Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-01-01

SnOulQ the trustees De unable TO ac-
commooate him he will receive q sum
proportionate to that which he would
be entitled to had he completed his
20 years occupation; but no consid-
Grafton would be given to any case
where a tenant would show a de-
sire to return to the slums inside the
stipulated time.
The houses will be constructed
mostly on continental models, the
French, German and Danish plans, as
shown in the illustrations, most favor
ed. Great tenement blocks are not
contemplated
The workmen's housing council,
which, to its own surprise, has been
selected by Mr.. Carnegie as the prob
able vehicle for his new line Of money
giving, is strong body of men who
have given great deal Of time and
thought to the abolition Of London
slums. Most of it's members have
been workingmen. It's chairman ever
since it was organized, three years
ago, has been W. c. Steadman. ship
wright's son, who gets a modest in
come as secretary Of the barge-build-
ers' trade union, but who has long
been a powerful member of the Lon
don council and was for two years
member of parliament. Another men,
Der is Robert Williams, who is recog-
nized here as the chief architectural
authority on workmens dwellings.
Others in the body are borough coun-
cilors and similar officials, whose
duties have brought them into con-
tact with the big slum problem.
Although a good many members OF
the housing council are members of
the London county council, the two
bodies don't agree at all on the sub
ject of workmens dwellings, and some
of the points of their difference are
instructive. The housing council says
that the system adopted by the coun-
ty council for accommodating those
they have left homeless by destruction
of Sums Is a willful waste of public
money. The county council decided
that the people must be accommodated
as near as possible to the place where
they were originally located, and to
; satisfy this idea they have been
J obliged to buy up breweries and 9th
/ er huge business premises in the very
heart of the city at exorbitant prices,
and thereby creating new slum, in
) many cases next door to the old one.
4 In every case the buildings created by
t the London county council are sur
t rounded by Stun property quite as
Y filthy and dilapldated as the very
r property the council saw fit in the in
: terest of sanitation to destroy.
= For housing 1856 persons 1t cost
Y the county council as much as $425,00O
!. for land and buildings. They now have
y in course of construction workmen's
o dwellings, which, 1t Is estimated, will
n cost over $1O,OO0,000, and which will
; accommodate about 10000 persons
g The housing council, on the Other
h hand, say that Mr.. Carnegie will be
s enabled to house the same number
e for $5,O0O,OOO in more attractive ant
e healthy surroundings at considerably
lower rental to the tenant.
n The London county council Is at tho
& moment erecting workmen's dwellings
7. on the site Of brewery which they
It recently acquired They will accom-
e modate only 1880 persons at cost o
r $4,000, and the tenant will have Il
% pay a higher rent than he does In thu
d slums, from which the council will
4. evict him. This building Is In the yer!
n heart of the city, surrounded on al
L sides by Stun property of the wors
d description and which harbors Hooll
g ganism of the most violent type. The
II housing council can show that for the
= amount the county council Is spending
a on this site they can accommodate
1000 persons and provide superior
o rooms at half the rental the LondoT
II county council Will be forced to charge
d The housing council maintains that Sc
t. long as party politics dominate thu
r operations of the London county coun
e ell the party in power Will be forced
y to show a high percentage Of profit OF
IS all its undertakings and according t
n its present constitution 1t can neveI
y hope to solve the housing problem.
IS The awful condition of some of the
e London slums can be Judged from
n report | recently saw of conditions II
o a thoroughfare anonymously nance
g Nightingale street. Thirteen men ant
q six women we're living In one 4.roon
q house In that street, 10 women ant
J. six men were living in each Of two
h Groom houses, and in one OF the 8
n room houses II men and IL womer
g were living. In none Of them was
o there anw separation of sexes. and the
o largest of the rooms was IL by 10 feet
u One room alone had II persons-men
women and chlldren-every night. The
d average weekly rent was 65 cents.
), Asked his opinion Of Mr., Carnegie's
!. project. Budget Meakin, secretary
d OF the Industrial betterment society
n and smart people published journals In
t Nice and elsewhere which existed
L solely on the "press subventlons" fall
e ing like cataract of crumbs from the
n which has for its object the improve
3 ment of the homes Of the people
Il said: According to my ideas, Mr.
l. Carnegie could make no better use oil
l. his money than to employ II In build
3 ing model dwellings for the working
h classes. II would be better than found
e ing Libraries or endowing schools, fol
az conditions now are in London. with
y parentg and children of both sexes herd
o ing in single rooms OF filthy shanties
8 the boys and girls unlearn when ou'
o of school what they learn In II. The
9 London county council is doing the
l. host n can but Il is hampered by the