New-York tribune., 1908-05-24
THE HALL BOYS RULE.

But here's another example OF the New York
sttitude. discovered the other day that was
receiving all Illy mail. and the postal
etation TO make complaint When told the
man at the inquiry window that my address was
apartment house. he shrugged his shoulders
and informed me that large proportion OF the
hall boys. whose duty il is sort and deliver the
mail TO the tenants. can't read, and they
paid next 10 nothing they assume little RESPONSE
bility- The consequence was, he said, that one
third OF the mail addressed 20 apartment houses
went astray. One-thirdt Think of that! L told
this TO Kew York man. and he admitted that the
hail boy in the apartment house where he lived
couldn't read, but he added, he's SO respectful
that don't wait to lose him have him
leave the mail on the desk in the hall, and each
selects has own BH why in the world
shouldn't you New Workers insist upon both COM
petence and respect? You certainly pay enough
command both.
It's the attitude Of the apartment house ten
ant the girl from the West went on, that I
fnd the most remarkable OF all. In the apartment
building where I live the janitor is considered
quite extraordinary because when he comes into
apartment TO make repair that it's the
landlords business have made he doesn't linser
FOR tip. OF course, he has be tipped once
month, anyway But We have not only an ex-
ceptolal janitor. il seems but exceptional land
lord well for he actually keeps the house ade-
QuateIy heated in the winter and also furnishes
heat when the days are chilly in the spring and
early fall This, gather from what the tenants
OF other apartment houses have told me- is quite
unusual. Now, when you consider that the ma ior-
tty OF people here in New York apartment
house tenants, doesn't their apa1hetc attitude tow
ard such e2asperating conditions strike you as
being remarkable?
But attitude os the landlords is no more
comprehensive Before l came 10 New York I
had heard 80 much about the congestion here that
expected ind apartment houses literally bulg-
ing with tenants To my establishment ! found
that an apartment house without To let' sign
the exception. and that whenever tenant de-
cloed 10 move there wide variety OF apart
naents from which TO select her new domcile Jane,
who has lived here six years. and who has moved
five in that period, says she has found
scarcity Of vacant apartments. 1 asked her why
she had moved so often. Well she answered
you see, can only afford s75 q month, and We
need rooms, and that that We must
always put up with some disadvantage. In the first
apartment had all the were light and
sunny except the bathroom, which was dark
When the club took I'D sanitation l realized how
bad that was. moved into an apartment
where the bathroom light and airy but three
Of the other dark / had the blues
apartment with dining room and q civil
5anitog. tried but the hall boy was Insult
ferable and the plumbing defective. and we were
forced 70 move again. took q suite IN a fam
lily hotel, but il frghtfully expensive so
rented the apartment we're now in. It has
only six rooms. and the maid has to sleep out
which is a great inconvenience. I think we'll be
Commuters next year