Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-18
FIGHT TO ABOLISH
INSANITARY HOMES
| URGED ON COUNCILS
Physicians and Settlement
Workers Declare $2t3,7lO
Appropriation Can Greatly
Improve Conditions.

To maintain a Division Of Housing and
Sanitation in the Department Of Health
and Charities, Councils will be asked to-
morrow 20 appropriate t213,Tio.
The new department was created by
hn act OF the Legislature and signed by
governor Tener July %. 1913. Since the
measure became a law Councils have
continued to ignore ali requests for the
hecessary appropriations.
LEADING citizens, settlement workers
bhysicians and women prominent In civic
work who personally have visited fami-
Hes who live. eat and sleep in inssnltsry
houses, strongly advocated today that
Councils should grant the appropriations
nsksd.
''Unless some OF those insanitary
houses are improved" said n noted So
biologist. "only death can end many suf-
Kerings-and death can't come quickly
enough II those poor persons continue TO
hlve in those vaults"
Director Harte. OF the Department Of
Heaith, has prepared his budget for the
lnew work. II was reported today in po-
1iticsl circles that certain Councllmen
were controlled by tenement owners, who
would be liable to prosecution II the new
department was created. Reports reached
ehe PhiiadelphIa Housing Commission
that certain members Of Councils were
retained by trust companies which them
selves had in charge insanitary dwell
angs In the city's slums
WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES.
with an appropriation granted, It would
merge the existing inadequate divisions
OF tenement house inspection and sanitary
inspection. It would also result in more
complaints being made against the own
srs Of tho inssnitary houses. who. Of
course. oppose the measure.
Under the reorganization OF the sanl-
tation and Housing Departments, more
women nurses will be employed and also
Inspectors speaking foreign languages.
The law requires owners to place a sink
with running water in every house and in
every apartment OF two or moro rooms
in tenement. II a water main is in the
street
To connect the house directly with a
sewer.
To repair broken plumbing immediately. |
To keep roofs, stairs and ire-escapes in |
constant repair.
To protect the cellar against foodinE.
To keep halls and outside spaces clean.
To use no part OF the building for a |
sweatshop. and conduct manufacturing !
only under permit from the Board OF |
Health.
To allow no storing OF lnhammabls ma.
terlal In the structure
To provide every room with a suitable |
window opening to outside air.
To give ample quarters to prevent pro- |
miscuous herding that breeds vice
bernard j. Newman, secretary o. the |
Philadelphia Housing Commission, who !
declares that one baby out of every Ave |
born each year in the slums dies before
Il is year old. said:
Councils will have an opportunity to- |
morrow to do an act of simple justice /
TO the poor. which will help to relieve |
them Of filthy conditions they arc now
forced to put up with. The act passed
by the Legislature should receive the at
fention OF Councils
TENANTS AFRAID TO COMPLAIN.
"councils have so far failed to act, de-
spite the fact that city Solicitor Ryan has
twice advised them that they are legally
bound to comply with the law. Some
tenement owners have boasted they are
close 70 those who control Councilmanie
action and that the act would never be
enforced. Rumors have been circulated
that some of the councilmen ara intsr-
ested in properties which are in bad re-
pair yet are occupied by poor families
''csrtain houses. such as those on North
waterloo street. are rented TO persons
without Iayatories or other fixtures. and
the city is powerless to force the owners
20 install fixtures. The tenants empty
pals IN the back alleges or down the cell
lar windows OF vacant houses nearby
.Ths tenants are afraid of eviction II
4hsy report conditions to the Health
Bureau, so the leaks 90 on for weeks and
snonfha without discovery until the COM
missions inspectors happen upon them"
Dr. lincoln C. Furbush, one Of the
hoard OF Governors OF the Child Fedora
fion spoke Of dark. unventiiated rooms
where kerosene lamps burn all day
sCities like Chicago and New York have
ACCOMPLISHED phenomenal work In their
slums BY adopting similar working plans
A. outlined IN the act which was passed
bv the LEGISLATURE last year" he said.
'.Housss IN the zlums Of those cities have
bean improved as result OF repeated
complaints BY the health inspectors
with the appropriation II would mean
fhat there would be 20 nurses. all women.
here. and women nurses can accomplish
more than men"
Dr.. n n Lands. director Of the
clinical and sociological departments OF
Ihlpps Institute said
\ am IN favor Of Councils voting for
the appropriations asked for, 80 that the
SGT can Be enforced IN this city"