Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-20
PAVE ALL CITY AllEYWAYS
ONE WAY IT rs HOPED TO KEEP
THEM CLEAN.
Movement Begun Also to Have
Private Alleys Dedicated
to the District.

In the campaign for clean alleys and
vacant lots inaugurated this week by
Commissioner West it is hoped to accom-
plish two things which will mean a per-
manent improvement of sanitary condi-
tons.
First. it is hoped that many 0limpro owed
alleys will be paved. thus making them
easy to keep clean by the contractors.
Second. efforts will be made to have
private alleys dedicated to the District
SO that they can be cleaned by the Dis
trict employees. as public alleys now are.
Through c. B. Hunt, engineer of high
ways Of the District government, Com
missioner West hopes to obtain a list Of
the unpaved alleys in the city, and he
has already received the assurance of the
engineer officials that they will give at
tention In the near future to the paving OF
such public ways. In his investigating
trips around the city Commissioner West
has found that some alleys in squares
that are practically all improved are still
unpaved: and as stables and small shops
are fronted on the alleys much debris
accumulates which it is almost impossible
Tor the alley cleaners to sweep away.
Getting List Together.
From the health department. it is ex-
pected. Commissioner West will obtain a
list of the private alleys in the city
When that is In his hands he will take ur
with the adjoining property owners the
proposition for them to dedicate the land
to the District
THE private alleys are sort Of nc
mans land" he said today. There Is
some doubt as to whether the District
contractors have right to enter such al
leys and clean out the debris: and yet IT
is well known that in alleys trash and
filth accumulate which ought, for sani-
tary reasons, to be carted away.
The land in the private alleys is as
sessed. and there would probably be some
reduction in the assessments II the land
should be dedicated to the District. Any
way. the improvement. from q sanitary
standpoint, in having the alleys cleaned
regularly, ought to be sufficient compen-
sation for the dedication Of the land.
Il visited recently an alley in the rear
of houses facing on Connecticut avenue.
1t is private alley. and there Is an ac-
emulation Of debris in sections of 1t that
clean alleys this accumulation will be
carried away. But If the alley was dedi-
Gated to the District 1t could be regularly
cleaned"
Offer to Dedicate Land.
Much interest has already been shown
by residents of the city in this plan to
clean the alleys. and particularly in the
proposition to have private alleys dedi-
Gated to the District. A group Of resi-
dents called on Commissioner West and
offered to dedicate some alley property
to the District. In the case in which this
delegation was interested there were two
sections Of the alley separated by private
property. Each section has only one en-
trance from the street, and thus its use
is restricted and the work of cleaning it
is hampered. The residents proposed to
buy strip of land to connect the two
sections and dedicate 1t to the District.
In connection with the crusade for clean
alleys the health department has under
taken a systematic house-to-house inspec-
ton of alley premises, and whenever in
sanita.y conditions are found. either in the
houses or in the yards, notices to abate
the nuisances are served and reference of
the case to the Police Court follows mat
tention to the notice.
According to reports submitted to the
health Office Ala alley houses were in
spected last week. The conditions were
found generally good; but one dirty yard
resulted in court prosecution. One in
spector has been assigned to devote his
entire time to this aIley-inspection work.