Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-15
MONEY DIVIDENDS in GOOD HOUSING
Cities Which Real Owners Have Found Financially Profitable
% Give Their Tenement Dwelers Square Deal.
By F. C. FIELD
Superintendent oelsVia Hill Association.

TTTHEN any community, be It large city
w or a small town, says that 1t has no
housing problem it admits ignorance or in
difference to this all important question. For
sometimes the term, housing problem" has
been used as synonymous with the tenement
problem, and has called to the mind of the
average person a row of dismal-loolting four
or fve-story buildings in the NEGLECTED or
5lum sections of q large city, and in the
neighborhood Of which one would expect to
find the dirty, ill-fed and worse-clothed chill
dren of the very poor; or perhaps 1t has sug-
gested the sections of the city where the So
called foreign element lives.
But to those who give any thought to this
vital matter the housing problem means
more than this. 1t means not only the in
vestigatlon Of the districts where the very
poor live with the view of correcting by
legislation or otherwise the conditions found,
but 1t includes the making over or rebuilding
of slum areas and the erection OF dwelling
places where the unskilled laborer, or the
lower rate wage-earner, may live with his
family and enjoy decency, privacy and the
simpler conveniences and comforts that all
persons are entitled to and ought to have.
1t Is with this broad viewpoint of the hous-
ing question in mind that wish to present
the following review OF what other cities and
towns are doing to relieve their present con-
ditions through correction where possible,
and to provide. by the erection of new dwell
ings or tenements, sanitary accommodations
for the low-rate wage-earning class.
Where Reform Pays in Dollars
Within the last few months great publicity
has been given to the interest of Mrs. Wood
row Wilson in the problem Of the slum in the
nations capital city, and because OF this
great interest Congress took action looking
toward the final abollshment of such notori-
Gus places as Willow Tree, Goat, Ragland
and other Infamous alleys or slums in Wash
ington.
Behind the well-paved and well-lighted.
fine, spacious avenues are 10 be found many
interior alleys and small streets. Many OF
these are intersected by still other and
smaller dead-end alleys which form blind
pockets, and where are found the dwellings
of the very poor in all their filth and squalor.
1t is these foul, disease breadlng places
that Washington is going to wipe out, and
instead viii be found parks. small open
spaces, Encouragement OF streets, SO as to
have all streets OF proper width and continu-
ing between two main streets, thus prevent
ing dead-end alleys or forgotten pockets in
which vice and filth run rampant II addl-
tiOn to this, II Is proposed that new tene-
ments and dwellings be erected and financed
by the Government where sanitary living
quarters will be provided with good sur
roundings ana at low rates OF rental.
In addition TO this. the work OF the Wash
ington Sanitary Improvement Company must
not be overlooked. The company began
operation in 1885 and has built and success
fully managed large number OF two4story
two-famiiy houses with apartments OF two,
E,.sn
conYenisncss, and rented at 50 a month ana
upward for nat. This company nnds it's
work 30 successful that II Is enabled not only
to pay dividend Of 5 per cent, but has ac-
cumulated large surplus out OF earnings
and never wants for additional capital to ex-
tend the work,
One naturally turns to New York city, and
here We and the housing problem most com
pick and diffioult. With the great eonRes-
tion OF population. dwelling for the most part
in large tenement or apartment houses. a
well-developed system OF inspection Is re-
quired and carried out. New York has long
since put away the outside privy vault or
toilet, and while It Is estimated that Phlla-
dslphia hsa z5,o00 vaults Or privy wells that
are not underdrained, New York has none
The underdrained watsr-hushing toilet now
being installed IN the yards ef many small
houses n FhNAdetFtliar ana considered a great
improvement Is not permitted IN New York
city
Successful Experiment.
Basement dwellings manufacturing IN
dwellings, and similar abuses are forbidden.
ana aFe prevented by a weli-deYeloped ana
adequate systsm of tenement house inspec-
tlon ana laws aside from Inspection ana
supervision. Nov York has many successful
companies furnishing good housing accom-
Iaoaations af reasonable rentala
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