The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-30
FLATS To rent
FOR So AM0NTH
This Is Plan Of Gen. George
M. Sternberg to House
Alley Residents.
MRS. WILSON PRESENT
Representative Kahn Suggests Build.
ing of Municipal Houses for
Laborers Of Capital.

Inhabitable apartments at IS and IS per
months sounds like a fairy tale, but the
advent Of such domiciles in Washington
is a matter of only few months, accord
ing to Gen. George NJ. Sternberg. who,
at a meeting held at the home of Mrs,
A. J. Parson yesterday, told of a plan
to house the poor people who Will be
driven out OF their homes when the al
leys are made into parks or wide streets
after the various persons, including Mrs.
Wilson, have finished their work.
Not only will the apartments be In
habitable, but they will be mt for a
king" provided the king did not possess
foolish and extravagant desires, The
question of what Is TO become of the many
people of the poorer class, who will be
ousted from their homes. IL the plans of
the various committees working for the
identifying of the slums of the Capital
are successful. was the biggest subject
Of discussion at the meeting. which was
held by the housing commissioner. and
was attended by Mrs. Woodrow Wilson.
The solution OF the problem, il de-
veloped. lies between the plans OF Gen.
Sternberg for the building OF numerous
two-family houses containing fats that
can be rented for IS and IS per month.
and the plans which Representative
Kahn introduced at the meeting for the
DuI0lnE OF houses bN tnt municipality.
In either case the houses could be rented
for about the same nominal amount,
and in either plan II Is necessary that
Congress either appropriate funds or
make loan for the building OF such
homes for poor people.
Representative Kahn's Plans.
The plan of Representative Kahn. as
he announced II. is the building OF mu-
nicipal houses for laboring people.
These houses would be constructed I'M
der the direction OF and maintained by
the District Committee. or a subcommit-
tee of that body. The plan has been
carried out in England and other Euro
pean countries Successfully.
This plan was, in a measure, opposed
by Mrs. Archibald Hopkins on the
grounds that the scheme might fall into
hands of political factions, and thus
might occur a drawback to the success
OF the project. She favored having the
houses erected by private individuals or
as in this case the politi-
cal drawback could not occur.
Mrs. Hopkins said that there are now
numerous two-family houses in town in
which fats can be rented for $3.50 and
81 per month. She thought these would
be fine places for the people driven from
the Sums. but Gen. Sternberg declared
that these people could not afford to
pay that much, and that the only feast
bic plan is to erect houses containing
fats that can he rented for s. or s. per
month. He declared that a laboring
nan earning $50 per day cannot afford |
% pay more than one-fifth of his salary |
'or rent. |
Gen. Sternberg. who has devoted many |
years OF his life to the betterment Of |
housing conditions among the poorer |
classes, announced that the Sanitary |
Housing Company. OF which he is pres |
dent. is planning to erect such flats |
But in order to meet the great demand |
'or cheap homes that will follow the
OF the alley homes. many |
such buildings will have to be erected. |
statistics show that 1900 people live in
he slums now. and these will have to /
re provided for in the new fats.
Must Negotiate Loans.
To raise funds for the purpose Of
building this large number of houses. il |
$ necessary that a loan be negotiated.
Zen. Sternberg declared that If Con-
,ress would come to the aid of the
project with a loan. the plan would be
easible. Twelve thousand dollars have
lready been raised. mainly through the
Welfare commission. AS the houses II
s planned to build cost 5000 each. only
tx can he erected with this fund.
The houses will be of brick construc-
ion and modern in every way. There
will he bathrooms and all other con-
eniences. There will be several