THE TRAGEDY OF DEAR LAND.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 230, 22 June 1908, Page 10

THE TRAGEDY OF DEAR LAND.

AN OBJECT-LESSON FROM NEW YORK. There are two striking contributions —ono in the "Times'.' and tho other in the. "Morning Post"—-concerning tho tragedy of dear land in New York. Mr, Maurico Low has discovered what ono soon finds out in New York —that tho favourite gamble of all classes is "real estate." "I have been told by well-informed persons," he writes, "that in somo parts of Now York City rentals aro higher than anywlioro' elso in tho world, and it is not difficult to understand tho reason for it.' Tho island of Manhattan, on which Now York stands, is wedge-shaped, long, and narrow, incapable of expanding east and west because it is bounded by two rivers, and only ablo'to extend itself to the north. 'Down-town' Now York runs to tho point of tlio wedgo, and it is 'down-town' New York that, is tho business section of the metropolis. It is here that bankers and Tnisinoss men have their offices, and as tho city groivs in.population evory i year, and there are moro business firms seeking offices, spaco becomes moro precious and rents naturally appreciate. If it were not for tho'skyscraper,'thoso huge twenty, thirty, and now. forty-story buildings that mako such a striking picture to tho stranger from across the water who, catches bis first gliinpdo of tho metropolis from tho dcck ; of an ocean liner ( New York would long ago liavo exceeded its facilities for the transaction of business. That is why Now York builds skyscrapers. There is not ground enough for it' to spread longitudinally, so it piles story. on story, and rises horizontally. . Every . year sees tho height of buildings increased to keep paco with tho growing demands of • eommorco." : . Tii© Now York correspondent of "The Times,", writing on Ma.rch 15, says: —"Tho glory and. tho shamo. of American civilisation havo beoir aliko illustrated .in tho .past week. Tho arrival of tho fleet on tho Pacific Coast is "an achievement over which tho peoplo of tho United States aro entitled to rejoico. Tho exhibition of the terrible congestion in tho flats of this city, opened by Governor Hughes in ; . tho. Natural .History Museum, is, enough .'to mako. Socialists or thoso who have a spark of sympathy left for common humanity. I visited this exhibition with Mr. North, director of tho census, and wo could hardly beliovo possiblo tho conditions tliero illustrated by wax models of families who. sleep by night and, work by day. In many cases tho actual contents of tho rooms had boon transplanted from tho tonoments. Tliero"'was a windowless room, which looked moro. like a Chinaman's opium don, labelled '300,000 rooms liko this still •left and occupied in various parts of Now York.' ,:Thoro. woro models of tenement blocks containing 2781 persons and not ono bath.. Of 1588 rooms, -Ml were-dark and had no ventilation to tho outor air, and 6-35 getting their solo light and air from a dark and narrow air-shaft. This is not ono of tho worst features of tho. city.. Sweating shops by . day and night were hero illustrated as bad in uncleanliness and wretchedness as thoso in tho East of London. 'And this,' exclaimed ono gentleman present, 'is ono feature of tho lil'o in that America to which tho poor and oppressod and persecuted of all nations havo been looking as a haven of liberty and rest and unlimited possibilities.' The rovcrso sido of.this realistic picturo of tho ovils of mas-sing people in New York in a limited area may be noted in tho invnhiablo and heroic work being done, not by ono, but by fifty different organisations. Tho thought has often occurred to mo, Can tho good work ovor keep paco with the demoralisation of such congestion, which is spreading? About 200,000 now immigrants settled in Now York last yoar, Mr. Sortli told mo that at tho present ■ rato of growth thero might bo a population of 7,000,000 in 1920. Ma.ny blocks in Manhattan havo a density of over 1000 persons to tho aero. Ovor fifty blocks oach havo a population of 3000 to 4000. Yet. tliero aro moro thaii 100,000 acres in Now York which averago less than four „ inhabitants to tho aero."