New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-05
HOUSING SERVANTS IN FLATS.

A study of the fats of London leads The
Lancet to draw comparison between the
servants quarters in these communal houses OF
the well to do with the frankly unsanitary
dwellings of the poor, by no means entirely TO
the advantage of the fats. It Is astonished to
find persons who are greatly exercised over the
conditions in the tenements often willing to put
part Of their own households in rooms which
are an Improvement on tenement rookeries in
appearance rather than in reality, so far as the
essentials Of health and comfort are concerned.
1t says that 'in at least a considerable number
of instances the servants are housed under con-
''dions which, did they exist in the dwellings
''of the poor. would be open to strong criticism.
the safety from such criticism in houses of the
erich lying in the fact that external appear
"ances are sometimes little deceptive" Some
Of the worst accommodations, far as ser
wants quarters went, were found in compare
lively new apartments in fashionable parts of
the city with rentals ranging from $500 to 81 800
A study in New-York would be likely 10 re-
veal similar or worse condition of affairs. As
New-York real estate Is more expensive than
that of London, and our peculiar street system
has encouraged the erection of deep and mar
row buildings, in which the problem of light and
rea sonably spacious main rooms TO accommo-
date family is difficult of solution, it would
be natural to expect to find the servants reIe-
gated TO mere closets. That is exactly what is
found in great number of apartments To he
had for $1,000 to 81. 200 a year Until recently
at least, bedroom big enough to hold an IN
derszed cot, without space even for comfort
able chair, is about all the average builder Of
moderate priced flats has thought it necessary 10
provide for these important members of
household. Attention seems TO be chiefly con
centrated on foyer halls and other show feat
ureS, and the New Yorker is either so vain that
Of E,
10 vulgar ostentauoD so helpless in the
hahus OF the real estate man that he goes on
living in closets himself, tucking his servants
away in odd corners and paying his money for
onyx lined entrances and parquet floored draw
ing rooms. 1t is a good deal cheaper for the
owner to throw in liberal quantity of gliding
at the front door than TO put into an apartment
space enough TO furnish decent quarters for all
its inmates In some of the new and expensive
apartments servants baths provided and
great virtue Is made of extra attic chambers
for additional domestics but too infrequently in
datdom is there any attempt to solve the prob
lem of making domestic service attractive TO
self-respecting. intelligent women. The simpli-
fication of housekeeping in the fat if accom-
panied by the offer of attractive quarters ought
10 do this.
The Lancet" thinks that public opinion should
be aroused to secure for servants proper accom-
modations, and suggests an examination by
METROPOLITAN medical officials TO see how they
are housed in fats. Such an examination here
might give us some useful information though
II is not easy to how conditions are to be
greatly bettered with the prevailing type of
apartment house, except for families able TO pay
a large rental. Fifteen hundred square feet OF
floor space. which is about the maximum of
fat with single apartment to a lot is not sufl-