The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-18
is LIFE IN VIENNA.
POLICE BAD, TIPS WORSE, AND JAM
ITORS WoRST OF All.

IN the Austrian Cnpttnl IhnGnthoent
Uselessness and Greed OF the PORTER.
VIENNA. Sept. 3.-An American Of h~ousekeep-
ing aspirations cannot reside long in Vienna
without having the fact forclbly impressed
upon his mind that. between the police and
j~Anitors. homo life in Austria Is not without It's
drawbacks. In this country the police rule
with an iron hand, and what vestige Of free
dom the police allow is taxed by the ~janitors.
To Europeans the spectacle may not seem re-
markAble. but to American eyes II Is new,
strange and highly interesting.
As an example OF the important part the
police play in the everyday life Of the Viennese,
all apartment houses In tho city are under
police supervision. A tenants connection with
tho police station begins as soon az he rents q
dwelling. when the contract is handed over to
the authorities In the district In which the house
Is situated. Immediately upon moving into
the apartment the tenant must all out several
blank forms, giving full information regarding
every member OF the family. the date and place
Of birth. religion, last place OF residence, pro-
fession. &c., and report ut the police station.
Then should tho tenant desire TO use gas
In his dwelling the police must be notl-
fed and q commission Of officials 3 sent to ex-
anime the pipes. After that when the tenant
engages q servant girl he must report the
name and date OF arrival OF the servant to the
police within twenty-four hours. All this re-
ouires q large amount Of time. unlimited pa
thence and much wearisome bowling and scrap
Ing to petty officials. But q perusal OF the list
OF fines that are exacted for failure to observe
the stringent rules is sufficient to compel obsdi-
ence.
This is only the extent to which the police
interest themselves In tho affairs Of tenants,
and, formidable as It may seem. It is small In
comparison with the power welded by the
j~anitors. The Austrian ~janitor Is known by
three names. PORTER. hausmeister and haus-
besorger. PORTER Is more diGniled than either
OF tho other two. and II the tenant wishes .
particular favor It ia customary to add tho pre-
6x Herr to PORTER.
The duties and position in life OF the average
apartment house PORTER are not hard to de-
nne. The stranger Is made aware of the con-
duct he is to pursue toward the PORTER as soon
as he enters the house. There Is no higher
power In the house. the owner not excepted.
To the ~janitor's care is intrusted everything
connected with the building. When an apart
ment becomes vacant and parties call to In
| speot It, It is the porter who acts In the capacity
both OF janitor and landlord. for he not only
shows the rooms to intending tenants. but also
arranges all matters regarding the payment
Of rent and improvements to be made, and
settles any questions that may arise. The
amount Of rental. strange as II may seem, is
scarcely ever stable hence the obnoxious beat
ing down process must be resorted to. and In
this also the ianitor figures. usually to advan-
tage. Exactly how much the porter profits By
favorable transactions the writer has never
been able satisfactorily to ascertain. yet one is
assured that 1t 10 not uncomfortable. in view Of
the fact that some tenants may be duped into
paying from $40 to $50 moro than the preced-
ing tenant.
Upon creating a favorable impression on the
| nNrktar lo-aHIa 1ar@oIv khA kanantIo hoDnI
ness in his new home. This must be done at
the outset by the old-fashioned custom OF tip
ping. Tips. not lavish. but judicious. offer the
shortest way Of attaining q blissful state OF
harmony with the janitor. Ten kreuzers-
four cents-a fec which an American janitor
would dignihedly overlook, goes a long way in
tips in this country. and o frequent following
up Of one ten-kreuzer piece with another has
the desired effect OF establishing friendly re-
lations with the hausbesorger. Otherwise.
should the porter not receive from one tenant
what the others have learned he expects, the
delinquent 10 apt to be made aware in. very
short order that there is some ground Of dis
The duties, Of the average yiennese janitor
are many and varied. His chief and paramount
at aH a 'csrtaiD Il time every night iiH. The munioipaail
law makes this time 10 O'Clock; Accordingly.
RE SoSssnds 81 q f seis e eSqa N so the s1 Icefs in 81 " vis sear,
PessIl2e. Click as the Vicious snap tpS Of a musfet.
Not . single tenant Is permitted to carry q
latchkey, and SHOULD, one remain out after the
hour OF closing. on his return the DELINQUENT is
and receives Tor his trouble the sum OF ten
kreuzers. To the natural consequences OF this
the ReG eo1sP pt sfSrss ABSENCE %U on niG IRai lie lie IN hs' TieanS.
Up to within five minutes Of the time for
Ing in different directions, but as soon as the
city bells strike 10 the streets are as empty as
SSSsf to- close oa,,f X time 70 Tor st the G audience nSe to tng re snSl
home before that all-important hour. When
questioned, 6 as t. Nv Why Sot this means Of IevyIng
habit q Kicking against laws, and therefore. in
meek way, d, protestlnEl igdeed.. the practice
portlers. In order to increase their wage. put
the lights out and lock the doors often ten
strates it Is without avail; the porter tells You
1t Is 10 O'Clock according to his watch and you
But in Justice to the porter 4 must be
affairs, The prlncip9l blame lies ct the doors Of
the he tipping nulsanoes. House owners pay their
j~anitors a mere ~pittance. and require the tenant
tee everywRere in Vienna. It and
omnibus conductors receive only a few cents q
contribute the rest. The Government pays It's
mail carriers a small salary and expects the
from 81 to s. On New Years ED Day y"0 On GHt SOME
routes thore are four or fye mall carriers. each
one OF whom expects 81 80 or more, according
TO the amount Of mail matter he delivers. And
so it goes. Surely the tipping nuisance reaches
It's greatest degree OF perfectlon In Austria.
Next as to the life and habits Of the porter
numbers, Close observation in numberless
sPartment houses Eivss the impression that the
at the least seven heads. AS every foot OF
available space In the house Is rented, there Is
the basement in which 10 stow away his nu-
merous progeny. Of course it is impossible to
children never dare to play and Tompon the
monty very demure-looking boys and girls. A
wife is Indispensable TO the ~janitor, for
around in his magnificent uniform. had he not
q helpmeet upon whom to shove the drudgery2
The result OF this arrangement Is wildly sug-
gestive OF an Indian and his squaw. The poor
long flights OF steps, halls. and
and ia, attending to their countless little ones,
while their husbands. grown fat in comparative
i~dleness, lounge about in the halls downstairs.
| or Iripkin mn laar IA anDnr nj ananflu "a fhnu Oh a