Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-09
ACTION BY CONGRESS
HOPE OF THE VOTELESS
Bills Pending in Congress Designed
to Solve Problem Follow Congress
sional Summing Tour.

kins and others resulted i'm the introduc-
ton In Congress of bills to wipe out the
present alley conditions here.
The article follows:
For more years than few some OF
the people of Washington have been
aware that there is I'm the city's inhabit-
cd alleys menace to the public health,
morals and police records. But the ma
iority of that changing fraction of its
people who hold federal office and ex-
officio govern the city have refrained
from taking any interest i'm them. Visit
ors from home were content to see the
White House. the Capitol and the WASH
ington Monument. They had never heard
OF Goat alley. The interests of senator's
and representatives followed those of
their home folks
First Step in Rehabilitation.
so during all these years the requests
and demands of local social workers and
of citizens with social conscience-but
without a vote-fell on ears that were
hard OF hearing. Only from President
Roosevelt did they get any comfort-from
his Presidents homes commission which
made study of alley dwellings and pub
Hshed report with recommendations.
lis only tangible result to date has
been the beginning of the conversion of
Willow Tree alley into an interior park.
NAT Is something-though many Of the
workers believe that such an interior
PARK VIII be almost as great a menace
as the inhabited alley. but Washington
mas some 2s5 inhabited alleys.
mere also has been some legislation
mar mas Improved conditions. The
board for the Condemnation of insani-
tary buildings has been created. I'd to
May / Of this year 1t has demolished
OF OF the worst shacks and caused
LOOP to be repaired. There is a law
prohibiting the erection of new houses
in alleys less than forty feet wide. But
that works two ways.
Drawbacks to Progress.
old houses are kept in commission,
the owners chief fear being that the
board for the condemnation will catch
them If they don't watch out. There Is
a law providing for the conversion of
alleys into minor streets, but like some
other laws which mean well it doesn't
work So Washington has made very
ht.ie progress on it's alley problem.
The voteless citizens of the capitai
did more than ask Congress to do some
thing for them. They studied their
problem and published books and re-
ports Just as citizens with votes in
other cities do. They brought in men
like Jacob A.. Ris to arouse general in
terest. And-to show their earnestness-I
they organized two housing COMPANIES
on per cent and a per cent basis
10 provide good housing in competition
with bad
Alleys Forgotten in Original Plan.
During this very time the population
OF the alleys has been steadily reduced
by voluntary migration Of the better
elements among their residents. Within
six years, according to police censuses,
the number of alley jewellers has shrunk
from 1900 to 1900
The present crusade is apparently
stimulating this exodus. Walter s. Uf-
ford, secretary Of the Associated Chari-
ties. says that there seems to be no
dearth of better houses on nearby
streets.
'.All this is encouraging as showing
that the present agitation has stirred
Washington's population from top to
bottom. But il carries with 1t the old
danger that some among the a2itators
wearied by their efforts, may persuade
themselves that. having started the
movement. they can now safely leave il
10 tSke care Of itself-may fail to realize
the great opportunity now before them
and be satisfied with halfway measures
Reputation Of Best Planned City.
Washington has long enjoyed the
reputation of being the best planned city
in America. the one large city in the
world which from the day of its founda-
ton has been built more or less consist
emily along the lines OF a carefully
thousht-out plan. Only recently has II
been realized that from the beginning this
plan has been incomplete.
while IT provided for great public
buildings and for dwellings of the wealthy
and the weil-to-do. 1t not only failed to
provide homes for wage earners but ac-
fually offered temptations to house these
wages earners in an unwholesome man
ner.
''The magnificent. wide avenues d.
signed by Mai l. Enfant bordered along
great part of their distance by very
deep lots. led inevitably to the construc-
ton OF winding, branching alleys and the
erection OF hidden houses which had no
place in the original plan.
Modern City Planning Overlooked.
Modern city planning lays the en-
phasis less on public buildings and bou,e-
wards and more on providing sites for
homes So the original plan of Washing
ton must be supplemented by modern
plan. providing a system OF minor streets
10 let the wholesome light of publicity
into the hidden siums of Washington and
10 provide economic use for the backs Of
the overoeep lots that line the avenues.
They will do away with the present
temptation to keep the old shacks stand
ing or to uaild houses fronting on the
avenues but extending so far back that
their middle rooms are dark and airless
halfway measures at this time may
wipe out the alley slums of the capital
only to give in place of them a far more
dinfcuit problem, the deep. unlighted and
unventilatcd multiplied dwelling.
Begin to Take Interest.
But II was not until last winter that
The general Notwithstanding both the
resident and the constitutional term ele-
ments-began TO take interest. Two more
pamphlets were issued, one by the
Monday Evening Club the other by the
women's welfare department. the min
listers of the National Civic Federation
preached about bad alleys. and Mrs
Woodrow Wilson joined the ranks
In May the welfare department of the
National Civic Federation held 2 large
public meeting at which Secretary Red
field of the Department of Commerce and
John 1hIder. field secretary OF the Ma
tional Housing Association. spoke.
Two weeks later the committee of fifty
outlined a plan of campaign. IL was pro-
posed to ask Congress for an amendment
To the law for the conversion of alleys
into minor streets designed 10 meet the