The evening world., 1909-02-20
Sharp Fall in Death Rate Is a
Result of Relief From
Overcoming.
GAIN IS FOUR IN 1000.
Old Tenement Districts Grow
Healthier - New Rapid
Transit Roads Needed.

Subways are proving to, be veritabis
life-savers for New Workers..
They do their work by relieving the
congestion Of population in home dis
tricts. A. the people spread into less
crowded outlying seot1ons-the death rate
falls.
This Is being demonstrated every week
by Health Department statistics. The
current death rate Is 1914 in 1000. Last
year II was 20.02. The average Is falling
steadily, because the rate OF mortality
In tenement districts Is dropping az .
result Of decreasing congestion.
Death Rate 10 Failing.
There was an average Of moro than
eight hundred deaths q week In tone
ment houses during February. 1908. The
number has,failen below SO this year.
Tho fall corresponds almost exactly
with tho lessened density OF population.
Among the babies especially Is shown
ur uiOTv ueAlbIh VI C0uulllOu.
Not subways alone have been the d.
rect cause Of tho relief during the past
year Ono notable cause was the sud
den halt In immigration. Instead OF
gaining 10000 immigrants New York
gained none, and lost nearly 10000 Of Its
old immigrant masses. That gave much
moro room In the crowded districts.
Then the lower east side saw the homes
OF more than $500 persons torn down to
make way for the new bridge ap-
proaches. That made more room and
opened wide breathing space In the
centre OF crowded district Business
expansion drove out still more tenement
jewellers.
Hone-Seekers Arc Spreading,
The subways offered their nfe-ssving
services In aiding the unhoused popula-
ton to seek homes far away from the
old ne!ghborhoods. Otherwise they would
have crowded into the nearest tene-
ments. thus adding TO the congestion.
But tho subways enabled them to md
homes on tho upper east and west sides,
In the Bronx and In Brooklyn.
with the big destruction OF old
houses and the spread Of business one
would think that the remaining houses
would be OVERLOOKING" said largo
owner Of east side tenements yesterday,
But this Is not fact. There are more
vacant fats now than at any time In
five years. Even reduced rents do not
I'll the old houses. The people are
spreading out"
This Is regarded by those who study
the housing problem as the real secret
OF the falling death rate. Even the
crowded tenement districts OF the upper
east slde, from Thiry-tourth to Ono
Hundredth street, have seen a thinning
OF population. Just as has tho lower
east side, during the year. Rents have
dropped from 10 to 20 per cent. but
that does not hold the tenants. They
have learned that they can get better
homes at the same rentals In tho Bronx
and enough have moved there TO relieve
the congestion IN the older centres.
Urgent Need Of subways.
That the opening OF rapid transit lines
across Greensboro Bridge and through
the Belmont tunnel will have an equally
striking effect on the health OF tene.
ment masses Is deemed certain. And
relief from that source will come at
time when II Is most needed. This Is
indicated by the revival Of immigration.
Immigrants to the number OF $500 ar
rived In ono day this week Immigra-
tlon promises to reach high volumes
again this year. II means renewed con-
eestion In the older, more unheslthtul
tenement districts, and the result might
be serious to the average health OF tho
city II there were no new ways OF re-
lieNng It.