Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-10

spring. spent over twelve months in
studying over local conditions and in
vestigating, through correspondence,
the work in other cities. We found
ours to be housing problem; that is,
We had to deal with overcrowded and
insanitary conditions, in the two or
three roo mhouses, rather than with
the tenant. We found also the pecul-
lar growth of the 'Cholo court which
apparently was an outlet for the con-
gested Mexican population, and en-
abled them to secure a site for a home
at very small expense. but the life in
these courts is typical of the life
among the poems of Mexico. Here we
found filth and squalor on every hand.
Miserably constructed houses, made of
scrap sheet-iron, old bagging and Sec
tons of dry goods boxes, were huddled
together without an attempt at proper
construction or order. For instance
i'm the Also street court seventeen such
habitations occupied an area of fifty
by one hundred and fifty feet, and
housed over fifty inhabitants, includ-
ing men, women and children of ten
der years.
Utah street court in the days of its
most fiourishing condition comprised a
tract of land, equal to one-third of
Central park. On this ground were
sixty-eight houses Of various styles of
architecture and material, depending
upon the choice and ingenuity of the
builder. Between four and five hun
dred people, including children, lived
in this area, and for their convenience
and accommodation they were supplied
with seven water faucets and eight
toilets, which were used promiscuously
by both sexes. I will not horrify you
by giving you the details of conditions
in this district during fair or foul
weather. We who live in the better
parts of town can scarcely realize that
human beings could live under such
horrible conditions.
1.-THE development of the Cholo court
seems to be a purely local condition.
There is no other city in the United
States with the exception, probably, of
San Diego, that has d like condition
The impoverished Mexican at the
wage of $3.50 day, laboring to estab-
lish our immense street car system.
paid a ground rent of from $3.50 to 81
per month, and on his little area of
ground he was allowed to erect his
mansion. The more Mexicans on each
lot, the more money for the owner, and
| they were allowed to crowd in to such
an extent that in one court the alley
way down the center was, by actual
measurement, just thirty-six inches
hardly wide enough to let a broad
| shouldered man through. The Utah
street court became a veritable rabbit
| run, as it was necessary to reach some
of the houses in the rear by circuit
Gus path in and out among the houses
and sometimes redoubling your steps
| on the other side of the fence to reach
| your destination.
1.-THE housing commission could fin6
no help from other cities in combating
| the construction of such places anC
| therefore was forced to work out its
own salvation. An ordinance was
drafted and passed by the city council
| just one year ago which defines house
court, and provides that any one own
| ing or maintaining house court mus
| first submit to the board of public
works a draft of the plans, stating thu
material of which the houses are to b.
| constructed showing the exact Location
and size of the buildings and the loca
ton of toilets and hydrants. Upon 1T
acceptance by the board of public
works a permit is issued for the con
struction and maintenance of a hous'
court. Any changes or additions t.
! these structures are not allowed with
| out notification to the board of public
works and the issuance of another per
nit The ordinance further provides
| that 80 per cent Of the ground are;
must be left uncovered. Also that tn
|
| shed water, to contain floors. to hav
proper windows in both living ant
| sleeping rooms, and that the ceiling
must be of a certain height. 1t fur
Their provides for hydrants and sink
in ratio of one to every three hablta
TONS and properly constructed toilets
i one for every ten men and one TO
every ten women in the court, sal
toilets all to be in separate compart
ments, under lock and key, and tn
| toilets for men and women to be no
| less than ten feet apart. Our 1nspec
| tor started work last summer. w
| found in the city limits sixty-eigh
tracts of land which could be classife
| as house courts, being occupied b,
| from three houses up to fifty-seven AM
sixty-eight, as seen in the Lopez AM
Utah street courts. These court
housed over two thousand people, an
we found single rooms occupied b,
from one to eight inhabitants, ant
three-roomed dwellings, which woul'
make only fair sized living room il
an ordinary house, occupied by iron
ten to fifteen people!
I'VE found rents ranging from SID
to 50 per month for ground rent wher
the 'Cholo' constructed his own house
| The single rooms rented from 81, 5
and SO per month, whereas the tire
and four-roomed houses ran up t
from $40 to $16 per month.
"Another interesting fact wa
brought out--that rentals average,
higher for worse conditions than in tn
slums of New York. which are usual,
held up as one of the worlds horrors
Aside from the fact that contagiou
and infectious diseases, such as ski
diseases, diphtheria, tuberculosis an
smallpox, were not only present, blu
liable to spread to an epidemic an
moment, we found dark sleeping
rooms, having no communication wit
the outside air, sometimes occupied b.
chickens along with the family; ais
rooms with no floors, into which tn
rain ran in wet weather, leaking fau