Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-12-05

Good Dwellings Benefit Not Only IN
Health But the Morals of
the Poor.

There is no agency in the world that
has a greater influence upon the well
fare of the people than the n which
directly affects their health and social
environment. Experience shows that
improvements in the dwellings of the
poor have had a decided influence upon
the character of the inmates. Under
existing conditions, providing better
habitations for the poorer working
classes seems to be a proper subject
for the consideration of state and mu-
nicipaI governments. The first and
most important step is the enactment
of proper sanitary and building laws
and the Inauguration of a thorough
system of tenement house inspection.
Second in Importance is the eXpropr1-
alton of property in the crowded dis
tricts. Another step. which IS common
in European countries, is the o
agement of model tenement enter
prises by granting them special favors,
such as reducing the tax rates, ceding
land, granting subsidies and making
loans at a low rate of interest. Lastly,
when private and philanthropic enter
prises refuse to provide proper hous-
ing facilities ii becomes the duty of
the authorities to do so, says Municipal
Affairs
New York has the best sanitary code
and the best organized corps of SAN
itary inspectors of any American or
European city. Philadelphia and Chi
cago rave in recent years made i'm
provements in their sanitary laws and
ordinances relating to tenement
houses. Existing regulations in Bos-
ton and Brooklyn are fairly compre-
hensive. and their health departments
are well equipped. New York is the
only large American city that has
done anything toward the eXpropria-
ton of crowded and unsanitary dis
tr;ets for park purposes. and that only
since 1895. For many years European
cities have turned their attention in
The direction of making parks. play
grounds and other breathing spaces
where they are most needed. This is
especially true of the large cities of
Great Britain-LonGon, Edinburgh.
Glasgow. Liverpool. Manchester. Bir-
mingham. Newcastle-on-Tyne and Dun
dee.
Nothing has been done by public au-
thorities in American cities in the way
of encouraging model tenement enter
prises. except negatively, by the enact
ment of sanitary and building regula-
tions. In England the public authori-
ties have gone farther. In the United
States no steps have been taken to
erect municipal tenements. On the
other hand in London, Manchester,
Liverpool. Glasgow. Birmingham and
Huddersfie!d dwelling houses have
been constructed and are being man
aged by the municipal corporations.
, While in exceptional instances mu-
inequalities may be justified in provid-
ing healthy homes for the poorer
working classes, the great work of fur
nishing homes for these people de-
wolves upon commercial and philan-
thropic enterprises. Philanthropy has
done much in European cities toward
accomplishing this end, but it alone
can do but a very small proportion of
the work needed in all large cities.
The great problem with respect to
model tenement houses is how to Sc
cure the investment of capital on a
paying basis in such enterprises.
During the last 20 years large tene-
ment enterprises have beer success
fully organized and operated in many
cities of America. Great Britain,
France. Germany, Holland and Swed-
en-. Some of these institutions are
organized on a purely commercial
basis and distribute their net earn
ings as dividends, being limited usually