The broad ax., 1909-04-17
LANDLORD EXPLAINS.
Tells . Story Of Why Tenants Wiz.
Children Are DIsIiked.

Tells . Story Of Why Tenants HiS.
Children Are Disliksd.
sThe renters, and the newspapers
have had lots Of fun with the land
lords during the last four or five
years." said the owner of a block Of
buildings in St Louis We have been
particularly roasted for not wanting
to admit tenants with children into
our houses. In fact to hear some
people talk about us it might be sup
posed We are a lot Of ogres, whose
special aim in life is to discourage the
multiplication Of the human race, or.
as Roosevelt might state 1t, to foster
race suicide, by refusing to rent quar-
tiers to families with children.
I'm the first place, men with fam
lilies ought to have houses Of their
own There are many ways by which
this can be accomplished at no great
er expense than Is paid for rent
oftenttmes.
Nov, as to the prejudice against
children, let me tell little story from
my own experience. I have a fiat
which rents for $25 a month -Four
months ago It became vacant, and
when I looked It over found it in
such condition that extensive r
pairs were necessary. The plumber,
gas man, steamhtter, carpenter, paint
er, paper-hanger and glazier all had
to come IN, and by the time they were
out again they had over q hundred
dollars Of my money in their pockets.
That meant four months rent Then
the house was vacant for another
month, when family with two chill
dren. q boy OF II and a girl Of 10.
moved In They stayed three months.
and at the end OF that time the man
sent word that the fat was in such
a condition that he would not stay
any longer unless had SONS repairs
made.
was astonished, for had looked
after the repairing myself. and knew
that it was well done and that the
fat was in irst-class condition only
three months before, so 1 concluded
to step around and see what the
trouble was, and of all the sights
ever witnessed that was one Of the
worst. The new paper was smeared
with what looked like molasses or
grease, about as high as the girl could
reach with her hands. The boy had
been provided with a Ratchet. and
seemed to have been splitting kndIing
On the back porch. for the boards
were hacked in every direction and
the ratings and posts were clipped |
Is though he hsd been testing the !
edge Of the tool. One of the lead
pipes was cut half through. evidently ]
with the same instrument, was tied up |
with a rag. but stu leaked so badly |
that the whole basement was damp
In thirty OF forty places the wall
paper had been Clipped, and in one
q section Of plaster a foot square had
been knocked OF. smelled gas es-
Gaping. and noticed some strings tied
to the chandelier in The front room,
and on inquiring I found that the lit
tie girl needed a don swing, and that
her father had made one from the
chandelier. 50 that gas fixtures had
worked loose.
PAINT had been scratched on the
mont and back doors. ana when ]
asked about this I found that the fam
ny had q big dog when the dog was 1
outside he scratched at the door until
someone let him in. and when he was
inside he went through the same per
formancs to get out -Four trees I
planted II front Of the house had dis
appeared. root and branch. likewise
the sod IN the frunt yard, and half
= dozen panes Of glass were cracked I
O. broken. the basement door was
OF Is hinges ana one Of It's boardsl
go1e. and Afterwards discovered the
board made into q sort Of paddle. for
what uss never found ont. except
that Il vas not 70 paddle TIE boy.
when / mentionsd these little mat
ters 70 TIE nan ana his wife I vas
Verv nrn1Iv to7a cne .r,rrt a..