The Portland daily press., 1901-02-19
Many Houses are Over Crowded and
UnsaHitary.
DR.. Cummings to Asso-
ciated Charities.
He Denies That Death Rate in
Portland is Large.

The regular monthly meeting of the
Associated Charities was held In the
rooms OF the common council in City
building yesterday afternoon, Rev. L
X Purdy, the president, was In the chair
and there was good attendance of the
members Prayer was offered by Rev.
Calvin Lane, and the records OF the last
meeting were read by Mr.. Lilly. ths Sec
retsry. and approved Mics Crie was
elected the representative to attend the
Womon's Co1ncil in place OF Mrs. Lilly,
who would be unable to attend. Mrs
A. b. Cole said the council was agitating
the question of having summer Dlay
ground at the kindergarten.
| DIR. blanchard SPOKE favorahly OF the
lecture OF DIR. Brooks at Assembly hall
last week on the work OF summer schools.
The subject of the afternoon, 'Tene-
ment Houses" Was then discussed, the
first speaker being DIR. ii. Il. Cummings.
"lt is very curious to nots," he said,
"the neat condition in which animals
keep themselves. 1t Is equally curious
that we, the higher animals, unless We
are trained, lack this idea OF neatness.
|
coming TO our shores, That In Itself is
an evil TO our tenement houses On New
bury street, few years ago, MIR South
worth built a tenement which had sepa-
rate apartments for families. That was
good idea. On Pleasant street, near
Centre are tenements OF other kinds
Inc hall way is common, but each family |
has separate rooms. With Mr.. South |
worth's tenements / have nothing to
condem l am sorry to see the three |
tenement structures that are going up |
on Munjoy hill. In case OF fire they |
are IRE traps. In case OF contagious
disease you have to keep the children /
out OF school, But fortunately these
tenements are occupied by good people. |
10 the tenements OF Pleasant street, |
the fault lies IN the families being
groupsd so closely together. That class
of people are being educated into the
custom Of water supply. There Is little
to condemn it except that there is littls |
onRnoe for a play ground. The tene-
ments on Centre street are bad. Along |
Middle street the tenements are bad.
The psaple are Jews-Orientals who don't |
have the least Idea Of neatness. They
are puzzle to me, acknowledge. They !
occupy lot of old buildings. The
question comes, What are we going to /
do about 1t? We would Ike to know
that. l have just one scheme. A group
OF men should build n modern tenement
house, not for charity, hut to put the
people out II they don't pay. The venture
has been a success IN Washington. In |
Philadelphia these houses havs been /
built for one famiIy-that is an ideal
way. would have my city like Deeging, |
the loveiiest par. of Portland, to me, where |
there are yards for families. I am not
a crank on this, but think 1t is feasible |
for model structure of $40 rents to |
be built in Portland l think our older |
portions OF Portland have little by little
got to be torn down or else we have
got TO have another Fourth OF July fire
when many of the wretched buildings
were burned up.
DIR. blanchard expressed pleasure at
having heard DIR. Cummings, and
thought it would be we'll to start
movement such as DR.. Cummings sug-
0ested. The evil Is so potent we should |
get together ana interest some men In /
this matter so that l think they would |
take hold of 1t as an investment. ! am |
convinced that before great while there
will be an organized movement In build
ing these houses.
A general discussion followed on this
question In which several of the mem
bers made brief remarks. One Of the
ladies thought that nobody would live
in the modern teDements ''Are there
as many Iow-priced tenements as there
ought to be In Fortlandf' said President
Purdy.
"Tnere are not" was the reply of sey.
eraI.
Referring TO the recent fre among ths
tenement houses on Park street, DIR.
Blanchard thought the city government
should pass law forbidding the eree-
tion OF such buildings. The cities of
Europe are Infinitely better governed
than in our country.
In reply to Mrs. A. B. Cole, Dr. Cum-
mings said that houses that were sun
less were unsanitary. AS a member of
the board Of health house with a damp
celIsr can be condemned. If the drain
age of the house is imperfect 1t is not
tit to live In. Our plumbing law Is ex-
osilent, and a house that is plumbed ac-
cordIng to the law is tit to live In.
Statistical figures are exceedingly
deceitful,' said DIR. Cummings, "aud
/ don't believe there is a hign death
rate in Portland. l don't think the rate
Is as large as the papers say 1t lie. Port
land Is a city OF rather old inhabitants.
so to speak. Let me Instance Worcester,
as know that city. Mlddle-aged men,
mechanics, marry young women. We