Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-10

Gets, indescribably filthy and disgust
ing toilets, together with puddles and
pools of stagnant water. many times
filled with refuse and garbage, occu-
plying the only pathway in and out of
the court.
81 am glad to be able to state that
the courts today are co. if not as per
cent better than they were a year ago.
For the past six months work has been
going on and marked Improvement
is beginning to appear. Properly con-
structed houses are taking the places
of the old shacks and tents of a year
ago. Sufficient toilets with necessary
plumbing and proper connection with
cesspools and sewers have been estab-
lished; floors have been put in where
there were no floors, windows have
been inserted where there were no
windows, and properly hoppered water
faucets have taken the place of the
old dripping hydrants. The garbage
and refuse have been looked after
more carefully and several of the
courts are as spick and span as one
could wish to see.
1.-THE Southern Pacific company out
near the county hospital has erected
court within the requirements of the
ordinance for the use of the 'Choio'
1aborer, for which it charges no rent
The one great criticism we make of
people get into one room. AS yet
there seems to be no solution for the
difficulty of oYercrowding.
"The worst and dirtiest court is the
Lopez court, situated on Buena Vista
street just above Bellevue. This court
| occupies about one-third of an ordinary
city block and contains fifty-seven two
and three roomed habitations, and
| housed few months ago, and
probably does yet, PIT men, women and
children.
THE solution of the whole problem
lies in the question, is the landlord
| willing to improve conditions by erect
ing courts that may be maintained in
a sanitary manner, provide proper
| housing conditions and be satisfied
with moderate rate of interest on
the money invested?
"The municipality should provide for
inspection and see that congested
areas of this sort are properly main
tanned to prevent crime and disease.
The ideal way of attacking the sit
uation is for either the owners of UNI
occupied areas in these districts to
| construct proper courts, or, it would
be even better If any one, or if you
ladies, as a club movement. doing
philanthropic work. would organize a
stock company with a capital, say. of
| anywhere from $4,000 to $4,000, rent
or buy lots and construct courts and
also take over the management of ex
listing courts. This plan has been in
augurated in other cities and has
| worked most successfully.
"Mr. Bergstrom and Mr.. Paul, archi-
tect and plumber on our commission
have computed that properly con-
structed houses coming within the re-
quirement of the ordinance and main
tanning the necessary toilets and
plumbing can be constructed for from
IN eQ00 aaPh A LOT nnnfqinin o.
ten houses would therefore mean only
an investment of $4,000 for the houses
alone.
Before closing I want to say a few
, words on another subject that is very
close to my heart. After ALL the whole
. thing is a study of the conditions in
) the home. The home life is the foun-
!; dation of all social conditions through
out the world. We all know that
, beautiful characters are developed in
} and come from beautiful home life. In
reaching out to improve the conditions
found in these destitute homes
throughout the city we are not only
J doing work for the present but for the
! future as well, for will we not indirect
1y influence the life and upbringing OF
the unborn babe that is to some day
bless this home? How can we expect
under such fearfully insanitary con-
; ditions that a woman will be safe
: from infection when called upon to be-
come a mother?
ST wish I had the time to relate tt
y YOU some of the circumstances undel
I which these infants are brought int
i the world Suffice it to say that fire.
uuently the patients have gone
! through their agony lying on pallet
on the ground, not even having bee
: of the most nondescript character
: recall one case of twins that were born
! when the mother lay upon an unhinged
door supported by two wooden horses
, think if you ladies realize some OF
! the conditions that l have seen, under
these circumstances, you would move
: heaven and earth for the establishment
of a charity maternity hospital"