The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-11-10

To secure good homes for the poor of
Washington and 10 make these homes
Of so perfect a nature that they viii
be the models for the world 10 follow
in housing the poor, the President s
home commission has done much val
liable work since it's appointment last
May, and yesterday made public a pre-
liminary report of its laDors.
This preliminary report contains opin-
ions from three standing committees
and treats Of the following subjects.
Building model houses, improvement OF
existing houses, and elimination Of un-
sanitary and alley houses, ana social
betterment.
In these three reports there are many
suggestions OF what the homes commits
sion thinks should be done TO improve
the living conditions OF the 10000 people
who are alley jewellers in this city.
Investigation Takes Two Years.
The commission which was appointed
by President Roosevelt on the recon-
mendation Of James Bronson Reynolds
to investigate the housing conditions OF
the poor and report on how to improve
those conditions, estimates that two
more years will be required for It TO
complete It's work and that the cost Of
it's operations viii be $1,000.
Remedies for the housing conditions
complained of by Mr.. REYNOLDS IN his
report to the President last spring are
suggested in the homes commissions
preliminary report. and these remedies.
the commission thinks. must come main
~ through the channels of legislation.
philanthropy, and further investigation.
The report of the commission building
model houses. signed by the chairman.
Gen. George NJ. Sternberg. says:
There is at the present time in Wash
ington genuine house famine, so far
as houses and apartments renting from
IS 20 S12 per month are concerned, and
day laborers who only receive from 81
10 $50 per day cannot AFFORD to nav
more than this.
THE fact that there is a scarcity OF
houses Of this class shows that the de-
mand is not likely to be supplied BY
private enterprise. The cost of build
ing materials and OF skilled labor is
so great that the problem Of building
houses with good ventilation. plumb
ing, etc, to rent at these figures and
~ Ee~E - VI y per cent OiA the lElNESI-
ment is difficult of solution. Indeed. the
only way in which II can be solved ap-
pears to be by business philanthropy. .
That is. by an organization which builds
houses not as a money-making enter
prise. but for the purpose Of benefiting
the people for whom they are built and
promoting the general interests of the
community.
Small Houses in Demand.
The Presidents homes commission
should be ready to cooperate with any
organization or individual whose object
it is to build homes for people of moder-
ate means. The more houses we have.
built as required by existing building
regulations, and renting at from IS to
so per month, the better 1t will be for
the health and morals of the poorer
class of the community. Every citizen
should feel a personal interest in this
matter. for. aside from any philan-
thropic motive, the health and morals
Of our poor neighbors are OF vital i'm
portance to us.
THE prevalence Of tuberculosis. ty-
phoid fever, and other infectious dis
eases among the poor of the city. not
only increases the general mortality
rate to a degree which is not creditabIe
10 Us. but furnishes foci of infection
from which our own homes may be in
vaded by deadly disease germs. Sick
ness and crime add very materially to
the burdens of the taxpayer and no one
doubts that they are fostered by over
crowded and insanitary homes ind by
such an environment as exists in our
hidden alleys and in many old and
dilapidated houses fronting on the street
In certain sections OF the city.
THE better class of wage-earners
Continued on Second Page)