New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-16
WELL BUILT, LOWER RENTS
More Conveniences for Tenants
in New Law Houses. Too.
BY JOHN !. vi RFIIN.
Commissioner ~ Tenement House Depart

' Commissioner IT Tenement House Depart
mrnt.
There need Le 10 apprehension ou the
part OF those arrh.ie Is and speculative
builders who claim that thc tenement
house Jaw has increased the cost Of COLI
+ StructiOn 50 as To- compel the raising ~
rents for the average family's aDcommo-
dalton The fact Is rent are comparl-
/ lively less to-day than twenty-five or ,hir-
~ years ago.
The average foJr-room fat iu % double
tenement (aud invariably a fran" struct-
urc at thaD brought from s. to 81. -uua!
/ 20 g. - room. month. II to toilets
/ were in dark recess in the hal. o.c for
each two families and wooden wasAtubs
/ In the kitchen and gas connexions. il was
considered To- have modern Improvements.
. and IL Il had a bathroom and toilet and
range for each family it was called q
house with al m odcin improvements.
= The latter ho.sc Invariably had go
rooms TO fat and rented 90 iron. s. ,o
/ sl5. OF about 3 room. a month. All %
! these houses were built with interior ddrl
bedrooms. having no windows 20 the outer
/ air except IN some instances small shaft
| %
| I ~ feet FOR the water closet
! These types OF houses are now listed .u
the Tenement lious" Department ~ "oid
law tcue nents" and rent now ioT approx
+ imat-ly the same amount quoted above,
/ though the rooms hav. been made light lt
partition window and the general saLl-
/ tary and FIRE escape conditions have been
/ improved inmeasurca6ly. From this
/ contend that rents have remained station
a-v In that type Of house. and ] speak
now essentially OF III average woihin.
mans apartments.
This would indi ate tha: The existing OLD
| law ten.ments have deprecated tn value.
since. notwithstanding the Improvements
put in as required hy tie tenement mouse
law, The rents have remained ABOUT III"
same a. when they were Originally DUH
. This would De the reasoning OF the aver
age owner The fact Is, however that
. they really held their own IN value SIN"
IL Is "A sure law OF trade or business thd'
all things In use deterlorate with ase. 90
With houses. which, Whilc they nave o'-
come old. need not Only constant re-
nair but Improvements as well 10 'hdDie
them 20 compete even III measure WIN
I
tho now law tenement.
In regard TO the latter, with i's many
odv,ntascs. with its light rooms and halls
soritarv plumbing. ccmentcd cellars. con
creted and drained Yards and courts
safeguards against and ample means VI
.scapc in case OF Gre. not 20 mention
The modern convenicnces oil separate
ranges. enanelled sinks. tiled batn rooms
with porcelain or cnameiicd PAIN tupS
and wash basins. syphon washout WAFER
closet. dumbwaiter etc, pracucaiiY ior
.och family. the tenement house law has
not Increased the rents. ] can point out
! hundreds Of such houses especially IN t"e
Borough of Queens. where the accoIniilo-
datlons can be had with all OF these ad-
,,,rtages and convenicnces just enumcr-
,,od including five rooms and bath, ~
,ro,, tl-. SIC or ST. month rent, and
,.ui ada that these houses are So well
hutI, Of brick and stone, with interior
,r,r, and woodwork, together with the
decorations that invariably 80 into this
cIass OF houses. as TO excel anything
that was ever offered before the enact
,nent OF the tenement house law for the
came rental.
In ,bis connection IL might not be anss
N say that there need be no more umid-
fly on the part OF the investors either 10
lend on or to purchase tenement mouse
proper,y, old or new. since nearly all old
ones have now been improved TO meet the
r.,,,rep,enty Of the law and the new
100 have been erected in compliance
herewith.
venture the prediction that ten
emcnt house property dnciuding oid |
bouecs where the demands OF the law
have been met with respect to fro es-
oo,o. and windows into dark rooms. etc)
..,,, bocon,e the best class OF investment
nronsr,v in the city; and J, personally.
feoI that within a comparatively short
time that class OF property VIII nave
preference for purchasers and lenders III
the real estate market generally.
Nv attention has been directed TO the
r.norts Of other departments and particu-
,arlv that of Or. I.ederle, who In his
,eport shows that within the last three
wears tho death rate OF the city mas
been lower than ever before. and the
FIRE Commissioner reports less hres ana
decreased loss OF life and limb.
n is my contention that the Tenement
House Department is In greater meas |
ure responsible for these improved health
ful and safer conditions than any other
agency. In fact. IL is the boast OF the
Tenement House Department that not
single life has been lost in new law |
,eremsnt due to any lack OF means Of |
escape. In further substantiation or TINS ,
claim It must be borne in mind that not |
withstanding the amplifie1 powers OF the
Fire Commissioner given him by rel