Evening star., 1913-11-18
C|V|CFEDERAT|ON
HOLDS A MEETING
More Than 200 Women, In
cluding Mrs. Wilson, at First
Session of Season.
MRS. ARCHIBALD HOPKINS
GIVES SYNOPSIS OF WORK
Betterment of Alley Conditions
Dwelt Upon-Scores Loan Shark
Law as Faulty.

The District of Columbia section of the
National Civic Federation held it's first
meeting of the season of 1913-191i in the
small ballroom at Rauschers today, the
meeting beginning at IL O'Clock and con-
tinuing until O'Clock this afternoon.
More than 200 women attended, Mrs.
woodrow Wilson. wife of the President,
being one of the invited guests.
Mrs Archibald Hopkins, chairman of
the section. in calling the meeting to Or
der gave synopsis of the work that has
been carried on during the past year,
calling special attention to the work for
the betterment of alley conditions in
Washington and the efforts of the section
toward providing proper housing facilities
for families now occupying alley tene-
ments.
In discussing this phase of the sec
tion's activities, Mrs. Hopkins stated that
one great obstacle in the way of the
movement for abolishing alley houses in
Washington is the fact that tenement
property in inhabited alleys pays from
l. to ~ per cent annually on the assess
ed valuation of the property. the high
returns making ii extremely difficult to
bring about the condemnation and de-
struction of these properties.
Loan Shark Law Faulty"
Mrs. Hopkins also referred to the So
called loan shark law. stating that the
measure is faulty in operation, in that 1t
cannot prevent the extortion of nigh
rates of interest by Washington con-
Germs that carry on their business just
across the District line.
She said that one concern in the city
displays haunting signs on its building
stating that its offices are located in Vir-
Slnia, and that its automobiles are al
ways ready to carry customers to and
from the offices outside the District.
Mrs j. Borden Hartman the only
woman member of the industrial relations
commission appointed last March by
PRESIDENT wilson. presented an outline of
recently opened its offices in Washing
ton.
Mrs. j. Nota McGiIl, chairman of the
hospital committee of the section read
a report of the work of her committee
during the year. emphasizing in the re-
port the work that has been accomplished
at the tuberculosis Hospital.
A brief outline of the civic better
ment work Of the d. A r. was present.
ed by Mrs. William Cumming Story.
president general of the Daughters; and
Mrs. John Hays Hammond read a short
paper on alley conditions in Washing
ton and the work of the District of Co
lumbia section of the National Civic
Federation toward the adjustment of
alley tenementS.
Mrs. Vandevanter Speaks.
Mrs. Willis Vandevanter, wife of JUS
tice Vandevanter of the Supreme Court
of the United States and daughter Of
Justice Lurton of the Supreme Court
who is chairman of the Knoxville
Tenn. section of the National Civic Fed
Grafton, told Of the federation's work
in her home city.
A feature of the meeting was the ad-
dress Of Dr. Helen c. Putnam of Provi-
dence, r. J.. who discussed the necessity
for better sanitation of schOOrOOms and
schoolhouses throughout the United
States DIR. Putnam is chairman of the
committee of the American Academy of
Medicine OH teaching hygiene, and was a
delegate to the annual meeting of the
American Association for Study and Pre-
here yesterday. Her talk was illustrated
with charts and display of signs which.
she said, are in use in schools in various
parts of the country, the purpose of the
signs being to impress on pupils and
others the necessity for avoiding many
existing abuses in schoolrooms.
A part of DIR. Putman's address was
a plea for Standardization of janitor
work in the schools of the country
Miss Maude Wetmore. national chair
man of the wOman's department of the
National Civic Federation. in the closing
address of the meeting. told of the vari-
Gus activities In the line of social better
ment work being carried on by the de-
partment throughout the United States,
her address being received with enthusi-
astic applause.