The morning times., 1895-12-05
Static AND PAINTING.
DWELLINGS IN ALLEYS.
Justice" Thinks They Are Not OBJ
i,.cttonab BILE If Properly Repuia led.

Editor Times: In the report OF the Com
nIlssionerS OF the District o: Columbia, EeI-
renee IS uadc 10 lite recent legislation
prohibiting the erection of dwellings in
alleys less than thirty feet wide: and a
further reconI,ne ndution is made that the
occupancy OF dwellings, already existing
snail he discontinued.
As the ftf.ouBl OF property already rem
deted yaluelesS b. this legislation am counts
to sum well up III The millions ii be,
comes important to OWNERS OF stich real
estate TO consider how lar tie facts stated
by the Commissioners in support OF their
contention will bear them out. and So
justify them in wiping from the value of
the city's real estate large amount of
land, much of which is already rendered
yalueless, though stiIl assessed from tpn to
fifty cents Der foot, to sag nothing of the
deprived of their property
The writer yields to no ma q in sympathy
for 1.-The poor TIE Good Book tells us
they are always with US and always Will
be. To such The alley house under proper
regulations affords an independent home.
where the occupant would otherwise be
compelled 10 be one of the multitude who
inha bit a room in tenement house. al
ready occupied by other families. threat
ening security OF the family relation and
morality generally An alley house can
i'll localities where on the street of the
same square houses would range any
where from S15 TO 500. or more. Prop
erly severed. paved, and lighted, the alley
house affords an opportunity 10 the poorest
families to have an individual ba bitation.
where without IL, the same poor would
be driven into the tenement in one or two
rooms. as is the case in New York city.
where there are no alleys. have bee n in
homes of the poor in alleys. which homes.
because they are the individual homes of
decent and successful effort 10 live right
than the occupant could possibly have put
forth If compelled to spend the same money
for room in a house already occupied by
other families.
The Commissioners speak with approha-
tion OF Berlin, the imperial city OF the
Kaiser. There the poorer classes are
lodged in tenements a dozen families in
one house. 1 say families by courtesy.
but those who know will agree with me
that in such aggregations of individuals
female chastity is a virtue little known.
and not practiced, and children are reared
in Surroundings which are degraded be-
yond expression. / do not think we have
anything yet as bad in this country. If
the Commissioners propose to make Wash
ington an American Berlin from q moral
standpoint, L for one hope that halt will
be called.
If the Commissioners will widen, light.
pave and sewer the alleys and ask for money
for this, instead of asking for money to
buy streets in the suburbs, near the Mary
land line. which will not be needed for fifty
years, they will give to the very poor a
chance for a home at low rates. in the
centers, where the poor man can live (as
he is bound to do near the centers) free from
the tribute levied by the transportation
companies. The tax now levied on alley
property will go far toward doing this
Then the poor man, who can only afford
TO pay low rent viii be able to have a
house to himself instead of a room in
house already occupied by other families.
1t is wrongfully assumed that this class
of property is owned only by the rich. As
a matter of fact, a large quantity of it is
owned by people of but little MEANS and to
deprive them of their property by hostile
and ill-considered legislation is worthy of
the autOcrdtlC and undefn Ocratic muni-
cipality which our Commissioners appear
to admire SO much. JUSTICE.