The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-23
CHILDREN MAKE FLATS PAY.
IT'S mo FAMILIES THAT RENDER
TENEMENTS PROFITABLE

farta or the City -Whero me No-SAio0-
Hnle Doesn't Prevaii-Ono L'anoiero
VINO won't Rent 70 Childioss Couples
Last side TenomentS the nest PayeF5'
Notwithstanding the changes In the
custom Ia other parts OF the town. u
certain that the most popular moving DAY
In the more thiohy populated distrios
Of New York Il May 1. One reason doubt
less Ia that In the spring the vanderbilt
selzes upon tenants unhampered by leases
Therefore there is now great activity M
the tenementS.
In tho eye Of the law all apartment houses
are tenement houses. When compared
With the imposing. glass plate trimmed,
elevator equipped, high priced tenement
In the neighborhood Of Fifth avenue the
populous tenement on the East Side, say
makes q poor showing In looks perhaps;
nevertheless any real estate dealer wiz
tell you that when It comes 10 question
OF cash dividends the latter Il far and away
10 the lead.
The reason real estate men assign for
this Is the unpopularty Of big families
In the Fifth avenue section and their popu-
larity In the tenement districts, 80 called.
We're II not, In fact. that large families
are 10 fashionable on the East and the
West sides Of the town many Of the older
tenements there would have to be pulled
down and rebuilt before they would be-
como profitable TO their owners. A. II IL
they can't be spared.
They are all needed, and dozens more,
70 accommodate the population who want
70 live there.
Then why this hue and cry against
children as tenants7. a real estate man
who handles blocks Of tenement houses ell
over the city was asked. II the cheaper
grade tenements pay the highest per cent.
on the money invested, and all on account
Of the hordes Of children they house the
year round, why discriminate against big
families2'
we don't discriminate be replied.
oheefully. Every onoe In while story
gets out Of some woman walking through
| the streets trying In vain TO secure quarters
for herself and her brood Of young Ones
but such cases are big exceptions.
when they do OCCUR, ten chances TO one
! the agent OF the landlord knows the APP
| plicant 10 be undesirable for other reasons
than the size Of her family.
sShe may be In the habit Of beating her
rent. that is. moving every other month
or 80, or she may be quarrelSome or In
80 far as this firm IL concerned, we make
no objection 10 children In renting our low
priced fats and suites in the cheaper grade
/ tenements. In the higher priced tene-
! ments / should have TO draw the line at q
I family Of elk or eight small children, say,
did such families ever apply-but they never
/ do.
Persons who are able 10 pay high rent
/ don't include half dozen small children
| though, one OF two little dogs. The dog
/ tenants give me more trouble than all the
! Youngsters put together.
Occasionally an owner Of a hathouSe
! makes a rule against dogs and try 70 carry
| IL out. But when . ohildless couple loom
up. willing to pay large rent and sign a
! long lease provided they CAT bring along
| q Couple OF toy dogs, the sweetest things
| in the worl Id and no trouble at all. that
owner generally forgets the rule, and 90
mo, Il il not true that children are not
welcomed to the tenements--at least, I
have not run up against anything OF that
sort
| Side, was less emphatic on this point.
Naturally, IL would be impossible 70
| reflae all persons with large families, and
| no one knows this better than the owners
Of tenement houses said he. But this
Ia how the owner comes at me:
s'See here, Blank. can't you keep your
| weather eve open for a few more small
families?' he says. Really that last bill
! for repairs was pretty steep, you know.
Cut down a little II you can on the number
! OF children
therefore the next day when q woman
with six children applies, put her OF with
! the excuse Of having given the refusal
| OF the rooms she wants to some one else,
| and one hour later maybe rent them to g
| couple with two children. But had the
| landlord not been In prodding me. probably
| the woman with six children would have
| got the rooms.
stripped Of romance, here are q few
facts in connection with the small fry / deal
With, which may explain perhaps why
| children are not wildly popular With all
! property owners. Just by way Of amusing
| themselves they break on door knobs,
| null out front door bells, all the speaking
| tubes with mud. cut Sits In the ball oil
! cloth and when other diversions grow stale
20 on the roof and chop holes in the tin
! with a hetchet.
sThe other day a janitor's boy walksd
! IN here and announced:
Say, boss, come fellers has broke three
! panels in the basement door
when / went over to the place later
! IN the day / discovered In a hallway Of
one Of the houses look after Two young
! sters, one with kitchen knife, the other
with broken penknife, deliberately goug-
! ing the nails out Of the stair oilcloth.
while / was calling on a tenant yester-
| day ! saw a small boy cutting his initials
! into the wood Of the window sill, his mother
calmly looking on without word. OF
course, In nine out Of ten cases parents
are much 10 blame for their children's
| actions. Not one mother In twenty meet
has the least idea how to bring children
up properly; but that doesn't alter the case
any
| in the woodwork OF her apartment doesn't
expect me to keep the holes patched up,