Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-27
DEPICTS SQUA[0R
IN C|Ty'S ALLEYS
Representative BorIand Beqs
House to End Plague
Spots.
WOULD BANISH EVILS
OF CROWDED CENTERS
Are Breeding Places of Crime and
Disease, He Declares-Better
Housing Conditions Urged.

Representative Rorland of Missouri
begged the House of Representatives to-
day to wipe out all inhabited alleys in
the District OF Columbia. using in a
speech on the floor of the House all the
information he collected during his recent
tour through twenty-three miles of Wash
ington backways. He told the House
exactly the peculiarities of Washington s
alley housing problem. and declared that
the federal government owed it to it's
National Capital TO see that there are no
plague spots in the social makeup of
Washington population.
The inhabited alley must CO. he said
as ne drove home his arguments to Con-
gress. 1t is too heavy a burden to be
borne for the sake of the profits made
by the owners of alley tenements. In
my judgment all the inhabited alleys
should be opened and made into minor
streets with proper sidewalks. lighting
and sewerage system
Attentive Listeners.
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson and Mrs Archi
bald Hopkins sat in the executive gal
lery of the House of Representatives
today. listening attentively to Repre-
sentative Borland. They evidently
were greatly interested. as they leaned
forward as if to catch every word. At
the close of Mr.. Borland's speech Mrs
Wilson and Mrs. Hopkins applauded.
AS is we'll known, Mrs Wilson is in
actiVe member of the women's welfare
department. of which Mrs Hopkins IL
chairman for Washington
Speech Is Educational.
The sociological information used in
Mr. Borlands address is the epitome of
all that which has been collected by
the housing committee and others of the
woman welfare department. Mr. Bor-
iahd speech was educational rather than
sensational. He told in plain terms ex-
actiy what he believes Congress must do
TO ma &c Washington a clearner CITY than
1t is.
The highest type of legislation, he
said. consists in removing the cause
OF social disease He also laid great
stress on the fact that turning an alley
.enament inside out and scattering its
population to the four winds does no,
solve the problem. He spoke. therefore.
of the sanitary homes which are being
built 70 take care of the men, women
saualid shacks. He also gave high
praise to the moral and physical hero
ism of these ladies in their fight with
alley conditions. He referred, of
ment OF the National Civic Federation.
of which Mrs. Archibald Hopkins is
chairman.
Peculiar Slum Problem.
Mr.. Borland said:
washington has its own peculiar slum
problem-the inha abited alley The city
OF Washington being chiefly devoted 10
the purposes of the seat Of the federal
government, and being therefore main
~ city of residences. has never had
large industrial or foreign .poplls-
ton which forms the congestcd uuar-
ters of some American cities It's alley
problem is condition peculiar i'm many
respects 10 Washington The city was
laid on with broad streets and avenues
and large squares. Evidently ii was
the intention OF the founders that the
dwellings of Washington should he
surrounded by a liberal amount ~
lawns and other ornamental grounds
through the square ran alleys after
the usual fashion Of American cities
Nowadays the alleys have become not
only unnecessary. but in most cases
a menace
IN the dim golden age of tho past
when cities We're built on IA semi-rlra
plan and each house had its back gar
den and frequently its barn shelt.rinc
horses. cows and other domestic ami
mails. the alley must have been need
ed In the residential portions Of the
city. With the increasing density Of
the population. however and the rise
OF land values. alleys are useless ex-
cept as rear passages to stores. ware
houses and hotels. In all other cases
they should be eliminated as far as
possible, for at best they are apt to be
neglected and to collect great deal
of refuse. which should not be allowed
To accumulate.
Land Values Increase.
In the period succeeding the civil
war the remarkable growth in popu-
lation OF the city OF Washington pro-
duced the usual rise of land values.
with the result that the central por-
tions of the city were densely built up
with houses fronting on broad and
beautiful streets
The frontage was SO valuable that
II was made as narrow possible.
This left the back ends Of the lots and
the interiors of the huge square.
The convenience and accessibility of
these waste spots To the business dis
tflIt, however. attracted tnS eye Ul greed
and they began rapidly to fill up with
brick tenements which are said To con-
stitute some Of the best rental property
in the District of Columbia. There are
now nearly .,Up of these inhabited alleys
containing over 1859 dwellings Of vari-
ous kinds she!tering population of over
16.pp people Many Of the bui dinSs
were permanently constructed according
To the building regulations o. tina; date
That is to say. they canno. ne condemn
"a even now as unsafe from a building
standpoint The evil les III ih- fat
that these buildings are hidden away in
obscure corner. where vice. crime ana
disease nave every opportunity to take
root and flourish and where the utmost
care on the part of the public authari-
ties cannot enforce proper conditions.
The owners OF course of this class oi
property are anxious to secure the high
est net income and Keep the houses IN
just such conGition will secure IN.
necessary income. In lS..2 law was
passed forhidding the construction of
any more ot these buildings in alleys
less than thirty feet wide.
Disease Is Radiated
This law has practically stopped ~.
construct on Of such property. Tn.
buildings now occupiei are ali at IcaS.
twenty-one wears old. and probab'y aver
age nearer forty Years old II is horrible
To think of the army Of tenants q hica
has filed through each of these bu Id II IS
in those forty wears. Ii is dreadful IL