New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-10
CHILDREN IN Flats.

Nobody who goes through the streets largely
occupied by apartment houses will take too
seriously the talk about landlords as instru-
ments or race suicide" Children swarm not
merely out of the "tenements." in the common
acceptance of that term. but also out Of the
more pretentious fats and apartments. in num-
bers little if any smaller than would be seen
if their parents dwelt in individual homes.
Nevertheless, there is among the owners of
apartment houses an undoubted prejudice
against children, and. while its manifesto tons
are much exaggerated 1t does sometimes result
in great inconvenience to families of small
means and higher than tenement house tastes.
For this the landlords are blamed as If they were
very ORIGINS But we sometimes wonder after
all, If 1t is entirely their fault A bographer of
John Wesley tells how the mother OF the great
preacher, herself a poor parsons wife, brought
up in a small house a numerous family in per
fec. order, obedience and fond devotion and
without disturbance of the elder Wesey's stu
dious quiet This wonderful feat was based on
discipline from the beginning Her babies at
two weeks already understood and respected
parental authority. Perhaps if few more Mrs.
Wesleys lived in fathouses landlords would be
more hospitabe TO children.
Some months ago considerable notice was at
tracted by the announcement Of man who
bad acquired an apartment house in Harlem
that, impressed with the premium put upon
race suicide" by metropolitan conditions, he
had philanthropically determined to open his
building only TO families with children. He
filed it with such families and now after a
trial, in more senses than one, writes to The
New-York Herald" telling the result. He had
three apartments on each floor of his building,
and when they were filed he had more than a
hundred children, ranging in age from one TO
=
"prised that the house is still standing No
more families with children for me- l have
learned lesson. I would "a Their deal with a
tot OF wild animals than a band Of children
'of this generation. They are the most mis-
"chieyous, destructive and impertinent lot Of
youngsters that | ever imagined He reports
that they constantly broke the glass ruined
walls and ceilings and dcfaced woodwork, and
were generally noisy and dsorderly If any
complaint was made to the parents, the janitor
was denounced and insulted. In fact" he ex-
claims, the parents seemed TO have no control
whatever over their children and from what
Il can learn this is the fact everywhere"
We fear there is much truth in this plant
The children seen in the streets of New-York
are disorderly and unpleasant and do suggest
wonder as TO what kind of men and women
they are going to be. They are not taught Ia
respect law or to he eonsiderate of others The
spirit Of "hoodlumism" invades homes where A
higher standard might be expected. Parents
who know how TO bring up children who rec
ognize their own responsibilities to the com
munity and enforce respect for themselves and
for law and decency upon their offspring would
not be unpopular III a fat. Families thar ara
not governed a nuisance in n ten.ac.o
lot The much lauded days OF large families
were also days OF family discipline. perhaps -
our people In general learned 10 bring ND their
children so that they would not he an affijc