The sun., 1903-12-13

esno n vear tyDe or Of the model that rents
Tor sMo and less, is, to my way of thinking,
responsible for the contentment OF New
York people and for the fact that as soon
as strangers put their foot on its soil 1t IL
next to impossible to drive them away
said woman of large experience among
fat dwellers and the inhabitants of the
less pretentious tenements, who is 100
modest to have her name in print
1The fiat, she continued, "has solved the
home problem for many thousands OF per-
SONS who otherwise would be homeless.
Ever since the recent assertion made by
the Rev. DR.. Rainsford, that fat life Ii
detrimental to real home life, that 1t de-
stroys the desire for home OF ones own
and that fat dwelers are with difficulty
interested in their neighborhood. their
church or in any municipal or political
responsibility, l have been in state OF
revolt. l don't believe word of 1t.
my experience has been quite different
Every day live am more firmly con-
vinced that the love of home is much more
conspicuous among humber folks VINO
live in cramped quarters than among the
dwellers in five story brownstone fronts.
1t is the latter who seldom dine together
at home, except on the occasion OF ior-
NAL dinner party, and who turn.thelr pachs
on the city house during nearly eight months
of the year in search of new scenes ana
excitement, although the good of their
health is sometimes given as reason
ain fact, sometimes Of late have been
tempted to think that the main purpose in
life of the ric.e and even the comparatively
rich New Yorker is to get away from home.
, Now there is nothing of that sort among
the rank and file OF fiat dwellers. They,
in my opinion, represent the most con-
tented and united families in America.
Just by way of illustration, let me say
that DR.. Rainsford's own congregation
includes at least one family of which the
husband and the wife sit opposite each other
at table as seldom as possible and who are
rarely seen in society together. The head
of the house, man OF excellent repute,
prefers to entertain his friends alter
fashion that will not necessitate the pres
ence of his wife, and his wife. woman OF
undoubted worth. does tfH same.
They live luxuriously under the same
roof, but / know for fact that neither has
a very intense love of home. | very much
doubt if a parallel case could be found
among the many fiat dwellers who form
part every Sunday morning OF DR..
Rainsiord's audience.
"And this case Is not an isolated one.
either in church circles, while outside OF
them it might be multiplied indefinitely.
"In my work among shop girls l have
wondered many times at the firm affection
which they show for even the poorest
home, which is one reason why so few
of them will consent to go to live in other
peoDle'S houses as servants.
go Be it ever 30 humble, there's no place
like home il an almost universal motto
with fiat dwellers, few Of whom feel that
they are merely existing, as has been as
serted. The majority are perfectly con-
tented, or as nearly contented as 1t is pos
sible for human nature to be- with COM
Portable quarters-fats are comfortable
at price within their means.
AS for shirkng political or municipal
responsibility, l am absolutely sure OF one
thing, for / have recently been closely in
touch with the Citizens Union. That is,
that it is not the humber citizen, the fiat
dweller, who so often shirks attending pri-
maries, drumming up recruits, registering
and going to the polls on election day as
those who live in their own houses. How
many Of the Tammany voters live in brown
stone fronts of their own? And it was
the Tammany ticket that got there. you
know
Il have considered the social aspect
of the question, too, and ] don't believe
it can be proved-it certainly has not been
proved-t that fiat life begets any unwhole-
some amount of sociability On the con-
trary, it has been deplored more than once
that fiat life tends to seltishness unsocia-
blity Indifference to neighbOrs.
an most flats | find the tendency is to
slam doors in each others faces and to
frown upon any attempt at intmacy-I
am not talking of tenement houses, OF
course-and as every fiat has really its own
front door, there is no trouble to guard
oneself against intruders.
NO, am distinctly in favor of the fiat;
and if New York is destined to be the great
est CITY on earth. / believe the reason is
that it represents even now the greatest
community of fiat dwellers that ever ex-
listed"
Lawrence WELLER, Deputy Commissioner
of Tenements. has made long study of
fat life
81 live in a fiat myself, he replied, with
a satisfied smile when approached on the
fiat question.
And you look as if you liked it, re-
marked his Questioner tentatively.
Il do" rejoined Mr.. Veller, -and 1 am
not conscious of having degenerated since
] took up my abode in one, ! still feel
that have all the privacy of house and
home
"Of one thing am sure, that even the
very simplest fiat life is preferable a thou
sand times TO life in boarding house,
although believe DR.. RainSford has doubt
on that point. In my opinion boarding
house and hote! life is a complete knock
out to a home feeling or real home life,
and fat life encourages both.
How about health and individual pri-
vacy?" he was ask ed
Well, since the 1901 tenement law went
nto effect, both those features are especially
considered Have you seen any of the new
f1ats?" Mr. WELLER switched off to ask. MOP
Well do 60 and examine them and they will
illustrate my meaning.
The new law says there must be clear
space of al least L. feet between any win
dow and a wall, and that bedrooms must
have each a separate entrance fir ON the