El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-03
Work For Better Homes
Housing Reform in Large City In
terests Presidents Wife and
Daughter; Campaign Pushed.
-lsy rcderic J. Hast<fn

.sHINGTON. p. q, sept.

Woodrow Wilson's residence IN
Washington she Indicated an interest
in the housing conditions of the capital
city. She was driven through the
worst sections of it, where she saw
foul alleys closely packed with dilapt-
dated buildings. Some of these were
unfit for occupancy by the lowest ami
mails. Yet human beings were living IN
! them. The influence Of the mistress
/ of the white house gave a mighty i'm
! petus to the housing reform campaign
I which had been Waged for years BY
philanthrOpic men and women OF
Washington with but small result
Chiefly through Mrs. Wilson's in
fluence, congressional interest has
been aroused, and results of farreach-
ing Importance are sure to follow.
Presidents Daughter to Aad.
Miss Margaret Wilson, the eldest
daughter of the president, has an
nounced that she also will devote much
of her time this coming winter toward
/ improving the housing conditions OF
| Washington. This decision has been
made particially 10 relive her mother
but also because of her own interest
in the subject.
Housing reform in the National cap
ital has been retarded because Of the
common belief that no tenements or
slums existed there. This is not the
case. In the vile shacks located IN
some of the crowded alleys OF Wash
ington the death rate has reached 50
per 1000 as compared with 1928 in
streets containing better buildings
The campaign for better homes is be-
ing organized in all parts of the coun-
try. Three years ago, the National
Housing association was formed Since
that time the battle against the slum
and its unwhOlesOme houses has been
started in every city. Formerly it was
confined to the larger and older cities
In them, the slum had been regarded
as one of the inevitable features of city
life. Now II IS recognized that some
of the smaller towns also have hOus-
ing conditions calling for Improvement
The association works for the aband-
Onment of all unwhOIesOme living
quarters, and the substitution OF
home conditions which will develop
healthy, self respecting citizens.
philadelphia Conditions Condemned.
Philadelphia used to be considered
in the lead as regards its housing con-
ditiOns. 1t contains over 100000 small
houses These represented the ideal OF
homes for working people a generation
ago. At the meeting of the Housing
association, held recently in Philadel- /
phia- modern wisdom called attention
TO the points Of condemnation OF many /
of these small houses. Some of them
are built upon lots Il by Al feet in
size Many of them are upon small /
streets without any sewer connections.
The Chicago delegates to this Housing I
their city no house could be erected /
upon a street without a sewer.
SheaPer to Live CleanIy.
An investigation made in Cleveland !
last year Indicated that it actually cost /
less in dollars and cents to live upon I
a clean street than in the slums. The /
rent Of a single room in the slum ds- I
trict was $3.50 as against S3-46 in the /
was S4-96 as against 1857;
for three rooms it was
$685. as against $3.50; and for
four rooms SS.SS as against $3.50. The
investigation included a study OF 1853
houses In the slum district and 1855 !
IN the better section. It proved in
every case, that it was cheaper for a 7
family to live in a little house, with
front and back yard, than in the dirty
cramped quarters Of the slum section. ]
Fourteen Families in Old shack.
The cost Of bad housing conditions !
to city is frequently brought out
In one old wooden building, II families
have been living. All use the same !
year measles entered the house and ]
spread from family to family a YER ]
liable epidemic Closely following this |
was an epidemic of scarlet fever and
one of diphtheria. The house was
kept in quarantine for six months
This required the services of two san
ltary officers, costing the CITY 81 600.
Five persons died, three of whom were
buried at public expense. One child
is blind as the result of scarlet fever
and viii be a public charge Most OF
the living expenses Of these IA families
were met by charitable organizations
for the whole six months.
fOungstOEvn's Experiment.
In Youngstown, Ohio, the fact that .
the rent charged for wretched, IN
homes was so high brought !
about crusade for small cheap
houses. the erection of these as a
business proposition was initiated. 4
was undertaken by a commit |
tee OF business men, As a result, The
Modern Homes company was incorpor- I ,
1teo, with a capital stock Of 500, 600.
me charter permitted the company to / ;
engage IN the real estate business as ,
vel as to contract, build and deal in /
building materials
The first site chosen was a tract OF ]
seven acres near rolling mill. A park I {
u lhree acres was laid out in the
;enter and the houses arranged to q
ace It The material used for build z
ng lhe houses was square concrete
lies. during the first year, sc houses
Lnd apartments were erected. Forty
lIhe OF these were detached four and .
I've room houses, and IT were three :
Dom apartments in terraces. The
operation began in May, 1910. Six
honths afterwards a dividend was i
aid and quarterly dividends of 1 - q
'e 1r cent nave been paid ever since. (
AIRED for Sand boxes are provided for b
ne little ones Receptacles are fur b
1sned for rubbish, which is removed i
y the company. A social worker is T.
mployed, who collects the rent and z
eeps IN friendly touch with the ten I
MS. All of the houses and apart c
lents contain bathrooms, Iaundries n
nm not water equipment and fix d
ures 1or lighting and heating by nat ,
RAJ gas. All have slate roofs and
roht and rear pOrches with cement
loors and steps The danger of fire
5 reduced to a minimum
me first year after the company <
as Incorporated its capital stock was
lcreased to 100000. More houses
ere constructed, including some OF
lrger size built upon lots 40 by 125
7eL Ihese are being sold upon small c.
lohtnIy payments. Last year addi- ( a
Ohal land was secured and large II
tInDers Of houses erected. The rents il
the apartment in terraces are SO h
ia ~ per month, and for the de- f,
-ched houses SIS, SIS and $40. The n
instruction of some apartments. Y,
men could be rented for Sc and IS. II
as Deen considered. Under present II
DhGluons it has not been possible to