The Washington herald., 1913-08-10

lots led inevitably to the construction
OF Winding, branching alleys and the
erection OF hidden houses which had no
riace in the original plan.
Modern city planning lays the em.
phasis less on public buildings and
bouIevards and more on providing sites
for homes So the Original plan Of Wash
ington must be supplemented by a mod
ern plan providing system OF minor
streets to let the wholesome light OF
publicity into the hidden siums OF
Washington and to provide economic
use for the backs Of the overdeep lots
with the present temptation to keep
the old shacks standing or to build
houses fronting on the avenues but ex-
tending so far back that their middle
rooms are dark and airiess. Hallway
measures at this time may wipe out the
alley slums of the Capital only to give
in place OF them a far more dimcuit
problem, the deep. unlighted and un-
ventilated Misunderstanding.
Interest Recently BeEan.
But it was not until last winter that
the general public-inciuding both the
resident and the constitutional term ele-
ments-began to take interest Two more
pamphlets were issued, one by the Mon
day 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 Ma
tional Civic Federation held a large pub
lie meeting at which Secretary Of Com
merce Redfieid and John Ihlder field
secretary of the National Housing Asso-
citation, spoke.
Two weeks later the committee of fifty
outlined plan of campaign. 1t was
proposed to ask Congress for an amend
ment to the law for the conversion of
alleys irto minor streets designed to
meet the court ruling which had put the
spoke in the wheel Of the present law.
Mr.. Ihlder proposed that the request to
Congress be broadened. that Congress be
asked 20 finance a commission created
to study the whole alley question and to
make recommendations for converting
the alleys into a system of minor streets
within a definite number of years. Such
a commission would add to the valuable
information gathered by organizations
like the Presidents Homes Commissions s
definite data on the number, length,
width, direction, &c, of the alleys and
plan a street system which would make
the greatest possible use Of these existing
passages. This would not only solve the
alley problem, but would give Washing
ton what 1t an deyery other city needs
a system of minor streets affording sites
for inexpensive small houses.
Reneht. Would Pay.
Objection on the ground of the great
expense involved was met by Mr.. Ihlder
with the statement the very magnitude
Of the thing would appeal to mems
imagination. make them realize that they
are doing big and important thing.
make men and women who could never
be interested in the sordid little prob
ems of one Goat Alley eager to identify
themselves with an Improvement great
enough and spectacular enough to get
place i'm history: and finally, that the
cost. though great in total. would be
spread over a number Of years and be-
would begin to pay for IL.
The committee adopted this program,
and at a second meeting the chairman.
William II. Baldwin. appointed a COM
mittee 20 take it up with Congress.
Meanwhile Congressmen and Senator's.
under the guidance Of Mrs. Wilson. Mrs.
Archibald Hopkins. and Mrs Ernest p.
BicknelI. who is leader of a movement
to start an Octavia Hill Association in
Washington. where visiting the alleys
and seeing with their own eyes the con-
ditions that disgrace the Capital As
result bills designed to solve the alley
problem have been introduced in both
houses.