The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-03
(Exclusive Service The Survey Press Bureau)

(Exclusive Service The Survey Press f Bureau.)
 "The tenement house problem is the greatest problem the city of Indianap- oils faces" said Judge Collins last winter when & number of landlords were brought before him charged with re- sponsiblity for overcrowding and insani- tary living conditions. A few years ago the people of Indianapolis, or of any other American city, except New York, would have indignantly denied such an assertion. Today in nearly every munich pality, small as well as large, there Is at least group of thoughtful citizens who have begun to ask whether the housing problem is really a local issue of which New York has monopoly.
 During the past year the interest or these inouirers has been stimulated and their hands strengthened by the National Housing association, whose purpose IS the improvement of housing conditions, both urban and suburban. in every prac- tioable way, bringing home to each com munity the importance of good housing conditions and the consequences Of bad ones In order to carry out this purpose it offers to aid in the organization or local housing commission or committees, to assist in the enactment and entorce- ment of laws that will prevent the erec- ton of unfit types of dwellings and en- courage the erection and maintenance or proper ones, to act as a clearing house of information, and to furnish advice and suggestions to all who are interested. This is a task which demanded to be done. President Robert w. deForest last month in opening the first National con ference on Housing in America, which marked the end of the National associa- tions first year of work, told the dele- gates, who represented 63 cities, rom Boston on the east to Honoluiu OH .ie west. and from Hamilton, Ont, on the north to Dallas on the south, that the New York Tenement House committee had received so many inquiries and re- quests for aid that it became necessary to create a special organization to take care of them.
 The proof that this demand really ex- isted was furnished during the past year. The conference with it's 124 representa- tives of municipal health departments housing commissions, chambers Of com merce, civic leagues, and philanthroplc societies was, from this point or Vlew, only a ratification meeting During those 12 months the association had been called on by 55 cities. It had aided Tn orgahlz-
 ing housing commissions and committees or in putting them on an effective work
 
 as Detroit, and eastern ones such as Al banv. If had aided in drafting leglsia- tion for Columbus and Cleveland, TOT All bany. for California, Indiana, kentucky and Connecticut. It had aided in secur- ing amendments to codes in other places If had strengthened the New Jersey Ten ement House Commission by showing the need for more inspectors which have been provided. It had trained two city, offc;ais and one executive officer of a voluntary association for the work which if had induced those cities and that asso- citation to take up. It had conducted two courses in housing in the New lork School of Philanthropy and had gwen special training to those students wno showed marked inclination TOT th, work If had sent it's secretary and field secretarv to 23 cities, to some of them several times, to address meetings oi the subject of housing, to direct preiimi. nary investigations and arouse general interest, to advise regarding Iocal prop lems. to consult with officials and vol untary organizations.
 In addition it has carried on contln- uous campaign of education. one or tne speakers at the conference declared 'hat the trouble is people do not look ground to see what is going on about them, iney are ignorant not only of how lhe other half fin A distant section of the city live,
 
 but even of how their neighbors In the next block or in nearby alley houses live They have eyes which see not. Disease bearing flies from privy across the alley or from a manure pile block off wing their way direct to the good citizens din ner table and his baby's milk bottle, though he has never watched their flight. For, old sayings to the contrary notwitn- Standing, what you don't know does hurt you. It is only when one does know and prevents, that he is secure. And that he may know, know both the cause of his ills and the methods of preventing them the National Housing association is wag- inc its campaign of education. Its aeiles of articles in the Survey on the housins awakening in 20 American cities. large and small east and west. the material 1t Las supplied to other magazines and ,o news papers, and the series of pamphlets deal Ing with the more general phases ef the