Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-27

HOTTlDIe COnOlJlOnS III particular dIIeyS,
but the whole system is bad and inevita-
bly, gets worse. / could tell you many
things of the heroic work which has been
done by philanthrOpic or religious So
cieties and other organizations seeking to
better the moral and physical condition
of the alley inhabitants. The moral and
physical heroism of some Of these ladies
in their warfare with alley conditions is
almost beyond belief. They all agree
upon report, and that is that alley condi-
| tons cannot be permanently bettered.
As soon as they raise the self-respect or
the moral and economic conditions on one
alley family that family moves out of the
alley to better quarters and the vacancy
thus created is promptly filled.
Are Quickly Degraded.
Sometimes the newcomers are from
small towns or country districts, who are
| brought to alley conditions by the irreg-
| ularity of employment or misfortune.
They are quickly degraded to the alley
standard by the same continuing alley
| surroundings, and then the alley mis-
sionary starts in again on the hopeless
task of raising another family out of the
| depths. While our sympathy and our
unbounded admiration go out to these
| volunteer workers who have done so
much, yet it is grave reflection upon
us that we permit such a condition to
1
mails, paupers and sots. We continue
to fill the hospitals and provide work
for the visiting nurses, and then We ex-
pect private charity to undo this work,
which grows faster than they are able to
deal with it.
! THE highest type of legislation con-
sists in removing the causes OF social
disease. In this case the cause Of social
disease Is the inhabited alley and the un-
savory profit which 1t brings to the own
| erS nf tho alley tenement Snmnhn6v has
said that If all the alleys were turned
| into parks the same alley population
would move elsewhere and contaminate
other surroundings. am free to con-
| fess that the destruction or reformation
of bad district is only half Of the SUBJ
| ject.
1T is necessary to provide sanitary
houses for the displaced population.
| examined with some care the buildings
| constructed and now operated by the
Washington Sanitary Housing Company.
and 1t does seem to me that they have
made a complete success, limited only by
| the means within their control
Two Grades of Housing.
| They provide two grades of housing
| facilities adapted to self-respecting, in
dustrious people. One grade consists Of
a solid block OF neat substantial houses
on narrow, well paved and well lighted
minor street. Each house consists OF two
sets of apartments-an upper and a. lower.
The apartments comprise three rooms and
| a bath and rent for $3.50 and S14 per
| month. the 80 cents difference in rent be-
| ing caused by some of the apartments
| having bay window.
Each tenant is given one months rent
each year on condition of taking care of
the interior cleaning. decorating and re-
pairing same. There is a small independ-
| ent back yard attached to each apart
ment. The second grade of houses Is just
as neat and substantial in structure and
comprise apartments Of three rooms and
bath, which are rented for $500 and 50
per month. This second grade is adapted
| to colored families. Both classes OF
| buildings are built with stone steps, iron
| hand rails and with as little use Of wood
as possible, so that there may not be
any rotting steps or porches or any other
evidence Of dilapidation and decay. 1t
has been found that this property. by
careful management. will net per cent
| on the investment. There Is waiting
| list for each class OF this property, and
SO far no vacancies have occurred. This
! investment is not sufficient to attract the
ordinary owner of alley property. 1t is
apparent that the controlling motive In
| the investment is public-spirited philan-
| thropy. 1t has one great advantage over so
many private charities in that 1t results In
| the incubation Of a spirit OF self-respect
and self-support among those who come
a
pauperizing charity. 1t seems to me that
| this is one movement which must arouse
the most active and enthusiastic public
spirit among the people OF Washington.
Must Be Eliminated.
| "As to the remedy for these condi-
lions, l am convinced that the inhabit-
ed alley must be wholly eliminated.
We should provide legislation which
will in some practical and efficient
manner bring about the elimination of
the inhabited alleys within the next
few years. It is not sufficient merely
to strengthen the sanitary and police
laws and try to maintain better
standard Of conditions in the alley
tenements themselves. The officials.
after a great deal Of trouble and in
vestigation. might compel the owners
| of certain buildings to make necessary
| repairs or sanitary changes, but the
hidden situation Of the property makes
Il almost impossible to maintain such a
| standard.
.aThe very existence of the alley
| population Is a menace not only to the
Unfortunate poor themselves. but to
the well-to-do and Industrious citi-
zens as well. Alley life destroys self
respect and communicates a large ele-
ment of the industrious poor. 1t fills
| the hospitals. warehouses and juvenile
| courts. IL Is hedNS OuTuen upoii
the community morally. socially and
| financially. 1t is a burden too heavy
| to be borne for the sake Of the profits
| which are made by the owners of the
alIey tenements. In my judgment, all
of the inhabited alleys should be
opened and converted into minor
streets with proper pavement. light
ing. sidewalks and sewage systems.
| Most of the present buildings will
have to be destroyed in the condem-
nation of the alley and its conversion
into a minor street.
Urges Power for City Heads.
General power should be given to
1.-The Commissioners OF the District to