The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-04
EXHIBIT SHOWS
CONGESTION HERE
Wonderful Display OF Tenement
Evils, With Method OF
Prevention.
THE EFFECT is STARTLING
Pathetic Conditions Relieved by
Hope OF Saving the
Victims.

with the motto, "An ounce Of Sight
is Worth Ton OF Print" the Exhibit
of Congestion OF Population will be
opened at the Mechanics Institute this
afternoon, to remain until the close OF
the National Conference OF Charities
and Correction. 1t is a remarkable
display. There are photographs, dia-
grams, charts, maps and models, which
give an accurate idea Of the conditions
under which thousands OF people live
and work. In way. the general pic
ture Is distressing, although 1t points
to what can be done for the alienation
of mankind.
Many Local Pictures.
BY far the most interesting feature
will be a collection of local photo
graphs. With a city covering wide
area. the average resident here believes
that Richmond is free of tenements and
sweat shops.
Compared with some cities it is
With more room and air and light,
physicians believe that the death rate
could be lowered. The exhibit will
explain exactly how this may be done.
Night and day photographs will be sus-
pended from the walls by tomorrow
evening. Many Of them will show con-
ditions In the eastern section OF the
city, on Main Street. in the factory
district and in jackson Ward.
DR.. Alderman Commends It.
The object of the exhibit is to depict
some OF the causes conditions and
evils of the massing of people IN
limited areas: the present method of
dealing with the problems involved
and the methods, legislative and 9TH
ers, which should be adopted to rem
edy the congestion. 1t was first shown
on March 9th. DR.. Edwin A. Alder
man. president OF the University Of
Virginia, who saw it in New York, has
written the following letter to Mr..
Benjamin c. Marsh, the secretary, who
has charge of the local display:
.."It gives me great pleasure to know
ton of Population, presented with such
Interest nnd power in New York City.
nrc to be taken 10 Richmond for the
National Conference of Charities AMI
Correction. Tt gave me n Ercnt deal Of
pleasure md enormous pride to study
TINT exhibit in New York. I regard 1t
as one of the most powerful cxhibi-
tons that I have ever seen, airording
nm insight into the social conditions
in our cities md suggesting way
out of the great difficulties that bcsct
urban centreS.
Trying to Avoid Mistakes.
The local committees. Chief Health
Officer Levy, the Visiting Nurses Asso-
citation and the charitable organiza-
tons have materially aided Secretary
Marsh in the preparation of the Rich
mond end. Expressing deep interest
in the exhibit. Or. Levy said yesterday:
"AlthouEh our problems of conEcstion
of population are different from those
of New York, for example, and nrc,
fortunately. less acute, still the entire
housing problem is ono of the most
Fundamental considerations in conncc-
tion with all question: Of public health.
We already have many serious ccudi-
tfons OF this character, and 1t Ia none
too soon to seek to avoid the mistakcs
which have been made In other places.
when VIC look deeply enough into
almost any problem of public health
and most especially into that great
.courge of the present time, tubcrculo-
.is-wc are inevitably brought to fnce
the fact that NIL our efforts will nc
complish but little until the problem
of better housing for the masses has
been solved. Although thoroughly re-
alizinE this fact, the Health Department
of Richmond has been unable even to
make the first move in this direction,
owing to the great number of matters
which have claimed our attention dur
ing the sboft TING since the reorgan-
Vzation of'the department., less thnn two
wears ago, and also because the prob
lem itself In one OF such enormous
dificuIty that 1t could mot be entered
Into lightly"