The Washington times., 1902-04-06
Discussed by Committee
of the Associated
Charities.
REMEDIES TO BE APPLIED.
Board Hears Many Reports of the
Condition of Tenements and Homes of
the Poor-Conlmittee to Make Period
ical Inspections.

At the second meeting OF the committee
on the improvement of housing conditions
in the District. which was held in the
central office of the Associated Charities
yesterday afternoon, il was announced
that many prominent men and women of
the Capital have pledged themselves to
make monthly personal visits to the most
squalid and unsanitary districts of the
city.
There were present at the meeting :.
w. Woodward, chairman; Col. George
Truesdell, first vice chairman; DR.. George
NJ. Kober, second vice chairman; Prof.
Charles P. Neill. Thomas W. Smith. Hon.
John W. Foster, Prof. B. f. Janney. Mr..
J. B. T. Tupper, Gen. W. X Van Reypen,
Mrs. H. B. f. Macfarland, Gen. Walter
Wyman, MIR. Mitchell Dyrenforth, George
secretary of the committee.
The first business taken up was the re-
ports from members of the committee who
had been making personal inspections of
buildings considered to be unsanitary and
unfit for human habitation.
In Neigkbo1hood Of Capitol.
DR.. Kober reported for the committee
including Gen. George Nj. Stcrnbers and
Gen. Walter Wyman. This committee had
been conducted by an agent of the Asso-
ciated Charities through the resident sec
tion between North Capitol and Sev-nth
Streets northwest. They found human be-
ings crowded into many places which
were damp, dilapidated, unwhoies0me,
without any water supply, and using Only
box closets.
They found tenements, which they
thought should be condemned. within a
quarter of block of the Peace Monument
The committee described one crowded.
unsanitary dwelling in an alley. in whieh
the towels of the Senate barber shop are
washed
The next report of personal inspect ion
was made by Hon. John W. Foster whose
visits were made in the company # Mr..
S. W. Woodward under the guidance of
Secretary Weller. Mr. Foster said that
he had found places in the near neigh
borhood Of the British Embassy, the
Church of the Covenant, and the resi-
were worse than anything he had thought
could exist in Washington. He quoted
with appreciation a remark made by Sec
Tetary Weller to the Senate Committee on
District Affairs during their hearing of
a bill for the condemnation of unsanitary
dwellings
This hearing had been preceded by a
hearing granted to milkmen, in which
they discussed the conditions in which
gaFa FaI ho
Foster endorsed Mr.. Weller's remark at
that hearing, that he would consider it a
high ideal to demand for human beings in
the National Capital homes as good as
the stables considered necessary for
healthy COWS.
Two Families in Two Rooms.
Mr.. s. W. Woodward reported two
room tenement. in which he found two
families. comprising four adults and four
children. He thought a dog which stayed
in such places over night would not be
allowed on the streets OF Washington the
next day. He described dark, unventilat-
ed rooms. where wcmen were crowded
three, five and seven persons into room.
He described one little shed. about eight
fest square, in which a woman and her
son and daughter live. The stove stands
about one foot from the wall and Two
inches from the bed.
Filth and disorder characterized the
place. The woman earns her own living
by washing clothes.
Mr.. s. w Woodward spoke of Z house
which he had visited, having two rooms
and inhabited by two families. One of
these women goes out to service every
day and returns to sleep on a heap of
filthy rags.
1t was suggested that people who are
themselves indifferent to conditions
among the poor are compelled TO suffer
by the fact that they employ people from
these novels or mingle with them on the
street cars.
DR.. W 9. Wood ward. Health Officer
discussed Senate bill 32i4. now pending.
which provides for the condemnation of
unsanitary houses. The committee agreed
with DR.. Woodward that buildings should
be tern down that are unfit for human
habitation.
John W. Foster was added to com
.littee to urge the passage Of this bill or
OF a substitute bill suggested by Dr.
Woodward.
The committee already includes 5. W.
Woodward, chairman; John Joy Edison,
DR. George VI. Kober. Prof. Charles Neill, |
and Gen. Walter Wyman.
Condemnation of Dwellings.
In ,,., ,-c-rse of the discussion concern |
ing the condemnation Of unsanitary dwell |
lings it was stated by Col George Trues- |
dell that not ] per cent OF the unsanitary |
houses are occupied by their owners.
One difficulty in proceeding against unfit |
houses is the fact that many are not |
owned by the persons living therein.
It was stated by members OF the com
mlttee that this class Of houses yields |
10 20 10 per ceht or more on the money |
invested IN them.
Mr.. snowden Ashford, the Building In |
s1ector of the District described the diff |
fculties his department had encountered |
in the condemnation OF unsantary, unsafe |
buildings Members OF the committee |
greed with Mr. Ashford tlat his force |
of cnly six inspectors is too small 10 |
protect the health and safety Of the citi- /
zens OF Washington.
To Make Personal Inspection.
In accordance with the vote OF the com
every member of the committee to make |
personal inspections every month in one |
of the neglected districts of the city
Twenty-six prominent men and women |
Of Washington were thus assigned to |
make monthly visits to unsanitary dis |
trlcts located in six different sections Of |
the eity.
One OF the most important features OF |
the committee work is the personal in |
spection of unsani;ary and unfit houses |
by members of the committee. From |
thirty 10 sixty minutes given by each |