Evening star., 1902-01-24
HELD ITS ANNUAL MEETING
CIVIC cEsrBssI IRH ELEcrED Of
FIcERs LAST fEyENING.
Report Received 9onfwater Supply,
Sewage system and other Topic.
Mr.. weTIer's Lecture.

l =
General Sternber9 presided at the annual
public meeting Of the Civic Center of Wash
ington held last efeuingsin the assembly
| hall Of the Columbian UAMersity. The an
nual election was held. with the result that
| all the old officers were continued DR..
Emily A. !O'Brien read an interesting paper
| on the need of truaut officer in the Dis
trict of Columbia. She maintained that
compulsory education was the best solu-
ton of many municipal problems.
Dr. George Kober, chairman of the COM
mittee on public health, read a report on
the water supply and the sewage system
Of the national capital. He protested
against any delay in the adoption of the
filtration system, and declared that next
| to pure water pure air and food were nee
essary to good health
City should Have No Slums.
| washington should have no slums.' he
said Its poor should have clean, whole
some homes, supplied with all the requisite
facilities for preserving health. This ques-
ton has engaged the attention of the Civic
| Center for years. Its committee on hous-
| ing the people has for it's field of work the
| Investigation of the alley houses and slums,
with special reference to sanitary and So
Geological conditions and their effect upon
the health and morals of the inhabitants
| He described the conditions of alleys of
| the city and concluded with the recon-
mendation that they should be made at once
| into minor streets. When this i'm
I practica BILE they should be widened at least
| thirty feet or be condemned as unfit for
| human habitation. He also recommended
| THAT all alleys and alley houses should
| be subjected to searching official investf-
/ cation; the houses should come up to
reasonable sanitary standard and dwellings,
| unfit for human habitation should be con-
demned and that the attention of capital
| H. g.
! class of realty pays well as alley prop
erty in this city, and that there is a
splendid field for investment in the erec-
ton of sanitary and comfortable alley
! houses on "a business and humanitarian
| basis
Sanitary Improvements.
| DR.. Kober detailed the organization of
| the Washington Sanitary Improvement
Company, evolved by General Sternberg
better known as "J per cent philanthropy"
The company builds homes for wage-earn-
ers for reasonable rentals. He said that
the company has made gratifying progress
| and has provided homes for 100 families of
| the better class Of wage-earners. He
| spoke of the neeus of additional effort in
| the way Of legislation to secure healthy
and habitable houses, and to condemn all
| houses rendered unfit for habitatiou by
reason of their insanitary condition.
| Dr. kober recommended the establish
ment Of four public baths in connection
with some of the pubic schools conveniently
| located; the baths to be thrown open after
school hours in the evening to the adult
population at least during the winter
months. Cities like Glasgow and others
on the continent of Europe" continued Dr.
Kober, have even provided bathing faciIi-
| ties in connection with the public schools
and similar provisions have been made in
| Boston, Brookline. New York and Chicago.
! In the Paul Revere School Of Boston, Mass,
there are 500 boys and girls. and 125 pupils
are bathed daily. The children bathe once
| a week during the entire school year. Bath
! ing Is not compulsory. but the opportunity
| to battle is welcomed by ninety--eight per
cent of the pupils. A period for bathing is
| allowed each class the same as for recta-
| ton. The time allowed for each pupil un-
der the bath Is three minutes. A matron
| has charge of the girls baths, and o man
| looks after the boys.
There are ten shower baths with thirty
dressing closets. Each child controls the
shower as to the amount of water ami It's
| direction, but the attendant controls the
temperature of the water, which is kept at
| 80 degrees.
THE average cost per bath is 31a cents"
Baths a Great Success.
! Mr.. Dutton, the principal of the school,
| reports that the baths are a great sue
cess morally and physically and Prof.
Shaw says: "A child it is found has much
more respect for himself when clean and
| Is much more responsive to law and order,
| and positive moral influence is exerted
J over the homes and parents Of children.
| For one thing, it shows itself in cleaner
| clothing for the child. 1t counteracts the
| unwholesome personal habits engendered in
| such homes. for the habit of bathing and
| cleanliness formed by the child from regu-
| lar weekly baths from the age Of to Ii
years will continue with him through life.
I'VE arS glad to report with thanks to the
| efforts of Miss Westcott, five shower baths
and one porcelain tub were installed in each
| of the two gymnasia dressing rooms in the
Western High School Of this city. These
| baths, however, are never used except by
members Of the organized athletic teams.
| Foot ball. base ball, basket ball and track
| teams use the baths after practice and
after games. There is no charge for their
use and soap and towels are furnished
| He also recommended the establishment Of
public parks and Fairgrounds in various
| sections Of the city.
| Charles F. Weller, general secretary of
the Associated Charities Of the District,
| delivered an illustrated lecture upon the
slums Of Washington. He dealt chiefly
| with the alleys and waste places of the
capital city, and the photographs included
views OF Willow Tree alley, Blagden's al
ley, Foundry alley, Pork Chop alley and
scenes along the James Creek canal in the
southeast together with an open sewer out
let The health of the persons living in