The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-12-06
PERTINENT COMMENT
ON WASHINGTON

In pursuing the set plan 10 70 axe Tie
city Of Washington an example to ether
American municipalities several points
should be kept in mind By The icsisIa-
tors. In the first place. the people OF
this country should clearly understand
that no amount OF industrial prosperity,
and above all no leadership in interim
tional industrial competition. can in any
way aLone for the sapping of the vitality
OF those who are usually spoken Of as
the working classes. The farmers. the
mechanics. the skilled and unskilled
laborers. the small shop keepers, make
mp the bulk OF the population or any
country. and upon their Wcll-being. gen
/ Grafton after generation. the weii-oeins
OF the country and race depends Rapid
development IN wealth and industrial
| leadership Is good thing. but only II II
/ goes hand in hand with Improvement.
and not deterioration, physical and NOR
al.
/ The overcrowding of cities and the
draining OF country districts are IN
I healthy and even dangerous symptoms
nit oyercrowding in cities. In certain
| European cities IL is provided By law
! that the population OF towns shall not
/ be- allowed TO exceed a very limited dem
/ sity for given area, 50 that Jhe in
( crease in density must be continually
! pushed back into a broad zone around
/ the center OF the town, this zone having
/ great avenues 81 parks within H.
The Alley S1ums.
The death rate statistics show a ter
rible increase in mortality. and especial
~ I'm infant mortality. in overcrowded
3 tenements. The poorest families ID
/ tenement houses live Ia one room, ana
/ il appears that In these one-room -ene-
ments the average death rate FOR a
number Of given cities at home and
/ abroad is about twice what it is in a
/ tWo-rOom tenement four times want il
/ Is In a three-room tenement. and eight
/ times what II is in "A tenement consist
ing OF four rooms or over. These ng-
ures vary somewhat for different cities
but they approximate In each city those
given above, and IN all CTS the in
crease of mortality. and especially OF
infant mortality, with the decrease iH
the number OF rooms used by The fam
{ ily and with the consequent BYE pW.2-
Ing g. startling. The SUM cSacts a
. heavy total of death from mos Nho
dwell therein, and this is the ,dsa Hol
. merely in the great crowded sums pl
high buildings i'm New York a1I Chlc,t-
/ go. but in the alley slums of Washing
Z ION.
In Washington people cannot +T0i,
| 10 ignore the harm hal this lsuS s. ~,
/ Christian and civilized cOnmuaitF tdI
AFFORD 10 show "a ppy-go-Iu..;. lec}
( of concern for the youth of TODAY. tcT
/ IL so, the community VIII have 10 las
a terrible penalty - financial Du:Jel
and social degradation in the ;oTu. brow
There should be- severe child-ilbJr an,
! factory-inspeCtiOn laws II As very "a,
I sirable that married women fhJuid no
I work in factories. The prime lu-y 81
the man Is 10 work. to be the bread
/ winner: the prime duty o. ~, woman
is TO be the mother. the nous wife.
Importance OF Family.
All questions Of ,arif and nEaa 81 s-ri
into utter insigUihcance when Co1sTgre'
with the tremendous. the vital mJ1rt
ance of trying TO shape conditions $,
that these two duties of the man au1
Of the woman can be fulfilled under rca
sonably favorable circumsIan,es. III .
race does not have plenty of children
OF If the children do not grow up Oi
If when they grow up they are unhealthy
in body and stunted or vicious In mind
then that race is decadent, and 40 ncap
ing up of wealth. no splendor of momen
| tary material prosperity, can avail u
any degree as offsets.
| The Congress has the same power o
legislation for the District or Colimni
| which the State Legislatures have fo
the various States. The problems Incl
dent TO our highly complex modern IN
dustriai civilization. with its mamtOl,
and perplexing tendencies both Tor go,