The Washington herald., 1914-03-08
SUPPORT GIVEN
BORLAND BILL
Provides Sanitary Dwellings
for Unskilled Workers
in District.
EARLY ACTION Is SOUGHT
Congress Expected to Treat Alley
Conditions as National and Not
a Purely Local Issue.

Strong pressure is being brought &c
bear upon both Houses OF Congress &c
procure early consideration for the Bor-
land bill providing for the construction OF
sanitary dwellings at a low rental for
unskilled wage-carners in the District
The measure was introduced in the
House by its author some weeks ago.
and last. Tuesday Senator Pomerene. OF
Ohio. q member OF the District Commit
tee, introduced the measure in the Sen
ate. The bills have been referred to the
District Committee of the two. bodies.
The Boriand bill provides for govern
mental loans TO noncommercial building
associations for the purpose of aiding
In the construction OF such dwellings. II
authorizes the Commissioners of the Dis
trict to issue bonds to the amount OF
S0,ooo.ooo. not more than sl.000.0Oo worth
to be issued In any one year. and from
the proceeds Of these. bonds to loan. at a
low rate Of interest money to building
associations whose articles of incorpora-
ton prohibit the payment of dividends
higher than per cent. such money to
be used for the construction of low
priced sanitary dwellings.
District VIII BE Protected.
The District Is to be protected from
loss by first mortgages on the real estate
used and the improvements erected. and
the Commissioners are prohibited from
loaning more than three-fourths of the
value or such property. The Commits
sioners are to have representation on the
hcards OF all borrowing associations and
the plans for the buildings to be con-
structed as well as the rentals to be
charged are made subject to the ap-
p-oval Of the Commissioners.
The bills aim at the alleys and slums
of Washington and represent the views
cf civic workers from the President and
MIS- Wilson down. As a result Of the
agitation and publicity attendant upon
the interests of prominent men and wo-
n.en in the alley question. Washington
has gained a good deal of unpleasant
notoriety, and has been the subject of
much misrepresent ton. While not eS-
cusing this. those wlo have interested
themselves in the movement are insistent
that whatever is wrong should be wiped
oLt; that Washington should be a model
for the nation-not a warning
Touching on the washington alleys,
Edith Elmer Wood. in an article print
ed in the Survey OF last December, said:
There has been some eXaggeration
in describing Washington's alley condi
tions. Certain of the worst features
lack Of water. sewers. and paving
have been remedIed in the last few
reason to complain of lack of air or
light. The fundamental idea of the
four-room, one-family house is excel
lent. In practice, Overcrowding results
from the renting of one or more rooms
to dodgers. Furthermore, the houses
are all old Cthe building of new dwell
ings in alleys has been prohibited by
law since 1s92) and were shoddily built
in the first place.
High Returns to Owners.
Investigation confirms the popular
impression that this class OF property
brings in very high returns to the
owners. The Presidents home COM
mission reports cases where the returns
reached IS per cent gross. In
alley one owner deserves spe-
cis. mention for getting only 1O4 per
cent-hardly more than he would ex-
pect from property on the street. This
was the lowest figure encountered.
Yet II seems as il the alley problem
Of Washington were nearing a solution.
II has been recognized as a problem for
more than forty years, but never before
have we had a President of the United
States with advanced social views, with
the backing OF a Congress pledged to
reform and District Commissioners Sc
lected for their progressive civic con-
science. Never before have the women
OF the Capital risen in a body. encour-
aged by the example and presence OF The
mistress of the White House. to demand
the eradication OF the alley evil. An as