The times., 1897-05-24
a NEEDED INNOVATION.
Public Laurd ries In lasigow, Mexico
and Other Cities.

scheme OF philanthropy new to this
country, although old in Europe and some
or the other Americas republics, is abI;lt
To be tried in New York Under the
auspices OF the Society for the ImprO ge-
nient OF the Con dition Cf lie rcAr. IL is
the establishment OF public laundries in
the tenement-house district, at which
women may take their clothes and wash
them in pure water, and iron them prop
eriy at nominal expense. As sani.
tary measure IL is highly commended by
the board of health and all medical au-
thorities, and as benevoience It's al
vantages viii be readily recognized
In nearly every city OF Mexico and in
most of tie South American republics
are open air fountains, with stone tubs
at which the poor may 70 and wash
their clothes They have the benefit OF
clear, running water, but 1T is cold, and
there are no conveniences for drying or
mangling. The clothes have TO lie spl ead
out in the sun, and then ironed at home
If they are ironed at all The water is
free and available at all times, and 1t
is blessing the people appreciate as
well as measure of Importance in pro-
tecting the public health
4 Glasgow, which is said to be the best
governed city in the world, are public lauIl-
dries OF the most modern type, filled with
all the conveniences that ingenuity can
contrive, where for the trifling sum of
cents an hour a woman is allowed the use
OF "a stall containing an improved steam
boiler, fixed tubs, with hot and cold water
and plenty of soap. The washing being
quickly done, the clothes are deposited for
two or three minutes in one OF a row of
centrifugal driers, after which they are
hung on sliding frames and run into Il Lot
air chamber, where they are dried i IL n few
minutes Then the woman can have The
use or a large roller Diangle, operated Y
steam, and at the end OF one hour 60
home with her basket Of clothes washed,
dried and ironed.
To appreciate the convenience aud Il e
blessing of this, 1T must he remembered
that the woman lives with her family in
perhaps single room, ten feet square,
under the roof Of tenement house, With
out running water, and no place to dIy
her clothes, even if she had facilities for
washing them. The public laundries Of
Glasgow are used by 100000 people
The city also provides laundries at which
OdtutiOiSt NluOWSfS, iUNAlLuS dIu DtUcIS
who have no wives to wash for them may
have their rclothesdone up at nominal ra tes-
just enough to cover the expense. These
laundries are largely patronized by mechan-
les and men OF small wages, who cannot af-
for.l to pay the charges OF ordinary private
Iaundries, and do not wear fine linen No
starching is done at the municipal laun-
dries; nothing but plain work.
The Association for the Improvement
of the Condition OF the Poor in New York
proposes to establish something similar to
the Glasgow laundry, in large house
heated with steam and supplied with all
the equipments and conveniences necessary
small fee will be charged-perhaps
cents an hour-and, to keep out professional
laundresses, the time will be limited. The
board of aldermen now appropriate $780,
600 annually for public baths and public
comfort stations, and an effort will be
made to secure small additional subsidy
for the laundries. The balance of the
funds necessary will be made up by private
bscription.-Chicago Record.