Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-01-29
CHILD OR THE FLAT7

IT HE question of children versus
apartment houses. like most
other questions has two sides
II also has a middle ground. and
that IS where / ana taking my stand
in this article Owning neither large
apartment houses nor small children
I may be considered unbiased. and
having been HAT dwellcr with
grown family for several years / must
know something Of the conditions that
prevail
10 is am acknowledged fact that one
ordinary child does moro damage
20 woodwork. wallis. shades. halls,
stairways and grass plots than two
ordinary grown personalities the
latter happen Go own dog. But this
is of minor Importance and should not
apply 10 wcll-bred children OF refined
people although. alas, Z fear it too
often docs. Aside from such argu-
ments "a large fiat building is no place
for child. and the child has no place
or right therinl There may be argu-
ments in favor OF life in flats for
families of young children. from the
parents point of view-such as econ
omv, convenience and freedom from
many cares incident Co housekeeping.
And perhaps In tho smaller build
ings of two or three. or even four to
six flats IL they are equipped with
wide back porches and deep grassy
wards. childlife therein may be en-
durable
But even in such cases small sep
arato home. no matter how simple,
would be more beneficial to the child
rem.
I'm the larger moro pretentious
apartment buildings where the plebc-
ian title OF fiat" d. resented. where
rom 30 to- 70 families are housed
children are restricted and uncomfor-
table, or else render the existence OF
the other tenants very disagreeable.
Now. an children 20 be healthy. must
play. They cannot play In halls-for
obvious reasons Where can they
play? In their own apartment? BY
no means 10 they run and jump they
shake the chandelier and pictures i'm
the apartment beneath. and the lady
downstairs icily requests them to
dosist. III they shout. the half-dozen
nearest neighb0rs whose windows
open toward their apartment are dis
turbed and speedily register their COM
plants.
And even &c % were not for the
neighbors the children could not play
in the apartment The modern apart
ment is planned in such an artistic
manner that one room opens into
another with large arches. or no par
ttions at all. 10 create an impression
OF space--to secure vista as one
woman called her three by nine hall
way. This arrangement does away
with an privacy, as everything can be
seen and heard from one end TO the
other OF such a suite OF rooms, and
mamma and her friends cannot endure
the noise and confusion and disorder
incident 20 the play OF the children.
So there is no place FOR them 10
play except the streets and there
every evening until a late hour these
apartment-hOuse children congregatc.
There they race and shrek and dodge
pedestrians and make night hldeous Tor
everybody within hearing. They have
"a wholesome fear now OF the roadway
itself 20 the narrow sidewalk is their
ouy area. and there they are a nui-
sanco TO passors-by ana To- neighbors.
There they are thrown with an
sorts Of children, some OF whom even
the most lax parents could not help
viewing with dlsapproVal There they
are rapidly acquiring rude habits of
speech and conduct ana becoming pert
and noisy II nothing worse
Now why are the children thus
deprived Of their rights? Not because
the landlord is unjust or hardheartcd.
Hc planned his buildings primarily
for adult families-not Tor children.
~ Is not his fault f parents bring their
little ones into misht lodgings.
often the children are thus cheated
Of their blrthright Of freedom By the
sclhshncss of one OF both OF their
parents. The apartment o. taken Dee
cause Of De- "sWell" appearance. cor
20 facilitate social climbing. or some
other advantage which "a allowed t0
OutWeight the chidrens Wcll-beius,
mental. moral and physical.
A small house with ID yard farther
OUT would secure health and happi-
moss 90 the children. and to thc parents
also if only they had the wisdom tO
see b. TO Doe sure. father might bo
hurdeucd with the care OF tho furnace
bon winter and might have to NOV the
lawn Zoo summer. buf there would Doc
place for few flowers. and per-
haps s1mc vegetable. and. bcst of
all place for the children
The little folk could safely run
loose u their yard entertain their
p'aymates, sroW strong and have "a
good Time. and aI under their mothers
whatchful ego. And while thc care %
house muy exceed that al "a fat
Che children Themselves are less care
and their clothes may De- fewer ANA
IrsH costly and SNOWY. And there
would bc come home life possible.
Oh. mothersi You do not know
what you yourselves arc missing in
thc ucnt-up apartment not Your
children are playing Do Che streets
whom 0ut of school and bed. end you
scarcely Sec thcm. You have 40
chance 10 become acquainted with
your own children DO you know
their tastes aud share their fun and
fnnciesf How can you guide on in-
1ueuce fhou' kVcn on ihe sabbath
your children are turned loose on thc
sidewalks while sou read tho sunday
..u..- ---L -. .Dr...- Il. IL .luu..-