The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-08-28

Ing rate. The death rate or the al
leys Is always taken separate from
the death rate of those living on the
streets In Washington. Mrs. wilson
learned that In the houses on the
outside of the blocks Of Washington
the death rate would be normal, and
right at the back gates OF these very
folk would be Negroes living In the
saualef OF barbarie or mediaeyal ig-
norance who would be dying exactly
twice as fast--and not so feet away.
Mrs. Wilson took the committee OF
the District OF Columbia OF the sen
ate through about 80 miles OF al
ileys of the dirtiest slums in the
/ world on a warm day, and would
have received the committees sup
port at the expiration OF the first
mile, but she made them finish the
tour She conducted the house COM
mittee OF the District of Columbia
through the same alleys and opened
their eyes to condition Of squalor
/ that would scarcely be believed. They
saw, within quarter OF a mile OF
the very capitol. In which half.naked
children and rotting vegetables and
drunken men were SO thick and In
discriminate that the investigating
party had to pick its way. They saw
the decayed boards Of floors that had
been the homes Of rats and vermin
and germs OF disease since the first
battle OF Bull Run. Scarcely an alley
hut has running water. and the worst
feature OF the Washington alley Is
that occasionally II will wind in and
out on the interior OF q block in an
aimless fashion, like maze. A po-
liceman on the outside OF the block
would never be able TO tell what is
going on In the inside of that maze,
and the consequent condition OF
viciousness that has grown up In
Washington,s alleys Is the cause for
the crowded police court each morn
Ing and the clang OF the emergency
hospital ambuiances every day and
all night.
| well, what can we do about it,"
asked one of the congressman who
had gone with Mrs. Wilson.
+ People had been asking that for
rs years. There have been hun
dreds Of bills to correct alley evils
introduced, and the commissioners OF
the District OF Columbia had framed
an ordinance whereby when alley
homes reached q certain stage Of rot
tenness they were condemned by law
and torn down. This was slow
method, and alley real estate owners
we're fighting OF the day Of reckon
Ing by patching up here and there.
Mrs. Wilson and her women friends
held a meeting. BY that time every
woman in Washington wanted to join
the woman's welfare department OF
the National Civic Federation. Mrs.
Wilson had procured the aid OF Rep.
Kahn, OF California, who worked
up q bill for the cleaning out OF
Goat alley. The Kahn bin received
a great impetus then, but Mrs. Will
son and her friends took up the prob
lem from a broader viewpoint and
planned to wipe out all the alleys at
once.
That meant that $4,000 people would
be thrown out on the streets without
homes; and as cure for that con-
dition the alternative proposal was
to establish foundation with gov
ernment support for the erection Of
the 81 so month brick houses. This
particular bill did not meet with a
SrnAk amount Of favor with the dis
'trfct committee OF the house. The
members OF that committee felt 1t
their duty to be suspicious about the
bill and could not see any good In IL.
They believed that somewhere, some
one would be getting profit out of
the government IL any money was
lent for the purpose OF building those
small workmen's houses. Neither did
the alley elimination bill receive any
favor until Mrs. Wilson asked for Its
report.
II was the day before Mrs. viii
sons death that the district commit
tee OF the house was In session. The
telephone bell rang In an inner ONCE.
and Ben Johnson OF Kentucky, chair
man or the committee, was called.
The messages WIS from Senator 0fffe
James, who had been in communities
ton with Joseph Tumulty, secretary
to the president. Ben Johnson called
his committee members hurriedly to-
gether In his private office and told
them that Mrs. Wilson. on her dying
bed, had said she would be happy II
she could know the alley bill would
be reported and passed. The senate
committee on the District OF Column
bia was not In session, but Senator
Smith OF Maryland, chairman, rushed
a. meeting, rushed out report on an
alley bill--not the same one which
had been introduced in the house
however, and the senate rushed II
through to successful passage. All
this occurred In an hour.
The house committee, being in
the quandary OF having a perfect
principle wrapped up In defective
bill, resorted to the practical method
Of ordering favorable report with
amendments" SO the bnl will prob
ably pass. II will work out so that
Louise alley will be decent little
street without the drunken Saturday
night br0ils IN the unligfted pockets
OF its innermost recesses: and Goat
alley, which started Mrs. Wilson on
her crusade, may be an interior play
ground. There are many miles OF
other alleys, all dirty. all filled with
yermin and disease. They will all be
made clean by the magic of dying
woman's wish.
THREE FIRE ALARMS
is COPS NIGHT RECORD