New-York tribune., 1910-01-11
TENEMENT CENSUS
CHIEF UORK IN 1909.
Big Changes,Noted IN Commits
sioner's 1nnual Report.

In his letter 10 Mayor George r. Me
Clellsn, dated December 81 1909. accom-
panying the report of the Tenement House
Department for 1909 Commissioner Edmond
j. Butler called attention to the important
changes during the year just ended in the
organization and procedure of the depart
ment, which changes were made possible
by amendments to the tenement house law.
increased appropriation and complete
census showing tenement house conditions
throughout the entire city. Mr.. Butler said:
The amendments to the law were the re-
suit of a series OF conferences between the
Tenement House Commissioner. representa-
tiveS of property owners associations and
the Tenement House Committee. BY these
amendments many of the harsh features
of the law il had existed were eradi-
Gated without I'm any way impairing its
effectiveness. Thousands of pending viola
tions in reference to old buildings were
affected by these amendments. In fact, al
most every old building violation on file
in the department contained at least one
minor item affected. vast amount of
work was therefore entailed by the depart
nent in order that the violations should be
modined to meet the changes made in the
law. it is hoped TO complete the work of
modification by February /. 1910.
by the budget of 1893 was intended to pro
vide for more aggressive prosecution of
the violations in regard to old-law tene-
mentS and to make possible a more ade-
quate inspection of tenement houses where
the average rental is less than s25 a month.
BY means OF the increased appropriation
1T was hoped to provide a sufficient force
10 render it possible for the department to
inspect all such houses at least twice a
year and thus keep the department I'm closer
touch with serious conditions which had
had to be neglected The volume of work
70 be accomplished in this respect, how
ever, has been seriously leSSeDed through
the long delay in training the force of new
Inspectors and in procuring tyPewriting
machines, and by the lack of Civil Service
department.
Cnauestionably the most important
of its important bearing upon future work.
was the complete tenement house census
con1niete + Iae presenI 'SaJ 80 40
before been made in this city, and conse-
quently II was not known what even the
less how many dark rooms and halls there
were and where they existed.
Early in the year 1909. during the months
of February and March. complete can
yass of the tenements of the greater city
dncluding all boroughs) was made. 1t
showed S64.217 rooms below the standard re-
quired by law.
A distinction was made between rooms
having windows of Illegal size opening
upon an adjoining room, those having win
dows opening upon a court shaft of in
adequate size, those opening upon a COW
cred shaft and those with absolutely no
windows at all, and therefore no light or
ventilation except through the doorway 10
the adjoining room. which latter class must
rooms"
AS a result of the canvass made accord
ing TO this classification it was found that
of the total of 364 PIT rooms below the legal
standard, 1Ol,117 were entirely without win
dows. or the 101.117 totally dark rooms
then existing, 16,76S were at that date COW
cred by orders Of the department, Tequir-
ing the removal of the unlawful condition
From the date of the enumeration TO De-
cember 81 orders were issued to cover e9.-
139 more. Meanwhile 46S of these dark
rooms were taken from the jurisdiction of
the department by removal from the tene-
ment class. were disposed of entirely
by the demolition OF the house, leaving o.
AZ on December 81, 1909. to be attended 10
by the department, only a little over half
of the total number found in February
To remedy the evils of the past by secuT-
ing better protection from fire has been
one of the greatest problems the depart
ment has had TO contend with One of the
most prolific sources of tenement fires is
the cellar bakery, in which Invariably fat
boiling is carried on As a result of thor