Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-15
INSANITARY BUILDINGS
HEARING BY SENATE DISTRICT
Committee.
MI. John Joy Edison Urges Passage Of
House Bill 9293 Prepared by
District Commissioners.


A subcommittee of the Senate committee
on the District of Columbia gave a hearing
yesterday afternoon on the bill to provide
for the condemnation OF insapitary build
ings. Senators stewart ana mallory COM
posed the subcommittee.
among those presen. were Messfs .. w.
woodward, 'onn Joy Eoson' 1enerai o.e'n-
perg. Chaiies 1. "eHer' Ii hoo-r' Hfs
Davis' Cotter !. oT'oe' OT' "ooo"".o'
health ofncer. ana Snowden Asnloro. IN
spector Of buildings.
Mr.. Edison OF the committee on the i'm
....,.,,. :. ,,,-t..- -, ,,,.,,,, =, ~. A..
pi"feme"e Va Aou''iis 1oisu'uoi'" Va -"
sociateo Charities favored tne pasSase VI
house bill 6289.
1.-THE committee desires to record itself
as esnacial,v nleasea with tbese nrnvfsions
80 u COCO 49,, ..,s,, a.. ~ ,,,;r.
% " - ~-. ,o-,',
mum amount OF ar space IN any o"eihns
house shall be 400 cubic feet OF air for each
adult and 200 cubic fest for each child un.
der twelve ana that at least 6O0 CUBIC rect OF
air space shall be the minimum for each
individual occupying living or sleeping
room IN any evening. the repor.s states.
Tne committee is also especially pieaseu
with the iact that the Dlstrict COMMISSION
ers are instructed to prescribe from tlme 10
ume such drainage, WINDOWS ana Ventlla
tlon as they CONSIDER 70 oe NECESSARY loI
SANITARY oWehihs. Inc COMMITTEES Lecon
49,
posSioie' IA oiii II. n. $3.50 anu si,as .ne H.
'er pe aoop'eo as mus nooiiieo'
Bill Inadeouate
IT.. .,.. ,. AZ. r,a,or. s.;a
ne eoniiiii'.ee oeheses' MI Iu'o.i So
that House bill G2S9 Is inadequate, in thar
1t makes no specific provision for the re-
NOVA, or ipsanitory dwe,l;nos but onlv
;.o a.. 49,, -. - oo.oa t. hos
pe, u.s. '.' ny AAo' We
Deen found py experience that vacant prop
81.
dangers the neighborhood through bringing
about the collection OF flth or by harboring
unlawful characters or by giving rise TO
hres.
Also mat the execution or mutation OF
any action rests entirely with the Inspector
OF buildings instead OF with special board
comprising the inspector of buildings. the
health officer and the first assistant to the
Engineer Commissioner. The committee
feels that the judgment Of the health officer
is Indispensable to any action concerning
insanitary dwellings
1t requires an appeal to the Police Court
through the corporation counsel or an APP
peal to the Supreme Court through the cor
poration counsel to put into action any of
the provisions regulations against in
sanitary dwellings, instead of authorizing
the condemning power to put its condemna-
tions into effect. subject to appeal from
this decision by the owner of the property
in question House bill 9293 provides that
the special board for the condemnation of
unsanitary dwellings may carry out the
PROVISIONS t'r ,n OF Inc law TO the extent OF va
demolition by orderly process prescribed in
the Dill, time being specifically allowed for
l lne owner u appeal TO tne courts, II ne ae-
nnnSa,,no4,or ~ for 80, ra,satio.e ~ VI the
property condemned
1t omits number of important specifica-
lions which are given in House bill 9293,
ana whlch experience has proven to be nee
n
Ing out OF the process proposed. Among
the important provisions omitted are the
following: H. R. 9293 details the process
by which an owner may appeal to the
courts for compensation for condemned
property and specifies how and upon what
conditions such compensation may be
awarded. These provisions are modelled
after the effective New York city code. 1t
prescribes specific methods of dealing with
property which is in litigation, or is owned
by insane persons or minors. and exneri
ence has proven that specific legisIa zion on
these TOPICS is essential to an effectiva hill
for the condemnation Of insanitarv dwell