The Detroit times., 1911-06-14

ii
Hon =; J. Haarer. Commissioner. Detroit.
Mich.
Dear sIr-As requested by you / at
tended the Conference OF the National
housing Association held In New York
, city June 3rd. 5th and 9Th, and beg TO
SUBMIT the following report OF the inn
porthnt matters that were considered by
the delegates OF the convention
Robert w. DeForest. OF New York. the
president OF the Association In his address
OF welcome, sounded the keynote which
vibrated through ali the subsequent dis
cussions and suggestions OF the delegates
and that was 'Co-Operation" He said
that nothing In the way OF civic reform
could DO accomplished unless the diner
ent City Departments and the citizens
would cooperate. A delegate later on
added Education" and during the work
OF the eight sessions which were held In
the three days the general sentiment OF
those who took part In the debates was
the necessity or not only cooperation
but that the people had 10 be educated TO
the necessity OF cooperation.
In this conference there were delegates
from Canada, Honolulu and from twen-
ty-nve states OF our union. Among the
noted people who read papers was Prof.
rarnam OF Yaye University and Prof
TUFTS or Chicago University.
The principal subjects under discussion
were. Tenement Houses. Privy Vaults, Re
form through Legislation, Law Enforce
ment, Alleys and Garbage and Rubbish
After each paper was read the subject
was open for discussion and every paper
was well directed before the debate
closed
admit that went to this convention
feeling that we had In our alleys about
the largest problem TO solve that any
city could have. but before one-half the
work OF the convention was finished
was greatly relieved to discover that the
problems worrying other cities eclipsed
our troubles by a large percentage and
that we steed IN no Immediate danger
OF losing the reputation which Detroit
has In other cities OF being a well-kept
municipality
One OF the most serious afflictions with
which other cities are suffering is the
back yard privy vaults that are not con-
guilty OF having IL 900 still I'm use and St.
Louis $4,000 but the worse report came
from Baltimore. their delegates acknowl-
edged that they still have $1,000 OF the
out door closets in use and only have
surface drainage. They are now building
l, TOO miles OF sewers costing $50. 000. 600
One OF their delegates stated that the
soil had become so impregnated with the
leagage from these old closets that the
ground was rotten and that the city
found II difficult to hire laborers TO dig
the trenches for the sewers. Many OF the
eastern cities are much troubled over
the housing problem. They have had
serious difficulties In getting laws TO com
pei tenement house owners TO introduce
sanitary conditions for the protection or
the poor people who have to crowd into
these congested buildings In order TO Sc
cure cheap rent.
The many ups and downs in securing
legislation that will properly regulate
sanitary evils was recited by a large
number OF the delegates.
In New York City there Is one thing
which soon attracts the attention OF "a
Detroit man nd that Is the entire alb
policeman was asked why this was so
and he first stated that New York water
was poor and that they did not want 10
tempt people to drink II, but afterwards
stated That they had never had board
OF aldermen who had the nerve to vote
for public drinking fountains. There
was general complaint made OF the diff
ficulty In forcing laws and .dinanees
One OF the New York representatives
cautioned the Conference not to place
too much confidence In legislation to con-
troll evils. He advocated educating the
people as TO what the evils meant TO
ten the best laws became dead letters
because not enough money was given
city officials 10 enforce them. Mr.. Chas.
Ball of Chicago Health Department. said.
as they usually tend to quiet the public
conscience" He also strenuously advo-
Gated educating the people TO do some
thing themselves TO Improve conditions
He said that II was important that the
laws should be obeyed but that they
would not unless the majority OF the peo-
pie were in sympathy with the laws,
Nearly all the cities which have al
leys reported practically the same con-
ditions which exist In Detroit. In
part Of Buffalo they have alleys, but
the city only cleans those that are
paved. The property owners having
unpaved alleys must keep them clean.
II they do not the work Is done by
the city and the cost charged TO the
owner. and II becomes lein upon
the property. And another important
feature in their ordinance Is that the
property owners are held responsible
for whatever Is found back of their
lot. whether they or someone else put
It there.
Mr.. Lovejoy Of the Detroit Board of
Commerce read an interesting paper on
garbage and rubbish, and DIR. keifer,
representing our Board of Health. was
called upon for his opinion on nearly
every paper read.
A delegate from Terre Haute, Ind.
reported that In many towns In their
state politics prevented the enforce
Our delegates freely admitted that
we had an alley problem, but. after
listening to the tales OF woe from other
cities and their confessions or civic
and unsanitary sins and their charges
of dishonest aldermen and city ofhcials
we felt that life was still worth living
in Detroit.
brought forward as 10 how to keep
alleys clean. The Baltimore delegate
said they were now endeavoring to
persuade every householder to take
down their alley fence 80 that the con-
dition OF their alley could be seen from
their house He stated that many OF
the people were going further and were
removing their board partition fences
and putting up wire and planting vines
to trail over the wire, thus beautifying
the back yards The question as 10
building permanent receptacles for
garbage and ashes was not approved.
Ii had been tried In other cities and
people did not keep fixed receptacle
clean and in hot weather the garbage
would purify and become a menace to
health II was the unanimous opinion
OF the delegates who spoke on the SUB
ject that no receptacles should be al
lowed In an alley. report from a
PHILADELPHIA delegate seemed TO meet
with general approval He said that
In his city they were using double
system could be used for ashes. The
outside can In sunk into the ground at
the alley line and has a cover The
garbage is placed in the inside can and
when ready to be emptied IL IL carried
out and placed In the outside can. The
advantages mentioned for this system
was that IL was thoroughly sanitary.
there being nothing that could give Of
Tense 10 the eye or nose, and the gar
baRe would not freeze In the winter.
lie said the owner OF the house was
Obliged TO furnish these cans IL was
generally agreed that paved alley
only could be kept strictly clean.
Although there are many thousand
horses stabbed In New York city, there
Is no manure exposed. The owners
have 10 shelter II In their stables and
al q hat aaF d.