Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-07
Thomas Adams, English Hous-
ing Expert, Discourses on
Local Problem.
REMARKS ILLUSTRATED IN
VIEWS OF HOME EFFORTS
Lecture Given Under Auspices of
Committee Including Many
Washington Residents.

lem, as far as I can judge" was the
verdict of Thomas Adams, the English
town planning and housing expert who
made an address yesterday afternoon
at the New Masonic Temple for the
Belgian relief fund. The address was
under auspices of committee which
included MANY Washington residents
who are actively interested in the SOW
ing of the National Capitals alley ten
emeut problem
The speaker was introduced by DIS
trict Commissioner Siddons. Louis F.
Post, assistant secretary of LABOR
spoke briefly, preceding MIR. Adams
and optimistically told of the move
ment forward toward the adjustment
of these conditions"
There ought TO be no blind alleys in
any town." declared Mr. Adams II
there is an alley. it ought to be con-
yerted into a street. l warn you that
Il do net think this can be zone pH
any special legislation applying TO all
the alleys at once.
Local Efforts Commended.
The speaker commended the efforts
made toward the solving of the local
alIey problem by the housing com
the committee that made the recon-
mendations" -,
II think perhaps the time will come
when your Congress Will nave TO con-
slider giving help. If you plead that
your conditions are not so bad. theh
your responsibility is the greater TO
put them right. e,
foreign country" said Mr.. Adams, one
ought to be complimentary. But ! am
ho
slums in America you are oniy re.
peating in a small degree the errors OF
Europe. Because your country Is
founded on liberty and democracy you
have less excuse If you do neglect the
conditions of the common man. You are
already approaching the period when
one-haIf of your population is living
in cities, and you must turn youI a. ~
housed.
Practical Way to Better Conditions.
Il do not speak from the sentiment
tai side. There is a practical way to
better these conditions, and it is a
stigma if we do not. When you have
to deal with these problems you are
face to face with many problems, but
no man has a right in this world to
make profit out of the poor health OF
others. %
them grow they will begin to affect
the higher classes. When once you
have gotten pigs they will live in pig
sites, says the old proverb, and that is
somewh hat true, when YOU have a slum-
ming race. But when the riXAt in
huences obtain then these same men
and women do become new men and
women. and the sunshine that is let
into their homes also finds d home in
their hearts.
You may arraisn your Congress for
not passing laws, but it is as much the
duty of the citizens TO see that the eX-
listing laws are carried out.
Results in England.
Mr. Adams told of the work being
done in England for the betterment of
the housing of the poor, under the
housing laws, illustrating his remarks
with many lantern slides. in which be
fore and after" conditions were il
and villages Of England and on the con-
tinent.
washington has a beautiful front
parlor, not a bad kitchen, but not so
good scullery," said Mr.. Adams, smil-
ing. THE difference between house
in England and one in Washington. as
far as 1 can see, is that you substitute
one bath for a bedroom.
You in Washington not only want
to deal with your alleys such as they
lions of the alley jewellers by erect
ing at least one model housing place
that they may sec it and be stirred to
desiring like homes of their own. 1 DO
not know where such place should be.
Two Ways of Building Suggested.
The speaker suggested two ways of
dealing with houses in Washington: To
set the houses back from the. streets.
with grounds in front, and to make the
gable ends Of the houses face the streets.
instead of the fronts facing the streets
This latter method, he declared, allows
a great many more homes to be built ON
a specified area.
The committee under whose auspices
the lecture was given included Gen.
George NJ Sternberg. honorary chair
nan; Mrs. Albert n. Wood, chairman ;
Thomas Grant, secretary treasurer: Mrs
Louis +. Post, Henry NoIda, Mrs. Thorn
as ". Sidwell. Richard b. Watrous.
Charles II. Nesbt, Commissioner Siddons,
Mrs. Ellis Logan, f. f. Colladay. Mrs.