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

/ ISUOSSfS1t II. SIdI LNdHc.
ALITTLE 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 accommoda-
tiOns at reasonable prices in localities
OF their choice, where white people en-
! JOY better dwellings at rates no higher
than is charged colored people for in
teriOr homes in unsanitary and poorly
enYironed 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 ac.
cording to his merit. A citizen, who
Obeys the laws and conducts himself
In a 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 "alley 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 go 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.
To 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
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
scratched, the walls or paper torn and
disfgured from lighting matches, etc,
and the closets Or OuthOuses full of ac'
cumuIated rubbish. An agent claimed
that he could cite case of a welltO'dO
c0lored family to whom he had rented
a 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
tenancy; and further that domestic
cleanliness cannot be determined by
external appearances or cultured ad'
dress; frequently the people OF the so
called middle class made the best
customers from every point of view
prOmptness in payment Ot rent, length
OF stay and care Of property. We can
not say how far We are to blame for
the distressing conditions that confront
US, but if any of these allegations are
true, we should set about applying a
remedy. 1t does no harm once in a
while TO confess to ourselves some dis
agreeable facts about ourselves, for the
correction of an evil can only come
through a candid admission that the
evil exists. We know persons, white
and black, to whom we should not like
to rent a well'kept house of ours;
yet it Is none the less unjust to force
the innocent and paiDstaking to suffer
for the sius OF the sloven and Indifferent.
The wolves can be separated from the
sheep, if the proper precautions are
observed. 1t might be we'll for an ap'
plicant, whatever his color, to be re-
quired to show a certificate from form
er landlords, stating In what condition
he was in the habit of leaving the
places rented by him. Thus every
tenant could be estimated independent
ly and intelligently, according to the
record be had made, This is a large
subject, and should be discussed at
length by our Councils and literary
organizations. Ii We are responsible
for our troubles, let US set about the
oraaf5op az :. bafto1. nrJa or ~ tbiDoc and
remove these objections by cleanly and
considerate treatment of leased proper
ty. If the other fellow is at fault, We
must find way to get him on the
right side, In the meantime, work
for the elimination Of that abomination,
the Galley house."
Ex Senator 7. 7. Allan is a thor
OuOh raca man sDd Is souud on q II tho