Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-09
WRITER REVIEWS
ALLEY STRUGGLE
Gives Interesting History of
Local Social Work to Beau
tify Nations Capital.
ACTION BY CONGRESS
HOPE OF THE VOTELESS
Bills Pending in Congress Designed
to Solve Problem Follow Congress
sional Summing Tour.

\ recent number OF the Survey reviews
the struggle made by local social work
ers TO abolish inhabited alleys in Wash
ington. and gives an interesting history
Of what has been done in the city along
this line up 10 the present time. when the
interest taken in this problem by Mrs.
Woodrow Wilson. Mrs. Archibald Hop
kins and others resulted in the introduc-
ton in Congress of bills TO wipe out the
present alley conditions here.
The article follows:
For more years than a few some Of
the people of Washington have been
aware that there Is in the city's inhabit-
cd alleys a menace to the public health,
morals and police records. But the ma
jority of that changing fraction of its
people who hold federal Office and ex-
officio govern the city have refrained
from taking any interest in them. Visit
ors from home" were content to see the
White House, tile 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
nshed report with recommendations
Its only tangible result to date has
neen the beginning of the conversion of
Willow Tree alley into an interior park
mat 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 20 inhabited alleys.
mere also has been some legislation
that has improved conditions The
BOARD for the condemnation of insani-
tary buildings has been created. Up to
May j of this year it has demolished
l.ts,2 of the worst shacks and caused
l.oJO to be repaired There is law
prohibiting the erection Of new houses
IN alleys less than forty feet wide. But
that works two ways.
Drawbacks to Progress.
the owners chief fear being that the
board for the condemnation will catch
them II 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
little progress on its alley problem.
The voteless citizens of the capital
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. Riis to arouse general in
terest. And-to show their eanestness-
they organized two housing companies
on a per cent and q 4 per cent basis
TO 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 a voluntary migration of the better
elements among their residents. Within
six years. according to police censuses.
the number of alley dwellers has shrunk
from 1900 to 1900
The present crusade is apparently
stimulating this exodus. Walter S. Uf-
ford. secretary of the Associated Chart
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
bottom. But it carries with IT the old
danger that some among the agitators.
wearied by their efforts, may persuade
themselves that. having started the
movement. they can now safely leave il
TO take 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 thu
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
thought-out plan. Only recently has ii
been realized that from the beginning this
plan has been incomplete.
While II provided for great public
buildings and for dwellings Of the wealthy
and the well-to-do. IL not only failed to
provide homes for wage earners, but ac-
tually offered temptations to house these
wages earners in an unwholesome man
ner.
The magnificent. wide avenues de-
signed by Maj. l. Enfant. bordered along
great part of their distance by very
deep lots. led inevitably to the construc-
tion 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 boule-
wards and more on providing sites for
homes. So the original plan OF Washing
ton must be supplemented by a modern
plan. providing system OF minor streets
To let the wholesome light of publicity
INTO the hidden slums of Washington and
10 provide economic use for the backs of
the overdeep lots that line the avenues.
They will do away with the present
ieInptation 10 keen the old shacks stand