Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-16


ed by pneumonia.
1--WE have never had In New York such
a mortality as you have here. In the Mott
street district one-third of the children
died hut that is the worst condition In
New YORK; e.
In reply to a question by Senator Gal
linger Mr.. Woodward said the mortality
OF colored children as given was for the
entire colored population in the District.
Mr. Woodward added that of the forty
largest cities in the United States this city
has the largest death rate.
What / am interested in more than any
thing else remarked Senator Gallinger,
lis the remedy for these conditions.
I'VE have had two or three bills present.
ed to this committee said Senator Cal
hnger. which did not meet the appreciation
of the Committee because they were regard
ed somewhat extreme in their provision
and looked upon by some as confiscatlon OF
private property without compensation.
other bills were extremely radical, and 1t
was not thought that they would stand the
test of the courts
Mr.. Riis said that the plan adopted In
New York for getting rid of dilapdated
tenements did look like the confiscation OF
property but when it was looked into care
fully il was found that 1t was not So He
referred to Albert Shaw's municipal gov
eminent of Europe as evidence of what ter
rible mortality resulted from bad housing
conditions. where people are crowded to-
gether
The First Essential
you need first of ALL" said Mr.. Riis, Ito
provide against overcrowdng. You should
provide in your bill for so many sleepers in
room. 1t should not aim at the number
of persons in the house, but the number OF
sleepers in room. The number should be
regulated according to the air space. In
New York city require that the sleep
ers shall have at least 100 cubic feet of air
for adults and 2G0 cubic feet for children
Then send your midnight police and SAM
tarN police to these houses 1urinp he nj OIL
and see that the law is not being violated
There should not be more than two or
three persons in room. though We found
that in one case thirteen persons were
sleeping in room. That is the only way
you can get at it, Even then you have a
long contract on YOUR hands in order to
dispose of this problem"
Mr.. RiiS said the committee had No ,aad
10 consider the question of rents in this
matter. 1t was the sanitary condition thew
had To consider. and the rest would work |
itself out here, as ii had in New York He
declared that they must have public senti
ment with them to back up the confisca-
non OF lnsanitary property or their efforts |
would not result favorably- That was his
experience elsewhere =
The general policy of the board of health |
IN New YORK, remarked Mr.. Riis, .'fn deal |
Ing with the tenement problem was to be |
autocrat1c. A law had been passed in 1895 |
authorizing the confiscation of property In |
New York because of its insanitary condi- |
ton"
Inc new ork Procedure.
He said that when a house was deemed
insanitary the matter was called to the at |
tentlon of the supreme court and Ii was |
asked to appoint n commission to report |
upon it. and in the event that this commits |
sion reported In favor of demolishing the |
property that report was accepted as prima
facie evidence, and no further action was |
considered necessary. In some cases the |
owners were allowed the value of the ma
terfal; In others a wrecker was ordered to
remove the house and the cost of wreck |
age was paid by the city.
discussion occurred In the committee |
as to the power of the health officer in this |
Galiinger said that that could not be done |
under existing law. 1t was such a law |
that the committee should act upon.
Conditions in Chicago
Representative McAndrews said that in |
Chicago houses were torn down if the |
building inspector found that they were |
over 80 per cent dilapidated. He said they |
had torn. down 800 houses in one year I'M
der that law.
And yet" said Mr.. Riis. Chicago is the
only town that comes pretty near this town
in the condition of it's housing accom1no- |
dationS.''
Mr. McAndrews evidently did not appre-
cidte' the comparison that was made with
his own city. and retorted that he didn't |
krow about that. g.
Mr.. Riis went on to say that the health |
officer. in, his Judgment. was the proper |
one to have the authority to tear down,
insanltary houses. as they involved the |
see that senators and representatives WERE
taking such a hearty interest IN the move
ment to clean out these alleys.
But, he repea ted, you can have all |
the laws You want. but they will not
amount 10 anything unless there is a public |
sentiment for their enforcement behind
them. .-, a.-r
After Being Driven Away.
Senator Gallinger asked Mr.. Riis what |
he proposed to do with these poor people
after they are driven from the alleys.
Unless provision should be made by Con-
gress for their care. at least temporarily. |
he did not see how they would be looked |
after.
The same question was raised In my |
own town." replied Mr. Riis. 1T be- |
cause, that question was raised that | |
caused an inquiry to be made to the |
housing possibilities OF the congested sec |
ton. and we found that there was abund- |
arce of room for everybody without crowd |
ing them. l don't know what the condi- |
tons here are in that respect. The way |
you should go to work here, in my juGg- |
ment, IS TO let 1t be known that you are |
going TO clean out-a certain alley at Ger. |
tain time. 1t need not all be done at one. |
II will take time. You will find that there |
pc ople at a profit. Men with money are |
always looking for an opportunity to in |
vest. and tenements on sanitary lines will |
go up TO take care of. the colored people"
Representative Simms stated that 1t |
was now claimed that the colored people |
leave the country where they had found |
homes and work and crowd into the
towns, where they find these miserable |
He understood that to be the
condition here in this city. He wanted to |
know whether an improvement in the |
nature of these tenements would not re-
suit merely in bringing more colored peo-
pie TO town.
Under Courts Sanction
Mr.. Ris said that he had thought of
that phase of the question, but that he
did not believe that that affected the
that-the insanitary tenements
should be destroyed. Again, speaking of
methods employed in getting rid of these
1enements. he said that the machinery of
the courts attends to that. so that some
of his own sentiments which had sounded
anarchistfc need not trouble any one.
Il confess" he said, that at times I |
feel as If the thing to do is to tear these
places down. But the fact that IL will all |
be done under the courts Is a guarantee |
that conservatism will prevail, as it has
in New York"