philanthropy consists in the opportunity offered to the poor man for decent and comfortable living at a moderate rental,- a rental that ought not to exceed one-fifth of his income, and, by kindly supervision, seeing that he lives up to his opportunity unmolested. The business principles are the same as those which underlie any other investment, seeing that you have a good article for your money, that the article your money represents is well taken care of, and that you have a fair return for the money you have invested. Neglect in the care of tenement houses is subject to the same law as neglect of any other kind of property, but in this the owner is not the only loser thereby. His tenants suffer; and the ills to which neglect subjects them is communicated to others, and are spread like a contagion. Sound business principles permit neither careless work nor neglect in any direction; and he who would legislate for improved construction to solve the tenement-house problem must also advocate wise, thoughtful, and competent management for the homes of the working people.

Miss Hill's methods of management will bear investigation, and are as applicable to the conditions that exist in American cities as they are in London and Glasgow, where they are extensively operated.

It is not enough to talk and agitate for needed reform in the direction of the tenements. Workers must come forward who are willing to put their shoulders to the wheel, and not least among these may be found the women who are ready and competent for service in the management of tenement houses. They will abundantly assist the capitalist who, moved by public spirit, ventures his money in the erection of a truly model tenement house.

HOUSING REFORM IN BOSTON.

BY MRS. ALICE N. LINCOLN.

The tenement-house question holds the key to a good many of the problems which are perplexing us. I have been engaged in the tenement-house work for more than twenty-two years. In that time I have watched it very closely, and I have come to consider it of

more and more importance. I think that, if we had better housing conditions in our large cities, we should have fewer inmates of our public institutions, fewer paupers to maintain, fewer criminals to shut up. In other words, I believe that, if we could start all our children from good homes, we should enable more of them to lead good lives. It is astonishing how one comes to feel that poor housing conditions and crime go together, how the children who did not have any chances in the beginning are not likely to turn out very well in the end. For that reason I think we can hardly lay too much stress on the necessity of providing good homes for the working people. The company of which I am a director was incorporated for the purpose of providing "good homes at moderate cost for working people."

There is also an opportunity to look after the people who cannot live in model houses. That is where I began work, in the tenement district, and in a poor old dilapidated tenement house. I have it still. Its conditions have never been very good in point of construction, but there is plenty of light and air; and its death-rate has been so remarkably low that it has had for many years the reputation of being a "lucky" house, but its luck has largely consisted in our giving the tenants good rules, and seeing to it that they are enforced. It was an old house when I took it. If you were to pass it, you would say that it was out of place in its present surroundings. I have suggested that it should be torn down; but the owner says that, as long as I am willing to hire this house, he wants to keep it. And so its tenure of existence seems to depend somewhat on my

own.

The children who live in good houses appreciate them. I am very much struck by that. They have quite a feeling about their homes. Any one who works among the poor must have observed that people do not like to change from one locality to another. the poorer sections of a city, tenants do not like to change from one house to another. I have had some tenants for almost twenty years; and in that length of time the sense of home grows up in their minds, and is well worth cultivating. I felt that it was a great advance when in the old house I have mentioned (my original house) the people first began to take an interest in the welfare of the house itself, not only in their own part of it; and, when a woman of her own accord put up clean window curtains at the entry window,

it seemed to me to show that she had come to have a pride in the house.

The new houses built by the Co-operative Building Company are carefully arranged so as to provide for people who require only a few rooms. Some of the tenements consist of two, some of three,

some of four rooms.

The greatest demand is for four-room tenements at $3 a week. There is also a demand for three-room tenemen's on the ground floor at $2.75 per week. These houses are very attractive on the outside, but nothing has been sacrificed inside to make a pretty exterior. They are in a suburb toward Dorchester, and are reached by cars every twenty minutes. We had an unfortunate experience in putting them up. They leaked badly, and we expected to suffer. The tenants complained, and we were distressed; but, to our surprise, all the tenants but two have remained with us. In spite of the discouragements they liked the houses so well that they stayed. We find that tenants consider our rules very strict, and they are so intentionally. We read the rules to the tenants before they agree to take rooms, and we expect the rules to be observed. If tenants do not like strict rules, they can go elsewhere. The rules are a protection to the tenants.

