain |
age both OF subsoil and OF tn house. - mae 10y
he r"rtaiIy remcdlci by the enforcement OF the |
present Jaws against ovrrcrowdlns py 1nu nrno
munictiIon throughout the city's territory; The |
future cnn be mp sn}sty from IRE
But the legislation which VII most s tfVo ar w a do
away with the rear tenements ana roov oh hoss IN
old ramshackle. disease breeding 'enemen'-no" !"
the city.
MODEL. TENEMENTS DO PAY.
Model tenements receive hearty Endorsement IN |
the following statement.
No one of this committees Investigations coVeIeI
a more important fed than that which c9nSerned
improved e.lings for the poor or nloue tene-
mcnts now existing In or near New n0rk ny
Detailed and careful statements describing edch
separate enterprise Of this kind VIII ne iOunu III
the supplement They prove. In general; a., .
First.That good dwellings reduce the death rae.
Second-That they tend To Increase me morahy
and stf-respect of the people living IN mem.
Third-rhat they favorabiy affect SURROUNDINGS
neghborhoods =, .,u.d
Fourh-That they pay wnen properly n'"'oo''
fair profits to heir owners ,,, ,.,rh,
This last point t. one OF the most valuable prouSnt
out by this Investigation. II dis9roVes the sup
position existing I'm some quarters ana dscourasi
@ improved dwellings can ne puil anu
conducted only when the Investor Is Wiling 10
make severe sacrifices for phllanhropys sake.
Model tene do