The Saint Paul globe., 1903-12-22
THOSE AWFUL FLATS
DR.. RAINSFoRDs WOULD HAVE US
BELIEVE THEM BAD.
A Flat Can be a Home and Moral
One as Well as House if the In
mates Are Good People.

DR.. RainsfOrd's recent remarks in re-
gard to fiat living are arousing much
criticism the country over, and justly
so. If he was correctly quoted he made
some astounding statements and ar
raigned those who do not live in houses
in manner calculated to cause COM
ment. According to report-which, by
the way is not always correct-Dr.
Rainsford said that families living in
flats had no home, and could not be
virtuous or as good citizens as those
residing in houses; he called apart
ments hot-beds of vice and other un-
pleasant names, and generally abused
and vilified the inhabitants Of flats.
This is all very remarkable if true. DR..
Rainsford is man of much expert
ence among the poorer classes of New
York, well known as a sociological
worker, and If he doesn't know why
families live in flats he has not profited
much by his many years of work. Flats
are paradise for those of limited
means, and in New York ground is so
valuable that it is almost the million
aire only who can afford to have his
own home. 1t is not alone these of
slender means who reside in apart
ments, but in New York many who are
really wealthy live in this way. Sew
eral New York women who live in flats
were interviewed by a newspaper man
In regard to what DR.. Rainsford said
and replied to him sensibly and we'll
Referring to his statement that a fiat
could never be a home, one Of the
women said she could not see why a
home could not be made in rooms that
were all on one floor just as well as in
rooms that We're up and down stairs;
another remarked that, according to Dr.
Rainsford, only the rich could have
homes, and they shut them up and
spent their lives travelling in Europe
AS for fats being hot-beds of vice,
that is most eXtravagant statement
and why vice in a fiat is any worse
than vice in a house, DR.. Rainsford
did not state. Furthermore, DR.. Rains
ford has number of members Of the
smart set going to his church who do
not live in fats, but in Fifth avenue pal
aces, and If he should attempt to draw
comparison between their lives and
those of many fiat dwellers, 1T is quite
likely he would be no longer heard from
on the subject of vice in flats
DR.. Rainsford must know that IL
every man had his way he would prob
ably live in beautiful home Of his
own, but failing the wherewithal to
purchase the home, he must live where
ne can DO the best he can, and that in
fiat-or in one room-persons can
live just as Yirtuous, orderly lives, do
ing good to every one, as in the hand
soonest house ever built; and until DR..
Rainsford can bring about the millen-
MUM and equalize the holding of prop
erty among men, they will continue to
live in flats or wherever they get the
most comforts for the smallest outlay.
As for fiat living leading to demoraIiza-
! ton and viciousness, that is utter nom
sense.
AS to flats themselves, there never
was way Of living devised that en-
abled the possessors of small means to
nave home with as many comforts
for so little money. And when 1t comes
10 morality and good citizenship, these
nat dWellers can compare very well
With house owners. 1t is not the pos
session of house that constitutes a
home; it is the spirit and good will Of
the owners. Moreover, 1t is not what
we have that makes a home, but what
we are.