Our treasurer, who like the rest of the directors serves without any compensation, is fond of telling us that we must consider the business side as well as the philanthropic side of the question of housing. Without trying to proclaim that we are going to make any improvements, we often do improve the neighborhood, because our tenants are good, self-respecting people, and because our houses are kept in decent order; and we want the people in the houses to be clean and well cared for. Opposite one block which was built by the company a number of years ago the houses were very shabby, and cracked from top to bottom. By and by the owners of this property realized that their houses did not look as well as ours; and they propped them up and repaired them. I believe that a wellmanaged block of houses has an educational influence.

We employ women as rent-collectors entirely. This is not from choice especially, but because we believe that women do the work better than men. We have tried both, and women take more kindly to the work. It is housekeeping on a large scale. They see more quickly where repairs are needed, and women get into closer contact with the family: they are welcomed as friends. One thing I insist

upon is that our rent-collectors shall not be hurried in doing their work. It takes a good while for tenants to understand why an agent requires certain things that they never had to do before; and, if the agent is in a hurry, and says, "No matter, you have got to do it," it is unfortunate. We want the collector to have time to sit down and say why the tenements are to be kept clean and the other rules complied with.

In Chicago the conditions for doing this work seem to me remarkably good. I had the privilege of visiting a number of tenements there with Miss Jane Addams. There are some wretched buildings, but the streets are wide, and there is sunlight and space; and I think that Chicago has a great opportunity before it. The need of model tenements there and everywhere is great. It is not only a question whether people care to occupy them: it is educational to the community to have them. After tenants have lived in them, they will not go back and live in the old buildings they formerly occupied ; and capitalists will be compelled to put up better ones. We find in Boston that there is close competition between the real estate owners, who see that our houses are a good thing, and who, therefore, build houses that are as much like ours as possible. We do not care who builds them, so long as the people have them. There are many rows of houses similar to ours, but the trouble is they are not well managed. It is a great advantage to have blocks of model houses, managed by good agents.

The "dumb bell" tenements of New York and Brooklyn are the hardest to deal with. The interior rooms in these tenements can never be good. The crying evil of existing tenement houses in all the large cities is that they do not get enough light. They do not get enough privacy, either. To give light and sanitary protection and privacy, we must have model tenement houses.

XV.

Minutes and Discussions.

SECRETARY'S REPORT.

FIRST SESSION.

Wednesday, May 28, 1902.

The Twenty-ninth National Conference of Charities and Correction was held in Detroit, Mich., from May 28 to June 3, 1902. The first session was called to order in the Central Methodist Church by the chairman of the Local Committee. Prayer was offered by the Rev. W. H. Shier, presiding elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Music was furnished for this session and throughout the Conference, by special arrangements for each evening, under the direction of Mrs. Ida F. Norton. The address of welcome was given on behalf of the state by Hon. A. T. Bliss, Governor of Michigan, as follows:

WELCOME OF HON. A. T. BLISS, GOVERNOR OF MICHIGAN.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the National Conference of Charities and Correction,—It is a great privilege as chief executive of this Commonwealth to extend to you the welcome of the two and a half millions of people who comprise our state; for I certainly am warranted in including every citizen in the welcome, because each, directly or indirectly, must receive some benefit from your meeting with us. I would also tender you a friendly greeting in behalf of the management of the many charitable institutions, both state and private, and of the reformatory and penal institutions of Michigan. In my official capacity I speak the welcome of each and all of these; but such official welcome is no warmer or more sincere than that which I wish to and do extend personally, appreciating, as I do, the great good to humanity which this National Conference has accomplished since twenty-seven years ago this month its seventeen members, representing Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin, Penn