The colored American., 1899-12-09
aLI11LE TALK ABOUT THE RENTING OF HOUSES


RLITTLE TALK ABOUT The RENTING OF HOUSES
There is frequent and Just complaint
that respectable colored people are de-
MED the occupancy of good residences
in desirable portions OF this city, lead.
ing thus to the building up and perpet-
uation of that nauseating anomaly
the "Negro neighborhood." Here are
crowded in indiscriminate confusion
all classes and grades of colored peo.
pie, driven together from sheer iD-
ability to secure decent accomnoda-
tions at reasonable prices in localities
OF their choice, where white people en-
Ijoy better dwellings at rates no higher
than is charged colored people for in
terlor homes in unsanitary and poorly
environed precincts. The owners and
agents are greatly to be censured for
their indisposition to trust their judg-
ment in separating the good tenants
from the bad, and to treat each &C.
cording to his merit. A citizen, who
obeys the laws and conducts himself
in manner that makes him a con-
genial neighbor, or at least a harmless
one, should be allowed to live in what
ever quarter he elects, provided he can
pay the price others pay for similar
service, Anything short of this is un-
fair and un'Americsn. Something
must be done to rid Washington of the
pest'holes and disease breeders known
as GALLEY houses" with their concomi
tant immoral atmosphere. A step In
the right direction would be the build.
ing in the suburbs of clean, wholesome
cottages, to be rented at nominal figures
to respectable colored families. Now
that the car lines 60 everywhere for
five cents, it is no hardship for the
poorest to 60 into the suburbs, where
light and air and all the comforts of
home life can be had in abundance.
10 be sure the real estate men have
their ''tale of woe" to tell in regard to
the reasons for discriminating against
even well'appearing colored people.
They claim that the average Negro
family is not as careful in the use of a
house as the average white family of
the same social status. They point to
the fact that the stay of the Negro
tenant is generally of short duration,
and instead of cleaning up when they
go, they leave floors unswept, the WIN
dows dirty, the woodwork bruised and
the walls or paper torn and
dlshgured from lighting matches, etc
and the closets or outhouses full of ac.
cumuIated rubbish. An agent claimed
that he could cite case of wellto'do
colored family to whom he had rented
nice house had so shamefully abused
The premises that it cost as much 10
put the place in habitable order as the :
people had paid during their short |
and further that domestic
cleanliness cannot be determined by '
external appearances or cultured ad' +
1ress; frequently the people of the So
,alled middle class made the best o
from every point of view 2
oromptness in payment Of rent, length t
If stay and care Of property. We can P
lot say how far we are to blame for t.
he distressing conditions that confront
is, but if any of these allegations are
rue, we should set about applying a q
'emedy. 1t does no harm once in n
While to confess to ourselves some dis Il
grees5le facts about ourselves, for the
of an evil can only come
trough candid admission that the II
vii exists. We know persons, white j
nd black, to whom we should not like a
D rent a well'kept house of ours; o.
ct, it Is none the less unjust to force
be innocent and paiDstaking to suffer
or the sius Of the sloven and Indifferent. o
he wolves can be separated from the
heep, If the proper precautions are v
bserved, 1t might be we'll for an ap'
licant, whatever his color, to be re. "
ullcu W SLlON q CeIllucdle lTUIu 10TH
r landlords, stating In what condition P
e was in the habit Of leaving the
laces rented by him. Thus every "
,nant could be estimated Independent.
: and intelligently, according to the A
,cord he had made. This is large
Inject, and should be discussed at K
myth by our Councils and literary
-ganizations. If we are responsible To
r our troubles, let US set about the
cation of a better order of things, and U
'move these objections by cleanly and
'nsiderate treatment of leased proper W
=. If the other fellow is at fault, we v
ust find a way to get him on the n,
ght side, In the meantime, work
r the elimination Of that abomination, ",
e Galley house."
Elk Senator 7. 7. Allan is thor Ei