Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-28
NO. XI-HOUSING

/ A MAN owns a horse, poor old horse, that
! "A has to work all day. His neighbor sees
this tired horse stabbed each night in leaky
barn. Inside the building there is filth no
| light, and little air The animal becomes so
emaciated the kind-hearted neghbor reports
| the case to the Society for the Prevention OF
Cruelty to Animals We heartily rejoice
when the cruel owner is arrested and yanked
into court for we say the animal has right
to live, and a right to get proper housing.
All, but that was a horse. 1t is different
with human beings, according to Councils
why bother about tenants anyway" say
the members. The interests of tenants are
Of no importance compared with the inter-
ests of "'rhe Organization" Besides, the
whole housing program was under the wing
of the Blankenburg administration, and the
orders from higher up we're to smash It,
Thereupon. Councils boldly defed the hous-
ing law passed by the Legislature In 1913 to
protect the tenants of Philadelphia from
landlords who failed to keep their properties
in such repair as to make them healthy
places to live in. BY refusing to appropriate
funds necessary to put the law into erect
the majority members completely nullihed IT,
1t is now as good dead killed by Councils,
and waiting resurrection by the e-giving
power of public opinion
Astounding? Not at all. For remark!
Councils is the fighting face of Jim McNichol
and the Wares Here are the health-giving
rights that ran to tenants had Councils not
interfered:
%. To have sink with running water in
every house, and in every apartment of two
or more rooms in tenement house. if there
is a water main in the street
C2). To have the house directly connected
with the street sewer, and other independent
and unhealthy arrangements discontinued.
C3). To have broken plumbing repaired at
once.
o. To have unsafe stairs, leaky roofs and
similar defects repaired and kept in repair.
C5). To have the cellar protected from be-
ing flooded by ground water, and the rooms
protected from dampness due to defects In
the walls.
C6). To have in tenement house the pub
lie halls and other spaces outside the apart
nents kept in a clean condition.
o. To insist that no part OF the building
he used as a sweatshop; and where manu-
featuring is done. it must be under permit OF
the Board OF Health
(s). To insist that no material of easily In
fammabe character be stored in the building
so as TO make fire risk.
window of ample size opening TO the outside
air.
UO). To live with privacy and without the
promiscuous herdlng that is recognized as
a prolific breeder of vice and crime.
The wards most affected by the housing
law are the I'd to 18TH inclusive, and the
10th, 17th 18th and SOth. Their population,
according to the census Of 1910, was s14.4Os.
They contain 64.4S9 houses. The total num-
her rented is 54427. Summed up, there are
about PCS 900 people in these wards living
in rented houses, all OF whom would have
been benefited by the operation Of the hous-
ing law.
There are about 10000 houses in Phiadel-
phia that are for rent. This oversupply of
dwellings insures the certainty that any i'm
provements forced by law would not have
raised the rents. But Councils. acting for
the contractor overlords, pulled the teeth OF
the law by falling to provide funds for the
machinery 10 enforce the law.
Select Councilman Eduard Buchholz and
Common Councilman John P. Connolly took
special pride in helping smother the housing
law on personal grounds. The law combined
the three divisions of sanitation, house drain
age and tenement in the Department OF
Health and Charities into the single division
OF housing and sanitation. At the head OF
relative by marriage, James F. McCrudden, at
$4,000 year, and at the head of the old tene-
ment division was Buchholz's son, Arthur F.
Buchholz. at s260O a year-both were
liable to lose their jobs il the divisions were
merged; also the head OF the old house drain
age division, Winfield S. Reed, protege of
David H. Lane who had been enjoying S240O
a year.
Entrusted with the enforcement Of the
new housing law for the Blankenburg admin
istration was John C. Moliter, at q salary OF
$500. He ought not to have been surprised
at opposition from the Councilmanic Finance
Committee, with Connolly as chairman and
Buchholz as a member. But It will be Just
as we'll to set down the whole proceeding in
chronological order. Read this record:
1918.
July 22-Housing law approved by the Gov
ernor.
September 1s-Former Health and Charities
Director Nefr sent letter TO Councils asking
that the Division OF Housing and Sanitation
be organized in accordance with the law
December 2O-Philadelphia Housing Com
mission sent letter to each Councilman,
calling attention TO the mandatory character
OF the law, and asking for action.
December SO-Petitions presented TO Coun-
ellis from the Octavia Hill Association, Lib
eral Club. a group Of elsrgymen and from a
meeting attended by delegates from 3s organ
izatlons ahliated with the Housing Commits
sion requesting action.
1914
January Acting Health and Charities
Director Wilson, treating the three heads Of
tho oId djl isious as automatically legisl2ted