New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-07

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tr,al competition. can in any way atone Tor the
sanping of the vitality OF those who are usually
snoken of as the working classes The farm
ers the mechanics. the skilled and unskilled Ia
borers. the small shopkeepers make up the oulk
| of the population OF any country and upon their
| we'll being, generation after generation, the well
being OF the country and the race depends.
| Randi development In wealth and industrial
| leadership is good thing. but only II 1t goes
hand I'm hand with Improvement. and not de-
| terioration physical and moral. The over
crowdng of cities and the draining Of country
districts unhealthy and even dangerous
symptoms in our modern life. We should not
permit overcrowding in cities. In certain Euro
pean cities 1t is provided by law that the popu-
lation of towns shall not be allowed to exceed
very limited density for given area. so that
the increase in de sity must be continually
pushed back into broad zone around the CEN
tire OF the town. this zone having great avenues
or parks within IL. The death rate statistics
show a terrible increase in mortality, and espe-
cally in infant mortality, in overcrowded tene-
ments The poorest families in tenement houses
live in one room. and it appears that in these
one room tenements the average death rate for
a number of given cities at home and abroad Is
about twice what 1t is In a two room tenement,
four times what 1t is In a three room tenement,
and eight times what 1t is in tenement consist
Ing or four rooms over. THESE nSureS vary
somewhat for different cities, but they approx
innate In each city those given above, and in all
the increase Of mortality, and especially of
infant mortality, with the decrease in the num-
Der of rooms used by the family. and with the
consequent overcrowdng, is startling. The
slum exacts heavy total Of death from those
who dwell therein. and this is the case not mere
y in the great crowded sums of high buildings
in New-York and Chicago. but in the alley
Sums of Washington. In Washington people
cannot afford to ignore the harm that this
causes No Christian and civilized community
can afford to show a happy go-lucky lack of
concern for the youth of to-day, for, If so. the
community will have to pay terrible penalty of
financial burden and social degradation in the
tomorrow. There should be severe child labor
and factory inspection laws. 1t Is very desir-
able that married women should not work in
factories. The prime duty of the man Is to
work. to be the breadw!nner; the prime duty
Of the woman is to be the mother.
the housewife. All questions OF tariff and
finance sink into utter insgnifcance when
compared with the tremendous. the vital
importance of trying to shape conditions that
these two duties of the and of the woman
can be fulfilled under reasonably favorable cir
cumstances. If race does not have plenty Of
children, or If the children do not grow up, or
IL when they grow up they are unhealthy in
body and stunted or vicious in mind. then that
race is decadent. and no heapng up of wealth,
no splendor Of momentary material prosperity,
can avail in any degree as offsets.
The Congress has the same power of legisla-
ton for the District of Columbia which the
State legislatures have for the various States.
The problems incident to our highly complex
modern industrial civilization. with it's mani
fold and perpIexing tendencies both for good
and for evil. far less sharply accentuated in
the city Of Washington than in most other cities
For this very reason it is easier to deal with
the various phases of these problems In Wash
ington, and the District of Columbia govern
ment should be model for the other municipal
governments of the nation in all such matters
as supervision of the housing Of the poor. the
creation Of small parks in the districts inhabited
by the poor. In laws affecting labor. in laws
providing for the taking of the children
in truant laws and in providing schools.
In the vital matter of taking care of children
much advantage could be gained by careful
study of what has been ACCOMPLISHED in such
States as Illinois and Colorado by the juvenile
courts. The work of the juvenile court is really
a work of character building. 1t is now gen.
orally recognized that young boys and young
girls who go wrong should not be treated as
criminals. not even necessarily as needing ref
ormation. but rather needing to have their
characters formed. and for this end TO have
them tested and developed by system of pro-
baton Much admirable work has been done
in many Of our commonwealths by earnest men
and women. who have made special study Of
the needs OF those classes OF children which
furnish the greatest number of Juvenile offend
ers. and therefore the greatest number of adult
offenders; and by their aid. and by profting by
the experiences of the different States and
cities in these matters. it would be easy to pro-
vide good code for the District OF COl;Dnbia
Several considerations suggest the need for
a systematic investigation into and Improvement
OF housing conditions in Washington. The hid
den residential alleys are breeding grounds of
vice and disease and should be opened into
minor streets. For a number of years inf1uen-
tial citizens have Joined with the District Com
missioners in the vain endeavor to secure laws
permitting the condemnation Of insanitary
dwellings. The local death rates, especially
from preventable diseases. are unduIy high
as to suggest that the exceptional wholesome
ness of Washington's better sections is offset
by bad conditions in her poorer neighborhoods.
special Commission on Housing and Health
Conditions in the National Capital would not
only bring about the reformation of existing
evils, but would also formulate an appropriate
building code to protect the city from mammoth
brick tenements and other evils which threaten
to develop here as thew have In other cities.
That the nations capital should be made a
model for other municipalities is an ideal which
appeals TO all patriotic citizens everywhere and
such a special commission might map out and
organize the city's future development in lines
of civic social service lust as Major PEnfant
and the recent Park Commission planned the
arrangement of her streets and parks.
1t is notifying to remember that Washing
ton has no compulsory school attendance law
and that careful INQUIRIES indicate the habitual