New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-31
VAIL FROM BOWERY.
LODGING HOUSES OBJECT.
U-W Have to Close If Ne7o Health
Rules Are Carried Out.


Health Department. They also request NAV va
rous amendments tn the regulations ne hidue.
Commissioner Darlington has the objections no"
under consideration, and they will he acted upon
the meeting Of the board
In addition to the objections, report was SEM
explaining the situation and conditions Of the ioos
ing house. II reads follows: Before discussins
the specific objections the resolutions, " Is
proper call the attention of this honorable hoard
tho fact that the lodging houses in the CITY or
New York as at present maintained give more ade-
quatc and cleanIy sleeping accommodations TO the
selfsuppOrting poor men Of this city than 'ouiu
be obtained by them in any other place
About twenty thousand men nightly occupy the
lodging houses, where they are supplied with all
the conveniences which the proprietors of these
houses can afford to give and still make reason
able profit upon the money invested in their bust
ness. The dodgers supplied with sufficient
bathing facilities including both hot and cold
water baths; arc furnished with hair and shoe
brushes. soap and towels; they are provided with
reading rooms supplied with daily and weekly
papers. including those IN German, Italian and
other foreign languages
They have in the reading rooms the companion
ship Of their fellow dodgers and they arc permitted
to and do indulge IN games of domInos and check
ers. these amusements keeping them away from
saloons and disroputable resorts. The price which
can he charged for nights lodging is from 10 L"
. cents, and il cannot he increased. for the
sufficient reason that the class fraquenting the
lodging houses unable to pay any larger sum.
This makes the income from those houses fixed
amount. which cannot he increased. and il the
pense Of maintaining them is greatly maEnifed.
as IT VIII bH " these regulations enforced. the
result Will be 20 close the lodging houses and force
the army Of twenty thousand men ~hO now find
clean. healthfU and comfortable accommodations
there INTO rooms and resorts which are unsanitary
dirty and poorly ventilated. while for companion
ship these men must seek the saloon the DIS
reputable house.
1T is submitted that the Board Of Health should
not enforce regulations drastic that the propric
tors of lodging houses forced to abandon them,
losing thereby the savings Of years which have
been invested in the buildings and driving the
fortunate but sef-supportinE into infinitely worse
surroundings. II is fact that If the regulations
now under consideration enforced .he lodging
houses must be closed, that the action OF the
Board Of Health will amount to a practical conns-
cation of property, unpr0ductive OF any benefit TO
the community.
"Ou the contrary. it will result in very serious
harm and discomfort TO that portion Of the metro
poljtan population that is unable TO pay fOr
sleeping accommodations than is OF present charged
by the lodging houses
Among the objections which the association
makes is that it is impossible to furnish clean
sheets and pillow daily the regulation calls
FOR The association says this regulation is a more
stringent provision than that observed by many
hotels and frst-class boarding houses Bed linen.
the association saws is usually changed only
a week. whore the anne person occupies the bed
during that time The lodging houses should not
be required 10 DO more than this of course. n
the occupant Of the bed changes from night TO
night. then the regulation should Provide that clean
linen should he put with the advent Of each
new occupant: but in many the occupy
ing the cublcles hire them by the week or by the
month. and there many instances where a
iodger has remained in n particular house many
wears. One man has lived ~ the place for
Gus. although more than eighty years OF age-a
fairly good criterion, from which il might be de-
terrnned that the houses as at present maintained
do not produce disease and untinely death
IT may DO added that there Is competition IN
this business. there Is In every other business
In this age. and - Is necessary for the financial
success OF lodging house that the bedding be kept
I'm clean condition. The records OF business viii
show that this Is by the proprfetors irrespec-
tive OF municipal enaCtments requiring. and be-
cause there may be- here and there a proprietor
who does not the requisite cleanliness that
affords no reason why unjust burdens should be
placed upon those who are not remiss in this
SpeCt.
The association further objects 10 furnishing
shower bath for every fifty beds or hathtub for
every twenty-five beds, as the regulations require
The propretors OF several houses have kept records
OF the proportion OF baths taken by the dodgers
and they find. they say, that each day only per
cent of the dodgers enjoy this luxury. In other
words with one hundred only a
bath every DAY II nifty baths were furnished II
would not increase the number OF btthers. the pro
prietors argue. What the association wants is that
there shall be one bathtub for every hundred
bells and ono shower bath in each lodging house.
The association also objects fumigating the p
houses every TWO weeks 1t wants the regulation
changed so that funiSation shall be done whenever
necessary If they are required by "A hard and
fast rule 10 fumigate their rooms every Two weeks
whether th-y need IL not the proprietcCs SAY
1t would rlc>, THAT their dodgers would be driven
away The mos important regulation To which the
association takes exception reads as follows:
In every sleeping room the minimum floor area
shall h' sixty square feet bed, and under cir
cnmsfancfs shall Their" no provided less than 80
cubic feet % air space 4 he'd
Regarding this regulation the aSSoci, ton saws
has no objection to the requirement that four hum
dr"d cubic feet air space be- furnished for each
he'd This is Il wise and SHlutarv provision n
says. and which the lodging house keepers
Chcerfullv aCCede 10. hUi II is respectfully sub
mtted. that. having this air space. no beus fetal
result IS accomplished nv requiring in addition
thereto specified amount Of floor area 4 suf-
Cteut quantity Of air FOR each odGcr is the princi
pal object 20 h" obtained in order 10 preserve the
health ~ the dodgers. To increase the floor srscA
from forty Ia sixty square fee, wound rasut in a.
mnishng by onc-third tho utility and income Of the
building and the receipts would cut down
In that proportion, but there would he CORE
spending dcorease in expense THIS means Of
that tho propretors ~ tire regulat
enforced, would ne driven from business. RELYING
upon their ability TO continue in business under
the regulations enforced before tho passage these
regulations, they have instances taken
IN" rnutalS Cf which fNed and based upon the
assumption that the business could be continued
as ~ present conducted. and ~ this assumption is
made false by the enforcement OF these regulations
then up~srranted hardship. Injustice and dnsn-
Cial loss 10 the proprietors must result
Tho record OF the lodging houses shows that
they practically free from disease and that
the manner IN which they AT present maintained
has not been detrimental to the health of the com
munity. or Of those who occupy them. The asso-
citation wants in every sleeping room four hundred
cubic feet Of air space"
Some figures have been submitted 20 the board
which show what profit the average lodging house
makes IN gear The daily average expense for
lodging house Is IS follows:
R Rem clerks. s,,,.i. ct, .:::.:::: as
so Snnd5 brushes fss a SSsi r and water
Repairs all kinds. ............ rs
Paint and painting
New sheets and towels eto...................... s.,
pa'S pSPe's :"
Average daily receipts Fl "a
daily prodt, Observation-Disclosures. siss