Evening star., 1909-05-22


raigned severely. F. L. Olmsted declared
that the one defect of the washington
city plan is that the blocks are too
big; e a.o,,,.n+ =, tho
back lots and therefore forced bad hous-
ing conditions in the city, he declared.
Andrew Bright w. Crawford OF Phila-
delphia said that housing conditions are
not to be considered in city planning. be-
cause the problems are distinct ones.
Washington is the best planned city In
the country. he declared, but has bad
housing conditions. While Philadelphia
is one of the worst planned cities, he
added, 1t has fine housing conditions Tor
the workingmen.
Opening Meeting.
Representative j.. Van Vechten Olcott
of New York, member OF the. House Dis
trict committee, presided over the meet
ing in the Auditorium OF the new Masonic
Temple last night.
It had been expected that the President
would deliver the opening address. he
was prevented from attending by an at
tack OF hoarseness from which he was
suffering.
Commissioner Macfarland was the first
speaker. He said, In part:
"The District government fs neartiiy
glad to have this conference neid ~, IN
structive as well as interesting. As
signer Of the call for this conference as
we'll as the representative of the District
government am personally deeply inter-
ested In this important meeting.
Living, as we do, In the first planned
city OF the United StateS-the federal city.
founded by George Washington, the cap
ital which we all want to make the most
perfect In the world In all respects-We
have something to show and much TO
learn in such a gathering as this.
"The plan OF Washington. which the
Senate park commission, after a century:
said could not be bettered. covered
view to convenience and beauty. But 1t
made also for health and comfort.
"Latterly, especially during the last
quarter of century, we. in common with
all cities. have been doing more for the
sanitary conditions. For example. we
have been working through. public and
private agencies to improve housing con-
ditions and to destroy. the slums, which
saThe Commissioners and the citizens,
after years Of effort. obtained In May.
1905. an act of Congress for the repair or
removal Of insanitary buildings. under
which up to this month 746 buildings nave
less the law has hrough also voluntary
repairs. No more dwellings can be built
in alleys, 80 that the steady enforcement
of the law eventually would remove the
alley slums.
New Law Is Needed.
"But the Commissioners and the citizens
obtained acts from Congress authorizing
the conversion of alleys into minor
streets. The Commissioners had taken &C
ton in twelve cases when the United
States Supreme Court, March II. 1907.
stopped this work by q decision adverse
to the law. Since then the Commissioners
have been endeavoring to secure from
Congress new law which would De er
fective. and are hopeful that at the next
session such a bill will be passed
1.-The lack Of suitable cheap homes for
people displaced by the work already
done Is keenly appreciated and must be
met either by public or private effort.
The excellent homes constructed by the
two philanthropic associations are not
cheap enough for the poorest classes. :
..The members of these associations de-
serve praise, as do also the members OF
proyement Of housing conditions and the
members of the Presidents homes COM
mission a number Of the members OF the
committee and the commission being the
while there has been some covert op-
position on the part Of owners OF slum
property yielding Is per cent or more.
and while there has been indinerence on
the part Of many, the public opinion OF
Commissioners and the citizens commit
tees in the progress OF this Improvement.
which is now to be further promoted by
the forthcoming revision or the Duiloine
regulations. upon which 50 much thought
cials. experts outside OF the government
and other public spirited citizens.
1--WE ought to learn much from this
conference, which will be valuable IN our
future work for the betterment OF all our
civic conditions. not only with respect to
the poorest but all elements Of our citizen
shin. Our cordial desire is to apply the
principles Of the planning Of the City OF
washington to the whole District of CO.
lumbia, with such social and sanitary pro-
visions as shall prevent q congestion OF
nopuIation and insure wholesome and at
tractive opportunities of living for all our
people"
Morgenthau's Constructive Plan.
Henry Morganthau Of New York spoke
nm IA National Constructive Program
for city Planning He gave a vivid de-
scription of the dangers which lurk In
the careless building OF houses in 1.-The
sums and at the end of his talk gave
his views on how congestion may be
avoided in the future.
His plan Is as follows:
.First. To stop the continued present
use of the existing tenements by making
still more stringent tenement house laws.
and strictly enforcing them; have con-
tinued inspection to see that no one
sieeps in rooms without windows; that
every one has the required amount of
cubis feet of air, which will stop the
custom OF having three or more boarders
in the one family room.
Second To have every city have a
plan which will provide for its proper
development along hygienic lines for the