Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-12
Watching Washington's Development

,,t...,,,ex tho concentrated effort which
is being made at this time to secure Ger
tain legislation for the District aHectlns tne
sanitary conditions at the capital notary
In the direction of housing reform, the
philadelphia Press says:
The Washington study is a part OF a
new impulse which is manifest in regard 10
the housing question In many CITIES r,ha
Guiding some of the second class. Inc
cleveland chamber of commerce, Tor eS-
ample is carrying on careful STUDY OF Tue
housing conditions in that city. ana the Ell
fort for better dwellings for the common
people is an important part or tne genera
civic Improvement movement when is TAX
ing shape among American municlpali.les,
"A tenement house study was mace III
Chicago through voluntary effoft nan d
dozen years ago and the subject is being
again inquired into here. Results thus Tar
indicate that. while Paving ana sioe"aih
conditions have materially improved In the
meantime. the bad housing conditlons thehh-
selves have been aggravated rather than
bettered The Washington study Will nat
urally receive special attention because OF
Its connection with the national captal.
This is proper. Washington should De
model city in It's physical arrangements. ana
other American towns will welcome the es-
Establishment there of proper STANDARDS re-
specting such arrangements
Here Is the statement of a truth which
should appeal to every member OF Congress
whenever the subject of District legislation
IS preached. The fact that the whole coun-
try watches the federal city cannot be too
often or too pointedly brought to the atten-
ton of the national legislators. Washing
ton Is regarded as a model community,
either actually or potentially. We who live
here know its possibilities and its short
comings. We realize that If it is to be in
fact the actual Inspiration to better civic
tbroIISrhnnt the country which
It should long ago have become. Congress
must adopt a different attitude toward 1t In
all matters of aw-making.
Washington should long since have been
given a satisfactory system Of sanitary
laws to enable or to compel the poorer
classes to live In comparatively healthfui
surroundings. 1t should have been given
child labor law, to prevent the employment
OF the little ones during the years OF their
mental and physical growth and at the
time OF their greatest moral susceptibility.
it should be afforded many other safe
guards against fraud and vice and crime
and ignorance. The accumulation of these
needs results now in a demand upon Con-
gress for many laws, The District calen-
Oars are congested as seldom before. because
not only of the lack OF action in the past
but because of the awakening Of the people
to the need and the enlisting of the assist
ance of public-spirited residents OF other
cities.
What Washington does in the way of
municipal management Is closely watched.
Its mistakes are magnif1ed and its successes
are praised in proportion to its prominence
as the seat of government. The country
has awakened to the fact that here exists a
municipality suited to the highest develop
ment Of administrative aids to good citizen
ship. and it is gratifying to know that the
patience Of the Iong-suffering Washingto-
MAN is being effectively supplemented by
the impotence OF the patriotic citizens of
the states who feel the shame of continued
neglect Of the federal city