Year: 1876

Pity tho Poor Children 1.-The Eeath


The saddest feature of these warm days is
the increase of mortality among the chill
dren The Board of Health direct the ap-
pointment of fifty additional physicians, to
go into tenement ho1ses and endeavor to
arrest the progress of childrens diseases.
This is wise and prompt But here is an
other question. Do we govern o city well
where every summer of unusual warmth we
are threatened with an epidemic among the
children? The death rate in this city now
is higher than that of any other city in the
world For the week ending July 8 it was AZ. 65
in 1000; over the river in Brooklyn, it is
80 Is in Philadelphia, with its torrid repu-
tation, only 4O.l7; in Washington. where
this summer is exceptionally unhealthy,
4127. If we go to Boston we find it 2463.
If we 60 West to st. Louis it is 1852; while
South, in Charleston, it is only 1855. This
shows that the country is generally healthy
outside of New York Ifw analyze this
mortality we find that out of 1928 deaths
during the week ending July Is, 1876, 862
were of children under five years Of age. Of
this number 500 were from summer COM
plants. The majority of these deaths oc-
Cured in houses containing four families or
more-in tenement houses.


We are confident that our authorities will
do all they can to arrest this terrible
lamty, but we make mistake if we attribute
it to natural causes Our tenement system

is disgrace. We have thrown New York to-
gether in hasty fashion, without duly con-
sidering the functions of n great city. The
water supply is good, and but for that the
mortality would be much greater But in
what other respect do we answer the wants
of a great city? We have one large park in
New York and another in Brooklyn. But to
the tenement house class these parks are as
far off as Pixies Peak. The few minor parks
have been either given up or neglected. st.
Johns square has become n freight depot.
The City Hall Park is occupied with public
buildings. The Battery is an emigrant
railway depot. New York can only grow in
one direction. We have grown 80 rapidly
that only citizens of means and leisure can
afford to live in the suburbs. 1t takes from
one to two hours for a suburban resident to
reach his place of business, and the fare is
something Now it is impossible for the
thousands Of laboring men who have to begin
work at seven, and whose wages do not range
higher than two dollars day, to live in the
suburbs. Consequently this large class, this
worthy, virtuous, deserving and most hon
ored class. are thrown with their wives and
little ones into the lower end of the island
In the winter they are assailed with diph-
death comes in another form, as it is coming
now to hundreds of families.


The sad thought is that if we had a good
government all of this might be saved. We
could reduce our death rate to that of Lon
don, which is II. 6; or to Paris, which is 22.4.
New York should be healthier than either
Paris or London. We have water all about
us The island is easily drained. The life
preserving sea is ut our doors. We have
suburbs that the world cannot rival for va
riety and beauty of scenery. If We had rapid
transit there is no reason why the valleys of
Westchester, the regions beyond Brooklyn,
should not be the homes of hundred thou
sand of our laboring poor; there is no reason
why our poor workingmen should not make
homes for themselves like those we see in
Philadelphia, where the tenant can have all
the modern conveniences-air, water and
space-and live in his own house. for much
less rent than floor in the cheapest and dirt
lest tenement house. This sad, distressing
business is an argument for rapid transit and
for good government New York is the most
unhealthy city in the world because it is the
worst governed city in the world. This city
should be managed like great estate or
vast mansion, with due regard to the in
terests of all, remembering that the interest
of one is that of all But we are in the
hands Of q mob, or rather of q succession of
mobs, who not only take our money, but, as
is now seen, take the lives of our children.
We trust that this increasing death rate will
arouse our people to an appreciation of the
misfortunes imposed upon them by their
rulers, and the necessity for q change, no
matter the expense or the responsibility.


A KiuA XEorl IN neunOrratfc Rennon.