New-York tribune., 1902-01-15
HOW THE POOR LIVE.
ROBERT ERSKINE ELY DISCUSSES TEN
EMENT HOUSES, THEIR PRESENT
CONDITION AND POSI-
BILITIES.

OF twenty-seven large cities in this country there
are only five IN which the housing of the poor is
problem, and New-York offers the one with the
most insuperable difficulties. said Robert Erskine
Ely IN a lecture THE Housing OF the Poor be
fore the League for Political Education yesterday.
The other places where the question is a vexa-
tious ono are Boston. Cincinnati. Jersey City and
Hartford. Mr.. Ely explained that the law defines
tenement house any house occupied by three
or more families who DO their cooking in their
apartments Two-thirds Of this city's population,
he said, live IN tenement houses-that is Of the
s6oaooo persons here, 2500.0OO live in such homes
He eonhned his remarks TO the houses of the poor,
whom he classes as families living on yearly sal
aries ranging from $500 10 any sum above charity
The average story tenement house he
ssid, has eighty-four rooms and from one hundred
70 one hundred and fifty tenants There are four
apartments on floor. One room in each receives
light either from the street or the back yard
All the other rooms IN the house are supposed TO
be lighted and ventilated by the sirshaft which Is
often so narrow that two people could easily shake
hands across II had they any disposition 10 do so
The shaft Mr., Ely characterized as "a foul air
shaft" He said the most sensible tenants make
the best use Of IT by boarding It up keep out the
unwholesome odors OF cooking from their neigh
bors homes and 70 secure greater degree of
privacy in their own rooms. If by any accident a
ray OF sunlight finds its way into such a shaft IL
lights the place little that it stays only short
time. The average tenement house is 30 feet long
square.
The evils OF life in such a house are so MANY on
the physical side that it is not easy obey the
laws Of health declared Mr.. Ely. The usual tene-
rnent house dweller finds great difficulty in fol-
lowing the mandates Of the physician and provid-
ing sufficient sunlight and air as he would in obey
Ing an Injunction 10 take an annual trip to Mars
Hot water IN abundance, well cold water and
sanitary plumbing, are also beyond his attainment.
Ais manners and morals suffer from intimate con
u afvFfg T.r
source OF evil. As 70 the health Of dweers in tene
ment houses, Mr.. Ely said that statistics of a re-
hso occurred from tuberculosis speak for them
selves There are now probably twenty thousand
cases OF tuberculosis in this city.
ACCOMMODATION TENEMsNTs."
Mr.. Ely described some Of the improved tenement
houses which have been built in recent years and
SAID That while they have by means reached the
Ideal conditions OF dwelers in them have been
greatly improved. and commercially the houses
have proved successful One such block on the East
Side is Inhabited by the unskilled class of laborers
II Is not the steam heat the supply of hot and
colo water the light and airy apartments and scien-
tiho plumbing that have caused these houses to be
known among the people Of the neghboThood
the Accommodation tenements," but II Is the kind
woman Janitor and a collector with heart
philanthropic inVestmapis in innroed bomas for
The poor may have sbsoIIte % secIIrit and nav per
cent interest. New-York is destined TO be city OF
tenement and apartment houses. but Il may yet be
city where there is constant and strenuous pur-
suit OF good for all it's people
IN reply 10 the oft repeated remark IF only the
poor would go to the country how much better it
would be for them" MIR. Ely said: Like the rest
OF Us. they Ike what they like There develops a
sort OF tenement house state of mind which enjoys
55sselhg and hearing good many things going
mere Is more interest where there is occasional
.vS", ana without the cang Of the fire engine and
Sne 1un OF going to occasional fire life is
tS Hotlh iy1ng In reply to question. he said that
se natural gregarious human instinct is respon-
e.Ole IN large measure for the herding together
" People In cities. But. the other hand. living
-.aeois IN the country are not well adapted
- - tne poor as they in the cities, and work
SS.oie Is less sure An apartment although II may
&c &c a q tenement house OF the worst class, affords
roo eesler solution 10 domestic problems of the
EoI tnan does home by itself In a rural district
-oxs companies and societies offer inducements
et es1 eheap homes for those who will fersake the
sy, put they have defined plans for families
aIls On an income Of less than 81 900 year Their
nents are intended for the aristocratic letter
isha.nor shd policeman, not for the unaristocratc
boSsse, bohemians and Italians seek neighbor-
T-s n which their languages are spoken.
o. Snoer the present administration Mr.. Ely looks
~ ~ sseat Improvement in the tenement houses OF
new Jerusalem