New-York tribune., 1901-02-26
REPORT GOES TO LEGISLATURE,
THE GOVERNOR SENDS A MESSAGE WITH 1T AND
SENATOR GRADY MAKES REMARK.

Albany Feb. 25.-In transmitting the report of
the New-York City Tenement House Commission
TO the Legislature. Governor Odell says:
The subject which this commission has had under
consideration. and TO which II has devoted great
most imInrtant M dIain5inr" yo,~ attention More
than two-thirds OF the inhabitants OF the city OF
New-lork now dwell in houses which have been
defined by law tenement houses. Frequent at
tempts have been made by the legislature: as the
result of investigations made by legislative com
missions and by phianthropic organizations. 70 I'M
prove the conditions surrounding those residents
Of New-fork and the other large cities VINO are
obliged live in the congested centres of popula-
such Investigations has In some degree improved
the conditions which they are aimed to remedy
ngs renders the subject Of more vital importance
The commission has been actuated by the highest
motives in undertaking this work. and has prose
gence They have codified existing and proposed
laws bearing on the subject. and recomTnend them
as amendments 10 the present charter Of the city
of New-York They also suggest amendment
shown that discretionary power as IL TeIates 10
tenements which Is now lodged in the Ponce
and the Building Commission In the city OF New
York leads 70 complications friction ana non
erection Of buildings without proper regard 70
sanitary and hygienic conditions In lieu OF this
riepal bodies. enumerated above. the commits
sion recommends the creation OF department
To be known as the Tenement House Committee,
to whom shall be submitted all plans for tene-
pletion still leaving 10 the Building Department of
the city the inspection OF the structural part OF
the work. They propose to go further by making
OF this department inspection bureau, so that
existing tenement houses may at all times be under
their surveillance. To the proposed commission IS
to be given power to enforce the laws which they
suggest OF necessity the administration OF such
& department recommended by the commission
must be municipal. yet II would be of great impor-
tance to the State large. The evils resulting from
poor tenements through lack Of sufficient light, III
ventilation and bad sanitation affect not only the
city in which they located, but all parts or the
ton of good citizenship, and therefore in this the
State at large is interested. The sociologic side of
the duestion-the relation OF comfortable and sani
tary housing good morals-is apparent and so
veil understood that il hardly calls for discus
sion. / believe that the enactment and proper en-
forcement of the laws proposed will do more to
! eradicate vice and benefit the morals OF cOmmuni-
lies where overcrowded and unhealthy conditions
prevail than any other police law which can be
framed
sderation with the hope and in the belief that II
will receive a your hands the attention which its
Importance warrants. If the proposed recommen-
dations after careful scrutiny, shall meet with
your approval they should be speedily enacted into
law. b 3. ODELL, JR-
When the message received in the Senate
Senator Stranahan moved that the report be print
ed and referred 70 the Committee Cities.
Senator Grady said:
Mr. Chairman I must take this occasion to ex-
the Governor. If he intimates. and think he does
that vice is any more prevalent in the tenement
house district than in the mansions In Ftfth-ave
and the homes Of the wealthy, then challenge the
assertions
The message went 10 the Committee Cities