The sun., 1900-11-23
Tenement IlOuses.

The Tenement House Commission has
begun n series Of public hearings, 10 get
at the state Of the public mind regarding the
tenement question and TO prepare support
for such legislation as the Commission may
propose at Albany this winter.
The first OF these hearings had for It's
subject tuberculosis, the scourge Of the
tenement Experience has shown It's sup
preston anywhere to be largely a matter OF
stringent Official regulation. A thickening OF
population increases the difficulties OF reg,i-
lation but prevention nevertheless ia q,iee-
ton Of effective sanitary supervision, and
therefore not hopeless Al to-days hearing
the construction Of tenements will be con-
sidered with the evils that spring from re-
stricted quarters. dark Railways, imperfect
airshafts and the like,
For months past the Commission has been
receiving testimony on this score from build
ers. sanitary experts and reformers with
opinions string OF questions touching
every debatabe point was submitted to
everybody interested. The answers received
range from the complaccnt acceptance OF the
inefficient and obstructed fire escape as ample
provision against disaster to the demand
fl all-hreproof tenements that brooks
no COMPROMISED from the doubling Thomas
to whom the great unwashed are un-
washed from choice. 10 the believer in his
fellow man who will have nothing isss than
a bathtub to every tenement fiat. They
embrace the view. somewhat belated
which halls the airshaft as deliverer and
that other which condemns II as a chief
nuisance of evil contrivance. The man
who looks upon the whole problem rs a
practical question of enforcement OF exist
ins law has had his kay with the one who
would wipe the laws all ont with one fell
blow IL it takes all tho money IN the treas
urv. and make fresh start. They have
all spoken their mind. The Commission
canno, complain that it has not had advice
enough.
Ii has studied, besides. the Tenement
House laws that mark the successive steps
IN the fifty year, struggle with this Frank
enstpin and the housing conditions In all
the big American and European cities.
some good, some bad. all - different from
those of New York that profitable COM
parison is made very difficult II Is salts
factory to know that Philadelphia requires
all tcnements over four stories high to he
built freproof throughout, but Philadei-
phia has no ten,mcnts over four stories
high. and mighty few as nigh a. that. II 1t
has any II adds to the beauty Of Wash
ington and 10 tho comfort of her people
that NERos enactment for Rome. setting
/ the limit OF seventy feet I the height Of her
tenementS. l. in forco there: dwelling houses
are no HIGHER than the street Is wide. But
Washington has hardly hundred houses.
according to the committees report. that
would come into tho category OF teuc-
ments a. understood in New York. namely
that harhor three or more families living
independently
/ The Greater New York has more than
4 s6.o"o tcrcmontS. with two and a quarter
million tenant; hvir; in them Ncverthc-
/ les, until quite recently New York too
! had followed the lead of ancient Rome II
| may he that a. the bridges that will span
her rivers let the crowds on. 20 o,hrr
field she will return 10 the Roman practice
! and cease climbing up.
The Commission has power 70 examine,
besides the houses tho morals OF those who
live in them and all other phases Of the
tenement hous" question that can AFFECT
the public welfare" IL has sfted very
thoroughly the question of safety against
Are and the facts are sci forth in report
now in print. Nearly half of all the nre- In
the city occur in tenement houses. and a very
large proportion Of these in the night.
1t is then that the airshaft, transformed