New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-05
SH4DOWv OF RENT DAY.
CHASTITY Struggle of Poor to Meet
Landlords Demands.

The case Of that Chicago woman who killed
herself and her babies few DAYS ago because she
had no money 10 pay her rent and was about 10 b
act out on the street" remarked a New-York
physician furnishes rather vivid object lesson
Of what is the greatest burden upon the poor OF
every large city-the rent. Other expenses. you
ace can be brought down 10 almost nothing where
the poverty is extreme; family can live scraIs.
on dry bread dress in rags: but some kind Of
shelter they must have. roof 10 sleep under.
centre for such home life they have and this
shelter has 10 be paid for weekly or monthly n
tangible. unoonpromisirg dollars.
And the rents the poor pay are altogether too
large FOR what they get in return. Here IN New
York. for example, I've watched the rents of tho
East Side creeping up year by year-you know. I've
plenty OF opportunity. my practice being in he
heart OF the lower East Sido-and I've watched th9
people bear the increase. Oh. know there was
sort OF strike against the landlords 4 few months
ago. The tenants held indignation meetings.
fused 20 pay the rents and made various demon
STATIONS, Then the agitation died down, and be
cause Il died down fancy the outside world has
vague idea that the tenants won.
That's mistake In some Instances, Il IS true
the landlords had 10 back down. but II may be said
that in general the East Side rents. which have
been raised very gradually. mind you. little at
time IN most cases. remain raised. Only the peo-
pie. with that marvellous and unfortunate resEna-
ton OF theirs, have accepted what 10 them
tbs inevitable They eat little less bread; they
DO without the bottle OF medicine the child needs.
somehow. they contrive 10 have the extra money
Tor :he Landlord
Take family ! know. which lives on the
ground floor OF tenement IN Division st. in three
OF the wretchedest rooms ! ever set foot in. The
walls have cracks in them large enough stick
your hand In; the sink is offence: the only room
with windows in it looks out upon a dark court
which had better be there since II only serves
as dumphole FOR filth. In that family are
father. mother. six children and an old. bed
ridden woman, who is no relation. but whom they
have taken In for the absurd reason that but for
them she would be on the street. Two years ago.
when they first moved IN those rooms. the rent
y month. After While il raised 10 S ~.
After another while 10 81 and on III now II is
81 The father has rheumatism n a bad form and
can work only at odd times a. Jobs. The eldest
daughter. frail girl % m earus s. g week
In a factory These two keep the family
Then there's a poor little Italian who sells coal
and Ice. He rents the cellar Of a tumbedown
WOODEN building and two rooms the FIRST floor
me cellar for business. the to live In He's
tot 10 have the rooms right above the cellar be-
cause when he is delivering there Is no one TO
take orders but his wife and naturally she can't
Keep her baby in the cellar. The landlord. per
oelFlHg this has raised the rent I'll Giovanni is
paying 40 ier rooms which only g q few
years ago. asked Giovanni why he didn't move
business ane all 10 some more BILE place.
The poop. they know me- he answered; they
know me here. II go ne made a vague but
e"eep'i1g gesture. maybe they not know where
: 60. Then they no buy. and ! no malla the DOR
Al4o ne shouIdeTed his tub Of ice shufed along
oo"h IN The heart Of the Ghetto I came upon
oae OF the tragedies Of a transplanted race l was
SN-eo IN 10 attend Jewish mother. Il was evil
seHl the couple were miserably poor. and by and
o. the man told me the story
= hsd shop ia Newark VUnce,' he said with
-o 4'tue pride. i works bet suits. mems suits und
~, MAKES Zwolf Vierzehn dollar week. Tn den my
Won Colies from Shermany, Und she iss not-how
sr,r 60 t-Satlsfy In dat place We nf efery-
Ss.Lnsas q tAflst He tried TO make the statement
r,ea-Sateiy, knowing to be a Christian, but IL
- pam from ms look and the look OF his wife
80 80 lag On the other side OF the room with her
seeA-ola baby, what II meant for a Jewish woman
,esh IRON an Old World Jewish settlement to live
!. a etfeet where every one 'Krist.' Well
yeselhs ne man brought his wife New
<,, 70 the Ghetto. but being a stranger here he
re-. u hard 70 work up his business. Then the
49, OF MS little shop was raised. and he had 10
sEe up; They exist now by little mending and
10 sewing, which he does IN the two rooms where
My wife she ISIS satisfy he said 'but-and he
saeoe an expressive shrug at the poverty OF the
ION: IND desc room ISIS zwei dollar more dey
VOC ven come
O., suppose many would say that the man was
toohsh 10 yield 10 the prejudioes of his wife. All
olt inherited traditions pretudices, and
axe IL that tho point is that this couple who GER
amy have right TO live among their co-religion-
-se IL they want 10. are suffering from the greed
% Lhe lsnolord. who charges them an extortionate