New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-11
MODEL HOMES FOR WORKERS.
ALFRED r. WHITE TELLS HOW IliEf
SHOULD BE BUILT.
MOVEMENT on FOOT TO ERECT THEM IN NE"
YORK CITY-srccEss OF THE BROOKLYN
Observation-Disclosures THINGS TO BE
CoxsrDrRrD IN TIE CONSTRtC-

CONSIDERED IN TIE coNsTRtc-
TloN or BUILDINGS.
Tho improved Housing Council OF New 'N ~
no more ardent friend 'han 800 -. W. White
,niss.oner Alfred T. White. Of Brooklyn. WI. ,,
a.,ondod the meeting OF the council IN cooper '"'o"
IN Friday night and IS convinced '"a' '"e "0
mcnt IS going to be success ,,,
,rbora had ben a few spasmodic efforts 10 puilu
mode ,enemcnts In America before 'he
Works Commss oaer constructed o'e
s,r,cturcs IN H:cks-st.. but they had proved ran
40, h,c,use the buildings were so snaH thit
,,c.ead Of elevating the tone Of the neGhDorh'ou
in which they were situated they pe'a"e sun
merged beneath the existing evils.
A Tribune reporter saw Mr.. Nm'e On '"'"'
dav afternoon just as he was IeAN-hS "'H ' "
No 10 Rems,n-st for an oyer-Sunday trip 10 'he
po-bsh,res While on his way 10 the Grand Centra
station he talked freely Of the movement III New
york for better homes for wage-earherS' anu VI
his own successful experiments IN hrooK,!"'
"1,ho New-York people are hopeful, he pesan
''of raising az much money as 'hey "cr'' i"''
intend 10 nut In operation improved dwellings, ana
iencments over there on as iFse '' " my
are conducted here.
..Thc movement Is exclusively New-1 ork move
men; and includes plans for city blocks ana Suour-
han houses From the character ana carnes'i-ss
Of the men back OF 1t bave no hesitahcy III say
ing that Il Is the most promising moVemeh, Oh '''S
SORT
mitt,e are highly intelligent and they are proceeu-
, g., an intelligent manner; they are investigating
,ro,,,,,. 70 get the best points OF the tenement
problem obtainab!e. .
"Ir Rroollvn we arc not plagued with tenement
district evils they are IN Ncw-hoTK Ahey mus
nrovde there for half million persons "h"e !"
Rrooklvn we need 70 provide for only ZOV'"o per
,s 60 e they can yet the money In New orK
nov will mike A success Of It and furnsh TOT me
waee-earncrs something vastly superior TO any ''s
that now exists In that city
..N,anv neonle are deferred from going Into move
men.s of this sort by the fear that th'S WI
I,v themselves open to criticism and Will have 10
.,,h,,i, IN much annoyance. For instance they
sao,, N think that the tenants of their model
places of abode will be running TO tneir mousse ""u
wanting this and that. But ma 'nat il Poo'
n4ople are well treated they are just IKE re"
folks When they feel that the lahd' oru Is s'''"s
Them all he can they appreciate 1t and do not ask
for
THE EXPERIMENT IN BROOkLfN'
.o,r .x,orinen, in Brooklyn has proved highly
satisfactory. As an investment II has averaged
return OF per cent besides enabling Us 10 Jay
aside liberal fund as a surplus
II studied the tenement problem carefully Tor
number OF years before attempting the experiment
Finally | adopted the plan OF the Improved IN
dustral Dwelling Company OF London, mat peihs
Tho hest achievement In The way OF the model iene-
ment-house Sidney Waterlow, formerly Lord Mayor
OF London. Is president. Their blocks accomho-
date 5000 people. and their plan Is Just as superior
to all Others now a. 1t was at the neghh,n ing, ANIMAL
III was lust twenty years ago. IN the centennial
wear mat bought the Hicks-st. land and Duiit
tenement block OF forty d nTnyn5 ,pch sgc
cess financially that we put more mon Ia an n
construction OF he nsX M ou n me- 2enrure and W.
organized the Improved Dwellings company oil
The company has buildings which cover three
acres They occupy half block In HICKS, balilc
J I5T sis and Columbia Place.
we find that our tenant. are anxious 10 Iv"rRbnI
i ,s a wonder to me thai capitalists should hest
tate about making ihis sort OF an inyss,menI. III
We hsvs n our buildings IN Brooklyn 05 fam
them nfieen natonalit.es and th"y rang from aay
mechanics.
THE FIRST THING To BE CONSIDERED.
"Tbc frs, thing 10 be considered In improved
tenemcn, Is complete domestic privacy Il makes
no difference how humble the apartments may be.
every family should own a front door. THIS privacy
IS obtained partly by giving % each family lis own
water supply. There should be no common hallway
where the families VIII be compelled TO Jostle ono
another. Both noise ana disease are communicated
rhc seconi rcqu Site Is an iron nreproof stair
way. shut of from the interior. ours are SUM
asccnds he passes the front or outer door OF each
family from bottom 10 top. IL IS Impossible Tor
fire 10 be carried up 4 SALIVA Va a ."
Inc ordinary tenement house There the staircase
Is the first to 20. -
The tn rd requisite to the model tenement house
Is that there be interior rooms Every room o.
every apartment must have plenty Of direct sun
light and plenty Of air.
i"Thcsc three points have been agreed upon as
essentials by those interested in improved dwellings
in New-york and London, as wei! as In Brooklyn
In brief IN re must Doe Insured domestic privacy,
safety from fire and safety from disease.
1T should not be the aim Of ihofe building i'm
proved dwellings TO lower the rentals now pad tn
The localities Of their buildings. The aim. on the
contrary should be to give the mos, room and con
vcnlences that can be gwen AZ present prices our
rentals range from Sc 20 H2. and average - a
room and kitchen ON the SIKH floor.
There is block Of tenements in Grand..t. New,
was copied after our blocks. Jackson =. Schulz
who built them executor for n large estate. Dor
rowed from my plans, when were taken from
those OF the London company.
at Is useless put up model tenement houses
unless they largo enough 10 give tone to thcir
surround ngs. Each block should have resident
wis