New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-09-04
TO PURGE SLUMS OF PARIS
Cheap Sanitary Homes for the Poor
Who Noe LiUe in Filth.
Paris, August 10

Paris, August H.
Two recent occurrences IN Paris have aroused
public interest in the burning question of how
to house her poor. The first of these the
opening some three months ago by NJ. Siegfried
OF a fine block of Industrial dwelling houses in
the Nontmartre district; the second was the be-
quest of 100000 made by Baron AlphOnse de
Rothschild TO the city, to be devoted to hous-
ing the poor.
These are the first steps in a much needed re-
form It has been estimated that there are IN
Paris no less than $4,000 lodgings consisting
of a single room and $4,000 Of two rooms. occu-
pied each by families averaging three persons
while there are some thousands of cases in when
the same number Of rooms harbor ten individ-
uals The sanitary conditions of these tenement
houses in the teeming slums of the capital are
of the most primitive description. Every drop OF
water has to be fetched by the tenants of these
rookeries from the pump in the courtyard and
the suualor and filth in which many thousands
are thus condemned to live must be seen 70 De
realized In addition, the steady drain OF peas
ants from the country districts into the towns
and particularly into the capital furnishes Farls
annually with an increase in her population or
50 900 persons and thus the problem OF nous
ing the poor becomes ever more and more olln-
cult.
Until the means Of communication between
fortifcations are both more economical and
more rand than they are at present. II will not
be possible to induce this large class or tnhaol-
tants to settle far from the centre. and thus tho
evils arising from overcrowding grow ever
greater SO valuable are land and house prop
ertv in the city that the relative rents or these
miserable lodgings are extremely high and tene-
ment houses return far larger prohts 10 thelF
owners than do the handsome. modern apart
ment houses in the residential parts OF Paris o
per cent in many cases being realized by them
as against "a per cent in the fashionable dis
tricts
To stem the tide Of immigration into the man
ufac+uring cities and large towns many plans
have been suggested. The scheme first tried IN
America Of transpIanting the large factories
with their thousands OF operatives from 'n0
towns to a beautiful garden city. lald OUT III
the midst OF some smiling landscape. recon-
mends itself more strongly than any otner' ana
both France and England are adopting H. me
frst-and so far the only-such city proJecIsu
here Is due TO the initiative OF the Creusot firm
of gun manufacturers, who have lately put up
new electrical works in a LITTLE hamlet or from
ZOO To 600 inhabitants on the banks OF the Seine
not far from FontainebCau. To provide accom-
mediation here for the thousands of hands 10
be employed In these works, the firm decided 10
build a garden city American lines. ENteh-
sfve ground plots were purchased ana conVeii-
lent houses built with a rapidity never oeIoIe
seen in France. Some of the buildings were IN
the form OF apartment blocks; others were
single villas standing in gardens; all are spa
cto,,s and airy. and the rents are low and well
within the reach Of the purses OF the tenants
for whom they are intended A similar enort
20 heine made in England, where Mr.. Cadoury,
the rich Quaker intends to transplant one or
his chocolate factories from the city INTO
garden city under construction IN Hertford-
shire But It will be long before this movement
can make any appreciate difference in the
crowded centres Of population. and meantime
the poor in the capital IN their unhealthy homes
form a danger to the community at large
Several societies have been formed with the
object OF providing suitable dwelling houses for
particular classes Of workers. One such under
takes TO house the women and girls employed IN
the postofnce: another has taken UP the cause
OF large families who are reluctantly accept
ed bv landlords as tenants. All these societies
are, however. hampered by lack OF funds, and
France continues to be far behind England
Germany and Belgium in this direction Baron
Alphonse de Rothschild. always foremost in
matters OF public welfare. caused detailed re-
port to be drawn up by committee OF archi-
tects engineers and hnanciers on the hygtenic
industrial dwelling houses In London that have
ty-five years The first to be put up were due
10 the philanthropy OF Mr.. Peabody, the Aneri-
can merchant who beqpeathed the sum OF 81
100000 TO be laid out In building blocks OF cheap
apartments IN the crowded parts OF London,
Leeds and Manchester. The revenues OF these
foundations. after deducting the necessary ex-
penses of their maintenance are devoted TO add
ing to the number OF such buildings. and the
present value of the property. known as the
Peabody Buildings is three times the original
capital.
The Rothschild endowment will be managed
on much the same lines as the Peabody be-
quest, except that the progressive increase OF
value will be considerably greater. Some OF the
unsavory tenement houses will be pulled down
TO make room for blocks OF spacious. hygienio
apartments for artisans and factory hands, and
thus at Least start will be made in the work
Of clearing away the slums OF the city. In the
new block already opened In Montmartre there
Is an excellent feature in the shape of restau-
rant, which has been installed in the ground
floor. This restaurant run by a syndicate. aims
at furnishing wholesome food at little more
than cost 20 the tenants OF the house and should
prove a boon. especially in hot weather. when
ever the smallest cooking apparatus adds ma
teriaIIy 10 the temperature of a room. Whether
or not the inhabitants will give their patronage
to the eating house at their front door remains
to be seen. At all events the Siegfried block
and the Rothschild bequest valuable contri-
buttons to a fine work. and in their way are re-
garded as models OF up to date scientific char
ity. c. l. B.
POISON IVY AND suMAc.
Poison ivy has three leaflets and Virginia creeper