New-York tribune., 1907-04-15
FINDING A HOME.
gelf-Supporting Women ClamOr for
Decent LiUing Conditions.

# local haDldioil II Alic NV A''AENCA - a
.o.D with wife and no children. or with one
email child warranted not 10 cry, the search is
~, difficult There are myriads Of flats de-
.,,nad for such. and designed not badly. The
,.ase Of a man with several children is harder
z,,t as for the woman with no belongings what
erer and limited income, she might as well
M, look at all. She will not better herself. 1t
A. not that landlords object TO her. 1t is simply
,bst the builder has left her out of his scheme
Of things
Few women like 10 live in a boarding house
They do H. but they do il as bird perches on
q limb. only with far less satisfaction than the
tir5 takes in his limb. II is a home they want
most Of the vast army of women who live alone
IN New York and work for. say. SIS or $50
week A home ought TO he possible with that
income. yet, matter Of fact, the case of the
SIS or $50 a week woman is often fuller of per-
plexites than is that of the SIS a week factory
girl For the first has a higher standard of
dress 10 maintain, and, generally. more refined
tastes and habits.
Where is the builder who shall lead the way
IN supplying fats conveniently arranged for and
within the means Of the average working
woman?
DIR. GOULD'S IDEA.
7 think" DR. Elgin R. L. Gould president of
the City and Suburban Homes Company. said
10 a Tribune representative the other day. that
for the present any such enterprise would have
TO be philanthropc. I don't mean that homes
for working women would not probably bring
fair return on the money invested. but that the
initiative must be taken by some one who cares
about the purpose, and is not afraid TO take a
little risk. Building is largely matter of Sc
curing mortgages. Flat buildings for working
women living alone would be in the nature of an
experiment Men do not, rule like TO lend
n-s
OF the usual order. Small fiathouses for women
are badly needed but must look TO the
individual builder for them now.
7 am not sure whether il would be best TO
have a building limited 10 women exclusively.
The City and Suburban Homes Company is con-
sdering the needs Of working women living
alone. but the family idea lies the of this
company's activities, and we don't want TO get
TOO far away from that. In 18th street
houses we began trying the experiment Of re-
serving building for women living alone and
elderly couples. in order TO have il quieter than
house can be where there are children. And
the experiment has succeeded very well.
What does the average working woman
mean the woman who works all day in Office
or schOolrCom, and comes home tired at night
what does she want? I think good many want
20 have their dinner without going through the
process Of cooking il, then 10 drop into pleas
ant sitting room where they talk 10 others,
OF read book or magazine. then TO go 10 their
rooms and bed. II is not Il good thing for
either young woman or young man 10 get too
much into the way Of club life. and Yet house
keeping is a burden for woman who is
ployed all day. Wouldn't the ideal plan be
building containing small fats, but having a
common kitchen and dining room attached, so
thai the women tenants, if they wished, could
club together and hire some one TO prepare their
meals?
THE TROUBLESOME BATHROOM.
The hats could be so arranged that if suf-
hcient woman renters did not apply they could
be turned into family apartments, thus guarding
against any risk of loss. But 1 don't think there
.,,l5 Ia 81 M 7
women who are alone less satisfactory renters
than families are? Why. no. except" Dr. Gould
added, with smile, when two or three women
club together and take apartment there is
the chance Of their disagreeing and breaking up,
which means fat left vacant
Apartments for working women cannot be
located Of course in what are called the best
residential quarters Of the city for the value OF
the land in those quarters makes it impossible.
But there are other fairly desirable locations,
locations which as the city is improved viii be-
come more desirable where the land IS not so
valuable I suppose women renters are trine
more fasudious require a few more comforts in
their fats than The ordinary family does The
question Of a bathroom is rather troublesome.
A bathroom takes good deal Of room out OF
small fiat. if il is large enough TO contain tub
and believe most women prefer a tub to
shower But they might be induced to accept
me substitute OF a shower We studying
The workings Of the shower bath, and if some
material could be found that would make the
noor imperViOus 10 water. so there would be no
Danger Of a food in the fat below when a tenant
TOOK a bath, the adoption OF the shower bath
loea would do away with Of the difficulties
N 1h me way Of supplying comfortable. lOw-priced
hats for women.
One plan for a bath that has been sug-
eested is 10 have the pOrcelain-lined laundry
teos made with an adjustable partition, that
lhey could be turned into a batlltub at need.
AAdl would be a good Dlan IL the right material
sOuld be discOy cred for the partition. But rub
bF Is the only ethng known now that would
prevent leakage where the tubs We're being
used for laundry tubs. and rubber would soon
De destroyed by the acids that are used in
However. those are minor points. Working
women want homes, and homes for working
women there must be, sooner or later fur
iinsheo room is poor substitute for a conven-
Ieht ntue hat. young woman, a trained
nurse was lately telling me her experience.
one TOOK a couple of furnished rooms together
win two Of her friends. They lived more or less
- - ioftaDly Tor time, cooking their meals
" th lheir rooms on suffeTance, IL We're Then
ne ne woman who kept the house objected TO their
nehl housekeeping, after searching
tney found a small fiat and moved into IL. Now
she tells me- they not only much more COM
-OsIaDle. but their expenses are considerably
teouced. They have fitted up the kitchen with
screens 70 hide the tubs, that II doesn't look
me kitchen, and can be used a dining
S' .oSih' 100; they have a pleasant living room
and bedroom apiece"
I think" Miss Blanche Geary, superintendent
" lne city and Suburban Homes houses. said
% The Tribune representative. that apartment
houses for living alone will surely be
Dult before long The need is great and so
many people are talking about ii, that some one
VITA the means viii come forward and meet
S tlat need, al least In measure. II IS true, I
think' that women living alone uncer-
Salh quantity, considered renters. / mean.
1hey move oftener than families. They get
married and then. when two three are liv-
..s togetheT,t they are apt 10 disagree and part.
And every time fat IS vacated every tlne a
hQr "a INNS he QKff1V