New-York tribune., 1900-04-05
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
THE DENSITY OF POPULATION.
SHOULD BE GRAPPLED WITH AT ONCE

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: wish express my appreciation of the edi-
torial in your Sunday issse The Problem OF
the Home" 1t touches one of the most serious
matters affecting the life OF a great city. but one
which. unfortunately. receives scant consideration
VIII you permit me to discuss briefly one phase
OF the question at issue? In suggesting restric-
ton upon the density of population you Say 1T
may be TOO late to apply such law TO the great
East Side" why too late? So far We know,
the world has still some time 10 exist, and the
density of the population in some parts of the
lower East Side already notoriously much greater
than that of any other spot upon the face of the
globe, is growing worse every day. Having lived
there for a considerable period. and being familiar
with the conditions. i write of that which know
Whenever old dwelling tenement house is
torn down and a tenement house is erected in
fits place the population is increased, and this
change is constantly occurring. Even should the
admira BILE plans devised for the Tenement House
Committee be adopted in place of the present
'dumbben" double decker the conditions In
this respect would continue grow worse. unless
a restriction Were imposed upon the number OF
stories upon the population to a specified extent
Of ground surface. Yet 1 have hitherto found it
impossible awaken the tenement house
reformers 10 a realization of this fact.
Compromise is so frequently necessary in life
that large number of people seem to have ac-
quired the idea that ii is good thing in itself
gefher lovely II is surely n no such thing There
is nothing TO be gained by playing around a disa-
Face the music ASK for the best. If you cannot
get the best that you can imagine, take the best
that you get. but in Heavens name do not
let IT be supposed that you satisfied with any
Thing less than the best, or will cease your de-
raands untA you get it,
The populat ton of parts of the Tenth Ward
IS l believe, considera bly, over thousand
TO the acre or nearly If not quite double that of
any other spot on the face of the earth This
allows about forty square feet of ground surface
should certainly be the outside permissible limit
This would give about hundred square feet Of
ground surface to each individual, admit a
population of twenty-five ordinary city
lot. . by 100; and until we shall have imposed a
restriction of some such character this may
whistle for any great advance in conditions. For
special building. anything in of this allow
ance inevitably puts too great a strain upon the
capacity of the district whole We may go
on In the way going. perhaps
for a long while. but time other shall
have TO stop and retrace our steps. Why not stop
now?
while the utmost freedom should be allowed the
individual in that in which he does trespass
upon the interests Of his neghbors and of society
ana while there are cases almost innumerable to-
day where the inherent rights of the individual
1nterfered with by law--cases where interference
though legal is none the less outrage-there
individual in the supreme interest of society where
this interest is made clear and in the in hand
] doubt whether any one would have the hardi-
hood to claim that IL is not made clear.
There would remain for adjustment the question
of existing property rights acquired in good faith
This question could probably be settled-and in my
tled-by adequate concessions upon the assessment
roll. 1t is perhaps unfortunate that there are
times when individual and general interests seem
10 clash: Nevertheless, there such times. and
where the cashing is clear there be pos
sible doubt 10 which must yield.
New-York, April ?, 1900. WILLIAM POTTS.