New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-06
TALK OVER CITY ALLEYS
Housing Experts Agree They Are
Not What They Should Be.
BOWLING ALLEYS APPROVED
All Others Should Be Controlled
by the Public, F. L. Olmste'
Tells Fellow Workers.

II you live down In our alley. and il IL
the proper kind Of an alley. you will have
II paved. electric lighted and perhaps no
Iced. with no shadowy places In which the
human criminal may Turk and no tempt
ing though discarded morsels lying about
10 attract the vagrant cat or dog Alleys.
like streets. should come under municipal
control and in like manner be properly
cared for-not to say that the streets are
always properly cared for-as matter OF
public health, and as part OF the scheme
for general city planning and housing OF
the poorer classes Of citizens.
The city alley vas one Of the principal
topics discussed. in it's relation to the
housing OF the masses, al the second days
session Of the national conference on hous-
Ing In America. held yesterday afternoon
and evening in the assembly hall Of the
United Charities Building.
Mrs. Albion Fellows Bacon Of Evans
VILE Ind. read paper on alleys and
general discussion Of the subject fol-
lowed by delegates attending the confer
ence from various cities. Evidently the
Evansville alley IS not model alley. Mrs.
Bacon defined II as simply a profane in
It was suggested by one Of the speakers
that alleys I'm general we're pretty had and
that the only decent kind Of an alley most
cities possessed was a bowling alley.
one of the great difficulties in dealing
with the alley problem IN cities with
view of keeping that much neglected thor
oughfare clean and orderly "a that many
alleys are owned privately and do not
come under tho public supervision,
II was not the inclination Of persons
owning their own alleys to give them
proper attention. according 70 Frederick
Law Olmsted of Brookllne. Mass, presi-
dent OF the National City Planning Con-
ference. who closed the discussion on al
le.s
Mr. Olmsted emphasized the very great
importance OF all alleys being placed under
public control in order 10 facilitate the
working ont Of the problem Of city plan
ming and housing Earlier in the session
Mr. Olmsted read a paper on city planning
and housing which vas discussed.
Andrew Wright era wford, Assistant city
Solicitor of Philadelphia. said that the
transportation system In that city vitally
affected the housing problem. The object
tho PhiladelphianS were working for was
n get transportation system so complete
in every direction that land values would
become correspondence low in all parts
~ the citv. which would make r. possible
n build two story tenement houses in all
The outlying districts for tho WORKING
classe~. Mr. Crsw ford said Such trans
portsiior system would soon oe realized
fxIt coll
apparently. could say as much for New
York
Flsvel Shurtlef ~ Boston, secretary NJ
tha National city Planning Conference;
Robert Brown. Of Winthrop Mass: Otto
" Davis. ~ Columbus. Ohio: Or. ". 4.
Frink. of 81 Louis. Thomas Jordou, Of
Boston. Superintendent Aldrich of the
Street Cleaning Department Of Detroit,
and Frank Tucker. Of New Rochelle. were
among those who took part in the discus
sion.
Mr.. Tucker said that different type OF
men were needed In the municipal offices,
particularly in those Of the health officer.
superintendent Of buildings and city engl-
neer. before much progress could be made
in city planning. They should be men with
a thorough technical training for the Of
noes. ne said.
At the evening session John J. Murphy
Tenement House Commissioner, spoke on
the enforcement of the tenement house
law. one Of the greatest obstacles the de-
nartnent had to contend with. he said.
was the difficulty in obtaining the name OF
tho real owner Of the property. Not more
than ~ per cent Of the names Of true
owners Of tenements were on the records
Of the commission to-day. and n was re
rsrkable to what limits owners would 90
20 avoid acknowledging ownership he said.
Emily W. Dinwiddie. formerly secretary
Of the tenement house committee Of the
United Charities Organization. gave an in
teresting talk on The Tenants Response
hilitv"
Virgil q Marani. the Italian Superin
tendent Of Buildings Of Cleveland. de
nounced the building code OF that city as
highly inconsistent, contradictory and in
efficient
The out Of town delegates AZ the con-
ference. plotted by efficient guides. visited
the most congested districts on the East
side Yesterday 10 study conditions in the
tenements az first hand. The conference
will close with ro-days session.