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-Conimittee 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, it 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
M Kober. second vice chairman; Prof
Charles p Neill. Thomas W. Smith. Hon.
John W. Foster Prof. B. T. Janney. Mr..
J. B. T. Tupper, Gen. W. X. Van Reypen,
Mrs. H. B. f. Macfarland, Gen. Walter
Wyman, MIR. Mitchell Dyrenforth, George
S. Wilson. and Mr. Charles F. Weller,
secretary of the committee.
The first business taken up was the re-
ports from members of the committee who
had been making personal inspections oil
buildings considered to be unsanitary and
unfit for human habitation
In Neighbolhood of Capitol.
DR.. Kober reported for the committee
including Cen George Nj. Stcrnberg ana
Gen Walter Wyman. This committee had
been conducted by an agent of the Asso-
ciated Charities through the resident sec
ton between North Capitol and Sew MIN
Streets northwest They found human be-
ings crowded int many places which
Cd NJ n
without any water supply, and using Only
box closets.
They found tenements, which they
thought should be condemned, within
quarter of a block of the Peace Monument
The committee described one crowded,
unsanitary dwelling in an alley in which
the towels of the Senate barber shop are
washed
The next report of personal inspection
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
borheod of the British Embassy, the
Church of the Covenant, and the resi-
dence of General Foster himself, which
were worse than anything he had thought
could exist in Washington. He quoted
with appreciation a remark made by Sec
rotary Weller 10 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
cows could safely be stabbed General
Foster endorsed Mr.. Weller's remark at
that hearing that he would consider 1t
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.. 6 W. Woodward reported a 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
feet 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.
Gr 6 W Woodward spoke of . house
which be 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 vas suggested that people who arc
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.
DIR. w. =. Woodward, Health Officer
discussed Senate bill S2i4, now pending
which provides for the condemnation o.
unsanitary houses The committee agreed
with Dr. Woodward that buildings should
be torn down that are unfit for human
habitation.
John ". Foster was added to com
x1ittee TO urge the passage OF this bli oi
of substitute bill suggested by DR.
Woodward
The committee already includes 5. w
Woodward. chairman: John Joy Edison
Dr. George NJ. Kober. Prof. Charles Neill
and Gen Waiter Wyman.
Condemnation of Dwellings.
In the course of the discussion concern
ing the condemnation Of unsanitary dwell
1ings it was stated by Col. George Truss
dell that not per cent OF the unsanitar!
houses are occupied by their owners.
One difficulty in proceeding against unfi
houses is the fact that many are no
owned by the persons living therein.
II was stated by members OF the com
miftee that this class OF houses yield
10 10 Is per cent or more on the none!
invested IN them.
Mr. snowden Ashford, the Building In
sSector of the District. described the DIFF
fculties his department had encounters
in the condemnation of unsanitaTy, unsaf
buildings Members OF the committee
agreed with Mr.. Ashford tIat his fore
OF only six inspectors is too small Il
prJtect the health and safety Of the citi
zens OF Washington.
To Make Personal Inspection.
In accordance with the vote OF the com
nittee. Chairman Woodward assigned
every member of the committee TO maxi
personal inspections every month in on
of the neglected districts of the city.
Tweniy-six prominent men and womel
of Washington were thus assigned 4
make monthly visits to unsanitary dis
tricts located in six different sections q
shc city.
One of the most important features Q
The committee work is. the personal IN
epection of unsanitary and unfit house
by members of the committee. Fror
thirty to sixty minutes given by eae
ne,'tJs-f once month for visiting th
most uninhabitable houses the boar
thinks woald have three results.
II would stimulate the adequate enforce
nent af existing lawS.
II would suggest details for discussion