The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-09-23

The prophecy of j. N. Hurry, secre-
tary of the state board of health. that
the death rate among the children
would be quadrupled for October COM
pared with the summer months, owing
to the poor housing conditions prevail
ent throughout the state, has caused
an increase in the interest of the vari
Gus charity organizations of the city
1t Is predicted that from now on a Wig
orous campaign will be conducted to
the end that some effective legislation
may be passed in the coming session.
Mrs. Albion Fellows Bacon. who was
the author of the bill which was de-
feated last session, is expected to lead
the attack again this coming year and
her followers are more hopeful of sue
cess. as it Is said that a large num-
Der of new votes are sure to be polled
for the bill.
The Charity Organization society has
just published in booklet form a pa
per written by Mrs. Bacon on the
question under the title. The Hous-
ing Problem Of Indiana" The book
let goes into the question at some
length, taking up the various effects
or poor housing on the people indi-
vidually, the city, state and the ma
ton.
The most pitiful victim of the mod
ern city life is not the slum child who
dies, but the slum child who lives
declares Mrs Bacon. Every time a
| baby dies. the nation loses a pros
pective citizen. but in every slum child
who lives the nation has a probable
consumptive and criminal"
| We are just beginning to learn thai
| a man has just much right to xiii
a man on the street with an ak as he
has to kill him with a house We arr
| learning that to collect rents from oul
old death-traps of tenements is reall,
to take blood money. 1t has been tn,
| custom to blame the poor for thei
| surroundings on the ground that the,
| are shiftless and dirty But how cal
they be clean without water or drain
| or any provision for their ashes AM
| garbage? How much bathing o
washing would any of us If we had t
bring water from a fountain tw
squares away, carry it up two flight
of stairs, heat 1t on a broken stow
and battle in wash basin?
Mrs. Bacon also has a few words t
say about the architect who, for tn
matter of a fee, will agree to plan
building in which proper hygienic an
sanitary arrangements are not mad,
He knows that every room whic
human beings occupy must be supple
| with sunlight and air. If he delibe1
| ately plans the administering of fats
| doses of carbonfc acid gas, 1t is a
bad as it would be for doctor to de
liberately prescribe fatal doses
1audanum. The fee involved, the cor
venience or greed of his client doe
J of the architect"
The housing problem that Indiana
now confronting has to deal not onl
with the multiple dwelling" or tent
ment house, but with the single dwell
ing. not only with the residences
the por and middle classes, but wit
those of wealthy as we'll according
Mrs. Bacon, who points out that II
houses which the wel1to-do ella.
abandon are sooner or later taken l
by the poor and become tenement
. Unless the original builder has use
care in the construction of his hous
= these buildings are apt to become II
worst kind of slum districts.
AS an example of this is cited IL
many houses that at one time we
mansions of the wealthy, but whic
: owing to the march of the busine
e section, have been abandoned and t
}. ken up by the poorer classes. and
: which dozens or scores sof people a
now residing These houses original