Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-26
House Improvement.

10 the Editor of The Star:
In your issue of the Goth notice an arti-
Gle on the subject of housing improve
ment which states that at the coming ses-
sion of Congress an effort will be made to
secure the passage of a bill to authorize
the condemnation of unsanitary buildings
The true remedy for the alley evils here
which are constant menace to the health
and lives of all, is for the general govern
ment itself to condemn all dwellings on
the alleys and prohibit the erection of any
hereafter Alleys were not designed as
places for dwellings, but for stables where
the lots are of sufficient depth, and for
bringing in fuel and the removal of gar
bage and refuse of all kinds. Where the
situation is such as to justify it the alley
should be widened and converted into a
street extending through the square from
street to street. as has been done in some
cases, and on such streets, properly graded
severed, paved and lighted, dwellings,
might be erected
There are two good and sufficient reasons
why this should be done by the general
government First, this is the nations
capital, of which It has absolute control
and it Is its duty to make it what il was
intended and ought to be-the most health
full and beautiful city in the nation, if not
in the world. large portion of the popu-
lauon are employees of the government and
Congress is here two-thirds of the time
and for these reasons 1t should do lit
If the plan suggested by Senator Hoar, of
having the citizens pay reasonable tax
on what they own, and the general govern
ment to pay whatever else that might be
needed, were adopted, then the citizens
would contribute their just share; but
whether they contribute anything or not
the general government ought to do it. 1t
represents the nation, and the cost to the
nation would not be worth mentioning
Second, If left to the District authorities
1t Will never be done-at least not 1t
ought to be, in thorough and efficient
manner. AS long ago as 1894 a shauty
with an open box closet and two shanties
used stables adjoining my property at
102 9th street were condemned by the
health office as unsanitary and their re-
moval ordered; and yet they remained
there until 1905, eleven years after they
were condemned, and until the lot passed
into other hands, Other instances might
be cited, but this is sufficient to show what
may be expected If the matter is left to the
District NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of want of
means. multiplicity of duties and various
other reasons. True, they might, and
doubtless would, condemn here and there
some negro shanty, but that alone is not
sufficient What should be done is to clean
them out completely and that will never
be done unless done by the general govern
ment 1t should be.
OF course. the owners of these alley
houses which pay double the interest on
tho investment that flrst-class dwellings,
the streets dc, will oppose any such
movement. and one reason will say the
alley jewellers cannot find homes elsewhere
There will be no trouble on that score. for
the moment ii is settled that such a plan Is
adopted by Congress plenty of sanitary
dwellings will be erected elsewhere for
them, and their condition, as well as that
of the general public, will be immensely
improved, and we all know this is greatly
needed.
There are more colored people in this city
than In any other in the country and i'm
mensely more in proportion to popula alton
The great hulk of them live in the alleys
many of them in horrible condition, as
shown by the report of the superintendent
OF charities They were brought here
largely by the operations of the general
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of them as run
away slaves during the war to whom ra-
tons had to be issued by the government
Since then thousands have been induced to
come here by the legislation of Congress-
which has made the national capital their
Mecca"
While the general government should it
self abate the existing evil. still, Judging
from the past, | have but little hope that
II will do it. As Randolph said when urg-
ing the necessity for a local government
for the District: Members come here to
represent their districts, and they would
not have the time or that knowledge of
| local affairs necessary to enable them to
legislate intelllgently for the District"
The great mass of them know little or
nothing of the local conditions or needs
and care less. Their time and attention
mainly occupied in securing appropri-
ations for their own districts and making
the necessary appropriations for running
he general government and such will
probably always be the case, until their
constituents can be educated and made to
see the Importance of making the nations
capital what IL ought to be: and that is n
work for the citizens of the District When
the general public is thoroughly informed
and aroused on the subject then members
will act, but not till then.
w. c. DODGE