New-York tribune., 1903-04-11
4 CLEAN EAST SIDE NOW.
Residents WithOut Political Bias
Sag LO1C and Jerome Did 1t.

The following testimony obtained from resi-
dents Of the East Side concerning the present
condition in that quarter of the city is expressive
Of the great and sweeping change that has come
since Tanmany driven out Of power. The
effort has been to get the opinion of those who
were not connected with political even mu-
nicipaI organizations. Residents OF the district,
social workers and clergymen have been asked
for a frank statement OF the present situation
and for a contrast with that which formerly ex-
listed Their unanimous verdict is that the
change is fnneasurabe; with one accord they
agree that under the Low government the moral
conditions are satisfactory.
Not even under Mayor Strong did We have so
clean an East Side" the opinion Of the
headworker Of a women's settlement This is
index Of the character of the judgment
passed the present situation by those who
live in it and under it.
But TO complete the investigation a house to
house canvass was made along AIen-st- Under
the old regime there existed no less than thirty
three 6isorderly houses in this street between
Houston and Canal SITS. and twenty-six in
Chrystie-st. north of Hester. The investigation,
a detailed account of which will follow, showed
that with hardly an exception they were closed
The stories of the residents show conclusively
that they have not moved into adjacent streets
sic sind gemoved" is the Yiddsh statement
OF the situation. and the words that follow will
show how completely they have been driven out
of the old red light district, once their home
and hunting ground.
No single incident in the whole era Of Tam
many vice on the East Side created more atten-
tion or more contributed to the public informa-
ton OF the conditions then existing than the let
ter in which Bishop Potter called TO the atten-
ton of Mayor Van Wyck the state Of affairs on
the East Side. The circumstances calling out
the letter are well known and are recited in the
letter The Rev. Robert L. Paddock. at that
time rector at the Pro-Cathedral. in Stanton-st.
in the heart of the red light district, made a
complaint to Captain Herlfhy At the Eldridge-
st. station he was not merely treated with con-
tempt and derision. but also with the cOarsest
insult and obIoquy. On the basis Of the condi-
tions faced by the Rev. Mr.. Paddock. Bishop
Potter in his letter TO ex-Mayor Van Wyck.
wrote:
For nowhere else on earth I verify bssve1csr-
tainy not in any cIElIizeu I.isail 5.I 80
dishonors New-York to-day. Vice exists in many
preston of its external manifestations. and the
agents Of the law are not as mere WdTg g atb
and unnamable forms
CHANGE IN PRo-CATHEDRAL DISTRICT.
It is pertinent to the question then. to learn
what condition confronts the workers at the
Pro-CathedraI to-day. The Rev. Mr.. Paddock
has gone to the Church of the Holy Apostles
His successor. the Rev. P. NJ. Kerridge. yester-
day gave The Tribune the following summary
Of the conditions as he observed them:
I suppose there is no one the East Side who
IS more constantly IN and cut OF me teneInents en- @
hour Of the day or night I visit the average thir
rIe and they visit here. In my trips / do not
wear clericais so that am not Conspicuous and
thus not avoided. came here at the same time the
Low government came into power, ana nave never
been solicited on the street have never IN an my my
have I ever any complaint made TO me Of these
thought Of that phase of East SIDE life. but after
oF stories 7 heard about the former condition and
with that in mind l looked for evidences Of pres
abe about never found it: found any trace Of
H. In my opinion the district is remarkably clean
and the tenements have little or no vice
David BIaustein superintendent Of the Educa-
tiona1 Alliance. in East Broadway. and for many
years resident of the East Side. on November
- 1900 testified before the Industrial Com
mission at Washington that vice had gained
eucb a hold on the tenement houses that IL was
impossible TO suppress it. He further declared
that the police were in league with the pro-
prietors OF these resorts.
In describing the present conditions Dr. Blau-
stein said:
It is rot merely that the vice has been wiped out
Iner days when the red light district was going
aSt / used to nave endless Complaints
i-,+,-b+ ~ me OF the places that were doing this
cot 0f thing For a year have had no complaint,
80 saeu nothing OF the old Haunting Phase II
tba~e il ZiCe on East Side to-day Il is covert.
cn,DceaIaf hidden: it does not court but shuns,
public notice
10 PROTESTS HEARD NOW.
.,ots tome OF the community. the whole pub
has changed during the last year
~ - = bafT Tenement vice may not be entirely
ra7f-arad but il is immeasurably reduced and
,z- ~ longer OF it see II or hear the protests
Hr The decent people OF the community
In the davs when the red light" district was in
f,n blast and its excesses were evident TO every
assarb,- one Of the places from which pro-
.as+s most frequently came was the University
esattIaroent- James H Reynolds. at that time
beod worker. repeatedly recounted the existing
4;+io,s 70 the City Club and 20 the press
,-,,a sc1,o,ring statement from L VI. Scott. as
.ts.ar+ baadworker. furnishes commentary on
,ba condition as viewed from the standpoint OF
49,, ,,,o working in that institution at the pres
ent time:
- =, the East Side more than a year ago. /
ca ~ M mad heard OF the conditions on the /
IA hiS55 ~ New-YoTk. ard I had heard from
f-a,s H., had lived in the quarter OF the stua-
pTcP-S mi 10 say tnaJ my first impression /
non non - - surprise that little evidence OF 1
W. ~ s-.- here. I suppose there disOrdsry |
W. g :, .be district. but don't know OF them.
HouSyS ~ +L~+ there may be solicitng but I
supil i7, n have been about IN the streets OF /
second
/. WELL GRoOMED RAILROAD.
.a-4. Bail