Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-15
MODEL HOMES FOR
POOR TO Be BUILT
City Planning Conference Act
lively Urges Building of 90
Concrete Houses
sLUM CONDITIONS TERRIBLE
Mrs. Won Wagner Ar0useS Gath
ering by Describing Condi-
tions Due to Poverty

FIFTY new concrete model homes for
poor families probably will be built
in Los Angeles at an early date as
the first result of the city planning
conference which opened yesterday at
618 New High street.
'The slum condition of Los Angeles
is the worst on the continent. Rents
are higher than in eastern cities for
the conveniences and room that is
given and verrnin, disease, poverty and
crime threaten every resident of this
city unless some prompt action IS
taken" said Johanna Won Wagner, ex-
pert supervisor of the city housing
commission, yesterday in an address
before the delegates to the conference
Her statements caused a decided stir.
Mrs. Won Wagner says that the
weather which permits human beings
to exist in almost any sort of shelter
here in Southern California is respon-
sible for this condition. The Mexl-
cans come in here, rent tiny piece
of ground for $1.50 or 81 per month and
erect there some sort of a shack from
old boxes. old iron, old canvas, worn
out stage scenery, whatever it is pos
sible to find that will afford a slight
protection from public view and may
be obtained at little cost" These
houses soon afford as much protection
and house room for filth, disease germs
and vermin as for the human beings
who live therein, and as many of them
are huddled closely together, what
ever infection is to be found in one
spreads quickly.
FOREIGN POOR NUMEROUS
Mrs. Won Wagner spoke of the great
foreign population and especially of
the vast number of bachelor immi-
grants. Over 1000 Slavonian men are
to be found here without any fam
flies, Russians some, Chinese, and
finally, in almost as great numbers,
Americans, one or two hundred of
whom are to be found in almost any
of the cheaper lodging houses, either
having left their families in the east
or never having had any.
This Also the speaker said, is q se-
rious phase of the slum life which the
city must look after and which is al
ready making itself felt in a manner
whic'l is alarming indeed to the far
sighted men and women.
1t is to prevent now, at the cost of a
few thousand dollars, slum conditions
which may eventually cost the city
hundreds of thousands, that the hous-
ing committee, the city planning con-
ference, and the more advanced wom-
ems clubs are working.
The proposed building of fifty cement
concrete houses, each to be given a
separate plot of ground, with suitable
direction from a gardener and nurse
to enable the householders to under
stand and enjoy the privileges of the
conveniences, is now practically as
sured, and with the working out of this
problem the ultimate disposal of a large
proportion of the foreign born work
ing population of the city will be ar
ranged.
HOUSING MATTER DISCUSSED
The matter of housing the poorer la
boring classes was the subject for gen
eral discussion at the conference yes
terday afternoon and received atten-
tion from three speakers.
DR.. Titan ]. Coffey gave a brief re-
sumo of the work of the city housing
committee showing how the needs of
the situation have been met up to date,
and showing also how imperative some
concerted and definite action is to pre-
vent the establishment in the center of
the city of house courts which, here
in Los Angeles, take the place of the
tenement houses of eastern cities DR..
Coffey voiced the general feeling pre-
valent among many otherwise well in
formed men and women, that owing
to the lack of great, rickety frame
houses, pictures of which have made
all readers familiar with the typical
sium district of cities, our city had
nothing of this sort to contend with
He explained the surprise which ami
mated members of the first housing
commission when it discovered the rude
and filthy habitations which were pro-
vided for many of the foreigners in
Los Angeles. His report showed the
improvement of the house courts, many
of which were crowded, with grown
folk. Sometimes one family consist
ing of the father and five or six grown
married sons and daughters live to-
gether in one room. He told also of
courts where twenty such families
lived with only one common water
faucet in the yard to supply water for
all, and affording almost no convent
ences for cleanliness or even decent
living.
DR.. Coffey explained that some Of the
worst of these courts had been de-
stroyed and others improved, but says
the condition is threatening, and needs
prompt action.
DESCRIBES CITY BUILDING
John w. Mitchell gave a paper last
evening in which he reviewed the maxi
ing of the city, through the thirty
years which have elapsed since it was
a meager Mexican pueblo with a few
hundred inhabitants, and an area of
half dozen square miles, to the pres
ent time, when, with q population Of
HTesb
of more than s. square miles, 1t is eX-
ceeded in area only by New York, Chi
cago, New Orleans and Philadelphia.
Railway centers administration CEN
ters, sites for library and city hall.
the character of public buildings, parks
and boulevards and river Improvement,
were mentioned, and the most artistic
and beautiful plan for each suggested,
many of these in accordance with Tho
well known Robinson plans for the city.
Mr.. Mitchell closed his paper with
reference to the men who have been
conspicuous in upbuildlng the city,
concluding with this prophecy: ut is
fast being realized that to make the
city attractive i3 to add culture and
refinement of taste to its other assets,
and there is no American city that
will lend itself more aptly TO such i'm
provement than Los Angeles.
SPEAKERS IN EVENING
9th erspeakers of the evening wero
DR.. w. A. Lamb, A. B. Benton, the
Rev. Dana aBrtlett, and others in the
audience.
Programs for today will include land
scape architecture of the city by w D.
better known as Belle Sumner Angler
and an authority on these questions
Mrs. A. s. Lobingier will speak on
the Arroyo Seco park, Mrs. Willougnby
Rodman on Fairgrounds, j. B. Lippin-
colt will give an address on "Metro-
politan Park System" and Charles r.
Edison and Ernest Braunton will speak
of music and art in the city, and of