Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-30
|NSAN|TARY BUILDINGS
Hearing Before the House Sub
committee.
COMMISSIONERS BILL URGED
Many Speak in It's Favor and Advo-
cate It.
BISHOP SATTERLEE'S VISIT
To the Slums Described by Him-Mr.
Siddons Thinks the Measure
Constitutional.
COMMISSIONERS BILL URGED
[SHOP sATTERLEE's VISIT

| The Morrell subcommittee of the House
District committee gave a hearing this
morning on the Babcock bill, creating a
| board for the condemnation of insanitary
4 buildings in the District of Columbia
Among those who testified before the sub
committee were Commissioner Macfarland
Bishop Satterlee of the Washington diocese
Frederick L. Siddons. representing the COM
mfttee on housing conditions of the Associ-
ated Charities; Charles F.. Weller secretary
| Of the Associated Charities; Inspector of
Buildings Ashford, DR.. George NJ Kober
Secretary Wilson of the board of public
charities. and Health Officer Woodward
An overwhelming sentiment developed
In favor OF the passage of the Babcock BILL
Which, as complement to the law author
izing the destruction OF structurally unsafe
buildings, will enable the local authorities
TO deal With the question of insan anitary
structures we'll The bill on which the
hearing was held, and which passed the
House last year, creates a board to be
known as the board for the condemnation
of fnsanitary buildings in the District to
consist of the assistant to the Engineer
Commissioner, the health officer and the in
spector of buildings.
Commissioner Macfarland's Remarks.
Commissioner Macfarland expressed his
regret at not being able to remain through
out the hearing and that also he was forced
to speak SO briefly on the all-important SUBJ
5ect. But he was obliged by the pressure
of public business to return Immediately
to the District building.
He said that as president of the board
of Commissioners he wanted to emphasize
the desire of the Commissioners and the
community to have this bill, which had
been prepared by the Commissioners and
q nf ha
sion, enacted into law. For years the
Commissioners had been endeavoring to get
the authority to deal with insapitary build
ings as they dealt with dilapidated build
ings.- Their bill had been passed by the
House committee and by the House in the
last Congress, and they hoped that similar
action would be taken at this time. The
necessity was apparent So far as he knew
there was no opposition to 1t, except that
Of mercenary and sordid kind. The COM
munity, the disinterested and philanthrop!c
citizens, those who had the welfare of the
national capital at heart, heartily support
ed the Commissioners bill.
"That is the impression the committee
got when the bill was up before remark
ed Chairman Morren.
Bishop Satterlee's Views.
Bishop Satterlee told of visit he had
made with Gen. Sternberg to Willow Tree
alley, Tincup alley, Louise alley, Freemans
alley and a number of other alleys, and de-
scribed the horrible conditions he had view
ed. Such conditions, he said. would not be
allowed in New York for a moment, but
they had been permitted In the national
capital without apparent effort except by
some public-spirited citizens to remedy the
evil. Bishop Satterlee said that he had
often thought that If there were a pesti-
lence in Washington the central plague
spot would certainly be In these places he
had described. He was very glad he said.
to appear before the committee and to get
ft,f., ttn-
passage of the proposed legislation, he said,
was In the way of a precauton against
disease, and certainly to the best in
terests of the entire community.
Mr.. Siddons speaking on behalf of the
housing conditions committee of the Asso-
ciated Charities. said that the committee
had prepared an immense amount of data,
which would be submitted to Congress If
desired. He called the attention of the
committee to an article by Secretary Charles
F. Weller of the Associated Charities, which
appeared in the magazine Charities and the
Commons which, he said, gave a very fair
idea of conditions In the Sums of the city.
The committee had been working for sew
eral years on the collection of information
bearing on this subject, and knew that
vast majority Of the citizens of Washington
were in favor of the proposed measure.
Mr.. Sddons did not think that objection
could be made to the bill on constitutional
grounds. He called the attention of the
subcommittee to the fact that the bill pro-
vided that an owner of insanitary property
must De given at lGdSL uIly SeCuidr UdyS
notice before such insanitary property could
even be vacated.
Secretary Weller of the Associated Char
tiles thought little remained to be said as
to the merits of the proposed legislation
He said the houses which would be demoi-
ished under the proposed law We're about
as valuable as dry goods boxes.
If there was any man in Congress who
objected to the proposed legislation Mr..
Weller offered to take him to Bassets al
ley, between ID and Sd streets. MARYLAND
avenue and G street. just two and one-haf
blocks from the Senate chamber, and snow
him things that would convert him at once.
Over there in Basset's alley eight families
lived in ten rooms, and conditions there
were very much better than they were In
a number OF other places In the city.
Mr.. Weller told of visit he had made
with two senators to fifteen OF the shacks
he had in mind, and the seantors told him
after the inspection was over that any
man who kept COW in any one or the
dwellings in question should be prosecuted
to the extent of the law. And yet. Mr..
Weller pointed out, these dwellings, were In
habited by human beings at the present
day.
Building Inspector Ashford briefly. point
ed out the various provisions In the Dill un,
der which condemnation proceedings could
be carried out and told the committee why
he favored the measure.
The Old Board Of Health.
Dr. Kober interested the committee by
referring to the old law. under which the
board of health operated. From 1872 to
ISIS the board of health demolished over
1.100 buildings. merely because they were
insanitary But the board was abolished
in 1878 ard the very necessary authority
with reference to insanitary structures was
left out of the law after that time.
Mr.. Foster of the Associated Charities
called the attention of the committee 10
the fact that the evils under consideration
were not simply of local importance. There
had been five deaths from tuberculosis IN
the city in the last two days, he said, and
four or 1--WE thousand residents now had
the disease. Moreover. the statistics show
ell Mr. Foster said. that the dwelling place
of each Of these persons Is q focus from
which the malady spreads. These Wash
ington sums were within short distances
OF the best dwellings. and the wives ana
children of every resident OF the national
carttal were in danger as long as they