The evening times., 1895-12-09
N0RkMEh's HOUSE RENT
Commiss.o .oner Of lab..rHas Dene
Investigating the Subject.
OTHER COUNTRIES COMPARED
He Says That Twenty Per Cent OF
Their Wages Is Enou9h-Six Amer
lean institutions Show Different
Ratcs-Employers Aid Their Help
by Providing Low Rents.

Hates-Employers Aid Their Help
by Providing Low Rents.
Hon. Carroll d. Wright, Commissioner of
Labor, is of the opinion that workmen in
this world are paying too much OF their
wages for rent. He comes tn this concur
sion after making a recent investigation
of the housing of the working classes in
various countries OF the world.
One-fifth OF the wages earned by the
head of family ought tn be the ma x mum
expenditure for rent In cities. This, Com
missioner Wright says, is agreed by the
most Competent economists Hence the
workman in the city whu earns 500 month
should not pay more than $40 of it each
month to his landlord.
Through the assistance of DIR. E. r. l..
Gould, late statistical expert OF the De-
partment of Labor, Commissioner Wright
has collected Information concerning houses
and building enterprises for wurkmcn in all
or the larger countries of the world, From
these he has selected plans, with accom-
panying data, as models. These include
large tenement OF block buildings and small
houses for individual families.
A FRENCH SCHEME.
Cuc vi tHe HioSt interesting Oh tUe
institutions invss tigate,l is a French COM
pany which has formulated scheme TO
assist its employees TO become house own
ers. A man working for this company may
rent comfortable little cottage of brick
and cut stone, with two stories. including
a kitchen. parlor and two bedrooms, be-
sides Il cellar, for only S2.32 per month in
American money. Twice this amount is
charged for such house by private owners
in the neighborhood. Each house stands
on lot two thousand square feet in area,
and thus has an ample yard. By novel
arrangement retiuct IONS in rent are made
for men in the employ OF the company for
certain lengths of time, apd who have o
certain number of children.
Besides this, the firm lends money TO
workmeD, at low interest, that they may
build their own houses. 1t sends q ply
sician, free of charge, to the beds of any
OF its men or their families in case of in
jury or sickness. To those in the families
Of men employed more than two years they
furnish free medicines. Men working less
than two years get one-third and their
families oDe-fifth off the regular prices
OF medicines. A free hospital and attend
ing nurse are maintained for employees and
their families.
ACCESS To BATHS.
All persons in the settlement likewise have
access to mineral baths. The employees
themselves are given free accidental insur-
ance, and are offered relief fund, savings
bank, indemnity during temporary military
service, and "a rden lands for rent at low
figure. Besides this benevolence on the part
or the employers. scholarships are given To
workniens children who show special apti-
tu,ies and who wish to attend the industrial
schools.
Through a real estate company at Rouen,
France, comfortable houses are rented 10
workmen for about seventy-seven cents a
week, or $40 a year. Men living in these
houses make from seventy-seven cents to
S1.35 per day. Hence those receiving the
lowest wages need reserve but one days
salary each week to pay their rent. The
price OF such house held by private parties
In the same part OF Rouen would be much
more If the tenant cares 10 purchase his
home he may do so by pa ying $40 each year
i'll addition TO his rent, for sixteen years.
These houses are cosey, two-story affairs.
generally five rooms-a kitchen
and living room on the first floor and three
on the second.
A celebrated chocolate manufacturer in
France houses at Noisiel about fourteen
hundred of his employees in model eiings
The rents are lowered according to a fixed
scale, after ten. fifteen and twenty years
service. The average house has two stories.
Such houses rent for little less than $40
year, which is from a tenth to u twelfth
Of tue wages of each family.
Besides offering this cheap re mt. the pro-
prietor furnishes free repairs. taxes, water.
schools for employees children. medical at
tendance, baths, literary and musical en-
Here are situated schools. a
store and bakery, concert hall,
clubroom, restaurant where workmen not
tenants get their meals. refectories. hospi-
tai. and library.
Provisions In the store are sold at cost; the
free schools are condu cted at the proprietor's
expense. nd besides these he has estab-
ished a savings ban which gives 6 per cent
on all deposits.
A NOVEL PLAN.
By Il corporation of Birkenhead. England,
IS worked a novel scheme by which employees
may live in its houses almost free of re mt at
The expiration OF give q time. At the end
or the first year rent is reduced 80 per cent:
at the end of the third another 80 per cent;
1t the end OF the fifth another 80 per cent,
a nd the remaining 10 per cent continues to
be paid to meet expenses of maintenance
and repairs. Thus the me n are given an in
rentive to stay long. and the company is
.na bled to retain old and experienced hands.
A large mining company in Belgium has
built. In groups of four, comfortable brick
houses of five rooms. renting for 81 .45. The
average rent for like houses in the vicin-
ty. owned by private parties, is said to be
double this. The same company, although
not selling its own houses. advances money
% workmen. free of interest, to be deducted
from their wages, If they care to build.
Theproprietor or ofOue of the world sgreatest
gun works, in Germany. has in stituted res
srvation for his employees and their 70 miles,
no w numbering in all about sS, 900. Besides
systems of cheap rental and mort
cages he has established two immense lodg-
ing houses for his employees.
The charge for board aud lodging In these
Is 26 cents per da y for each man. The eman-
agement is conducted on tn eplan ofa military
barracks, ever yman ma knights ownbed and
attending to his room. Orderlies are ap-
pointed by the proprietor. and respect for
These officers is demanded from the dodgers.
Fines are also imposed upon employees for the
of ruleslaid down by the proprietor.
In Belgium there is a semi official int situ-
lion, the General Savings Bank, holding de-
posits guaranteed by the government. This
y to oworkingmen a low rates ofin-
erest in order to encourage them in building
heir own homes. Through system of life
insurance. Observation-Disclosures under Belgian
aw. the family of workman is given a
home, in case of his death.
INSTITUTIONS IN AMERICA.
Commissioner Wright points with great EN-
phasis to the Importance of these institu-
ions Of the Belgian government.
Six institutions in America have been Sc
lected by the commissioner In his study of
model small houses. The rent paid by the
American workman will appear very large