The Washington herald., 1908-06-14
FOREIGN LANDLORDS.
They own Three-Afths of ChicagO's
Small Flats.

From the Chicago Tribune.
II you are a full-blooded American
worker in Chicago the chances are three
out Of FIVE that you pay rent 10 a land
lord who is foreign born. The average
native American In Chicago can't get
ahead" on a salary OF SIS a week. The
average foreign-born resident saves
money and becomes a landlord on an IN
come much smaller.
At the present rate at which the small
er renting properties are being acquired
by foreign blood It will not be many
decades before most OF the rent receipts
will be signed by Landlords Szymczak
Smisniewicz. Zettlach. or Rubertski.
This tendency IS one that ought 10 in
terest Chicago workers. especially those
Of American birth and descent. II IS a
singular and striking commentary on the
traits Of a class which should, in the ma
ture Of things. grow into modest COM
petcnce. but which. on the contrary, is
drifting into dependence that must look
10 foreign blood dictatorship.
II you want proof that foreigners are
acquiring firm foothold on the small fiat
buildings Of the city, just watch the real
estate transfers and the building per-
mits. In a recent days list there were
twenty-nine distinctly foreign names
among those who purchased property out
OF total OF forty-one. The twenty nine
included. in the properties bought, about
70 per cent or the smaller sales Of that
day. Five OF the purchasers had names
ending IN ski" seven smacked plainly
Of Sweden or Norway. four were Ger
man. three Italian, and one Greek.
on the same day forty-three building
permits We're issued. OF these thirty
three were 10 persons with foreign names.
Permits were taken out for thirteen two
story fiat buildings. and nine Of these
permits were secured by applicants who
were either Polish, italian, Swedish. or
German.
Go through the transfers and building
permits day by day. and you viii find the
same average prevailing A similar ratio
holds good with reference 20 small houses
and cottages. The records Of the build
ing department show that the foreigners
are the home builders.
Americans can't get ahead Why?
This is a question for you, the Amer
lean worker to study. Is it because you
don't want 20 or really can't?
on certain streets Of Chicago. notably
on the northwest and southwest sides
there are scores Of pretty streets lined
with pretentioUs two-nat buildings. with
here and there a three-story building.
The little grass plots are well kept, the
young shade trees are beginning 10 do ef-
fective duty. and there is an air Of mod
est prosperity. Whose property is IL?
YOurss
No; it's your landlords property. You
live in the second fiat; he in the first
Your name is Jones' his IS Szeszycki.
Forty years ago he was born IN a far
away land. He came TO America in the
emigrant hold. To-day he is worth
$1,000. You were born on an Illinois
farm. You came 70 Chicago in 1855 and
have worked steadily ever since. You
haven't dollar In the bank or IN prop
erty. and you owe a months rent to
Mr.. Szeszycki
Why?
Go through a score Of the front vesti-
bUleS on your street and read the names
on the mail boxes. In almost every build
ing you viii find one American family
and one foreign family. It is a safe bet
that the foreigner is the landlord. You
will not find the reverse true once in
twenty times
This is not an overdrawn picture Of
many extensive sections Of Chicago. The
assessment rolls show whole blocks Of
renting properties without a single
ed by the names
The carfSa-rO answer % Question esf-
pericially-lies in habit Foreign resi-
dents Of Chicago have the saving habit.
They have the property craze. Natives
have the spending habit Ask the aver
age American worker IN Chicago why he
doesn't own a home or small renting
property, and he will reply:
Il don't want to tie myself down.
don't expect TO stay in Chicago all my
life. and besides, I might lose my fob.
Perhaps. when I'm settled. I'll invest"
So the American waits until he is set
tied In life before he begins 10 save-and
he never finds himself settled until he
wakes up TO the fact that he's getting
DID. Then he's settled beyond redemp-
lion.
The foreigner begins to save AT the
start. He puts a mortgage on the future. |
and pays II off. so that by the time he is
forty or fifty he is practically independ- /
ant. collecting rents from Jones and
Smith. who didn't want TO be tied down I
AS landlord he has carved a little niche /
Tor himself in the city. where he defies !
eviction and loan sharks Jones and I
smith are doing the hustling 70 support /
him.
After all, II takes comparatively little |
- support a family in comfort Mr. 4
7zcs.veki, with his $4,000. is content. He /
earns a little additional, perhaps, but 4
he snaps his fingers at the world
You, the American worker, ought to /
earn valuable lesson from your foreign /
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