Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-07
FRIDAY JANUARY 7, 1898.
VACANT HOUSES DEsPOILED.

The annual Outcry against tie ueSPoii-
ing of vacant houses in this city is now
being heard. Heavy as our taxes are
they are as nothing TO the loss that often
fans upon the owner of house which
becomes vacant in a neighborhood where
thieves OF hoodums abound.
House-owners are driven to the verge
Of despair almost upon visiting their
houses after they have been vacant
week or more and seeing the wreck that
has been wrought. In vain do they cry
ont for relief. In vain do they criticise
the police and denounce the junS-dealers,
the thieves. and the hoodlums. rs 1t not
possible for us, who are taxpayers, TO
get protection for our property?' they
ask.
The trouble is hydra-headed. First. we
have with us. and shall always have
large number OF petty thieves, boys most
iv. These watch their opportunity to en-
,er vacant house. and in an hour or two
gut It Of all the metal in sight. For five
cents worth Of old iron they will ruin
a handsome Latrobe stove or valuable
cooking range or for quarters worth
of lead they will cut water-pipes. the
yepIacing of which will cost the house
owner large sum of money. All this
plunder they take to a junk-dealer and
.eklI That there are scrupulous junk
dealers here we have no doubt; but the
facts in the case go to show that there
are others who are probably not entitled
10 this characterization; OF, If they are.
then they are TO be condemned for gross
carelessness. The laws upon this subject
seeun strict. but they are certainly not
affective. Therefore, we would suggest
10 the owners and agents Of real estate
here to meet and discuss those laws ana
SEQ if they cannot be bettered.
So far as the complaints against the
notice are concerned, we are Of the opin-
ion that most of them are unjustihable.
The number Of policemen for duty on the
heats Is small, and IL is quite impossible
for them 10 watch all vacant houses. If
thev were 10 attempt 10 do so, the re-
suit would be that occupied premises
would be free TO the entrance or burg
lars. In default of better plan, we
would recommend one that has been
adopted in some other cities-the organi-
cation of an association for the protection
of vacant houses. Such an association
xvonld employ special detectives to watch
premises committed 10 their care, and
these could be always on the alert FOR
The detection Of receivers Of stolen goods.
or course this plan would impose an ex-
ira tax upon the already much-ourdened
bouse-owner, but II there is any surer
~a,ief I'm sight we do not know what II Is.
with some persons there is an impress
sion that these house-wreclsers are all
nagro Youths. Not so. We regret to have
90 say that some of them are white
youths. Moreover. we believe that some
az them are the sons of respectable pa
rents. who little know what their boys
are doing. These white boys have oppor-
4unitfeg and immunities that are not ac-
corded negroes. The average citizen VINO
seea a pcighbor's boys playing on the
,reudsea OF a vacant house is 10th to be-
l,eye that they are there for any I'M
lawful purpose yet. for all that ne knows,
they may bet Certainly hundreds OF
houses here have been wantonly injured
At not robbed. by just such boys. lf-they
carry off nothing. they are prone TO shat
ter all window-panes, Boys will be
boys" you know. But, alasl when 1t is
our own property that Is despoiled
by them we are not so tolerant Of their
boyish pranks.
In this matter. as in many others, we
rslchmonders are prone to exhaust our
selves In complaints rather than In ac-
ton. What is needed is that we should
organize; put up our money, and make
relentless war upon all who injure or
plumber our property. A few months OF
such warfare would accomplish more good
than a century of replning.
We must say. however. that the trou-
be ia question is not peculiar TO Rich
mond. BY no means. We see In our
newspaper exchanges that many other
cities are afflicted with like evil Hence,
the recourse to the associations for the
protection Of vacant houses.
We submit TO the house-owning public
here that 81 Is high time they were taking
an active interest in this matter. That
the evl cries aloud for relief We know;
but No fear such relief can only be Sc,
\. cured by the united action OF those most
fptcrested.
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