Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-08
SYSTEM OF LOANS
FOR HOME BUILDING
Provides Sanitary Dwellings
as Substitutes for Houses
Eliminated From Alleys.
MEASURES IN CONGRESS
10 AUTHORIZE SCHEME
Permits the Raising of Money
Through Issue of Bonds by Dis
trict Commissioners.

tries. following the Introduction of a
bill in Congress to provide such a sys-
tenn for Washington after the alley tene-
nents of the capital nave been elirni-
mated.
The housing loan bin as it is
called. was introduced in the House OF
Representatives by Mi. Borland in Sep
TENDER. but during the past week Sena-
tor Pomerene has also introduced it in
the Senate. and il is said to have good
prospect Of being considered at this SEES
sion of Congress. Its proponents point
out that it should he given early consid-
Grafton in view of the fact that the init
I'd States is one Of the Few great cotin-
tries which does not now provide such
a system.
The bill which is offered as a meas
ure supplemental to the alley elimina-
ton bill permits the ilistrict Commas
sioners to issue bonds to raise money
TO lend to non commercial building as
socia tons for the purpose OF erecting
sanitary dwellings, Of low rental for
unskilled wage earuers in the District.
Large Number OF Alley Dwellers.
Ii is said there are i 900 or 10000
alley jewellers in Washington The
alley elimination bill provides for the
eradication of the alleys of Washing
ton in ten years. The homes of one
tenth of the alley jewellers are TO be
abolished each year for ten years. but
the alley elimination bill does not pro-
vide for housing the alley jewellers aft
er the houses have been eliminated.
ft Is this want that the housing loan
hin is intended TO meet. SUN housing
work is now being done with the as
slstance of the government of every
country of central and western Europe
with the exception of Portugal There
is housing oan law in on AFRO. Can
ada. now. and Chile and Argentina also
have similar laws
All this housing work under foreign
governments is based. sociologists say
on recognition by the government of
their responsibility to see that all of
their citizens have homes which they
can afford to pay for and which are
not menace to the health or the
morals of these citizens
President Roosevelts homes commits
sion recommended that this housing
loan work be done in Washington
Summary of Conditions.
Mrs. Albert Norton Wood of 2143 n
street northwest. in a recent article
in the Survey, the publication of a
group of philanthropic sociologists. told
Of some phases of life in Fenton place
Madison alley, Essex court and MAYORS
court, in Washington, in which she
said:
Thus far nothing has been said to
emphasize the self preservation motive
Except reference to the well known
iact that large portion of the laundry
work of Washington is done in alley
homes. There is ample material but /
shall use only one little item The first
Time we visited Madison alley twhere
the death rate is IS per 1000. the tuber-
culosis death rate 1922 per 100 600.
. af Of
latton SD We met a colored nurse girl
wheeling out a white baby in its car
iage. She had been taking her little
charge for visit to her home
Yet 1t seems if the alley problem
of Washington were nearing a solution
X has been recognized as a problem for
more than forty years. but never before
have we had a President of the United
states of advanced social views with the
oacklng OF a Congress pledged to reform
md District Commissioners selected for
heir progressive civic conscience. Never
IeTore have the women of the capital
isen i'll a body. encouraged by the pres
nee and example of the mistress of the
White House. TO demand the eradication
y the alley evil The preliminary task
investigation had been done with I'M
'sual thoroughness. The report of
PRESIDENT Koosevelt's homes commission
as monumental piece of work An
Ssslduous campaign of education has
been carried on for years. The press
mas been sympathetic. Congress is at
,ast thoroughly aroused and will. it is
elleved. treat the matter as a national
o. merely a local. issue. For it seems
OBVIOUS that Washington should be a
model for the nation-not a warning"
Washington Behind Other Cities.
The rest of the world is far ahead of
Washington III respect TO its alley prob
lens. and particularly the housing prob
lem that will come with the elimination
Of the alleys. Berlin. for instance. now
boasts of being a city without slums.
The whole of notorious '.Whitechaper' in
London has been wiped out of existence.
abroad there was at first the cry Of So
cIalism when housing loans We're pro-
posed. out that has all died down, and
no one anywhere questions the necessity
OF government loans for housing pur-
poses.
In the grand duchy of Hesse the govern
ment advances UP to 10 per cent of the
value of the real estate in housing loans.
In the bill now before Congress il is pro
posed to lend up to IS per cent 10 such
non-commerical building associations as
are approved by the District Commission
.fs. mere VIII be no chance. to make
money by the project if the bill becomes
law, because it expressly stipulates
that a non-comrnerciaI building associa-
ton shall be one whose dividend paw
ments are limited to not more than s per
cent, and that per cent is said to be not
allurine to those who engage in building
for profit.
The non-commercal building associ-
ations of Europe are formed many of
them. by public-spirited people who
wish. TO reform building conditions. but
who have no personal interest in the
result A great many are formed by
workmen who are 10 live in the houses
after they are built.
System in London.
In London. in the section known as
rottenham the White Hart Lane estate
mas erected for low-Salaried workers at
tractive and convenient houses of three
TOUR and five rooms, with gardens in
BACK and front. where the tenants have
me use Of large private recreation
grounds provided with tennis. croduet
ana QUOT spaces. al very low rentals
Three-room cottages. with sculleries, for
INSTANCE. can be rented by the workmen
Tor from six shillings six pence to
eight shlliings sixpence per week-in
American money from about $3.50 a
month TO about $3.50 month These
domiciles are cottages not tenements
with hundreds of people in each Cot
tages at about IS a month have baths
They are near electric cars and schools
Countries which are now making gov.
eminent loans TO non-comnerciaI building
associations and to local authorities foi
the erection of workmen's homes are
listed as follows: Great Britain, Ger.
many (where each state has its own hous