Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-01-14

Present conditions in Burlington" I
says Udetta D. Brown In her interesting |
report of her investigation of the housing |
conditions In Burlington for the commit |
tee on social survey, made during Octo- |
her and November. ARE largely due to
the inadequate legal safeguards Def
mite and permanent improvements can be
secured only BY adopting thoroughgo.
ing housing code, which will set whole
some standards The need for such a
code Ia obvious in a city which has win
dowless bedrooms and unwholesome cellar
and basement dwellings"
Miss Browns report covers some "a
pages and is numerously illustrated with
photographs of conditions she found in
various sections investigated
She makes six recommends tons the
first Of which Is quoted above The other
recommendations are:
Pending the passage of such n code
Chapter xvii section Of the city ordi.
nances. requiring sewer connections to be
made in severed streets, should be en-
forced
Definite records in regard to both con-
struction and maintenance should he kept.
The records of the building inspector
lilies 70 be accommodated. the material
used in construction and the approximate
cost of each house. The health officer
should be n full time man, adequately
paid Instead of inspecting only on com
plant. as Mt present he should make
systematic house toulouse inspections
throughout the city and keep a record
for each house.
Some system of refuse collection and
disposal should be organized so that the
entire city will be free from garba ge'
ashee and rubbish of all kinds and an
end put to the disorderly dumping now in
vogue
I'm addition to the legal regulation of
housing conditions there is the personal
side of the problem. This is often handled
with success by private organizations. 1t
is quite worth while to make gardens in
the citv's waste places now unsghtly
Yards or vacant lots.
THE need for instruction In housckeep-
! ing is evidenced I'm many ways in Bur
lington. especially by the indiscrminate
use Of washing powder, and disinfectants.
This problem has been met In various
ways. such as by housekeeping centres,
visiting sanitary inspectors and simple
talks in the schools The most elementary
details must be included in this work. I
! have known young housekeepers who did
not realize that melted fat was not water:
ono woman had stopped tho waste pipe of
the sink by pouring the water off the fat,
as she said 1t Is not always lack of intelli-
gence that Is back Of this ignora nee but.
especially among the foreigners, an expe-
rence quite different from that needed in
a modern American city,
STUDYING HOUSING CONDITIONS.
The survey or housing conditions wa!
made by a method found satisfactory IL
several other cities, some of them much
larger IN both extent and population
Three districts were selected for inten
sive study, and the condition of eacl
occupied house in the districts was re
corded on a card especially prepared. Tn
salient facts thus obtained We're thel
tabuated These facts" says the in
vestigator, related to the possibility o
making normal, healthy home in tn
house,-the available light and air con
venience and adequacy of water suppl
and toilet accommodation, and simla
conditions were noted. Houses Whc
We're Quarantined or from which tn
tenant was absent We're so recorded %
a card but the house was not include
in the tables. The districts were chose
after consultation with those famiia
with the city and after several day
spent in gaining a general knowledge o
the housing problem in Burlington. I
! each district some houses were found l.
which three or four families were living
These together with II other dwelling
of the same type throughout the city
were noted especially for the arrange
ment of rooms facilities for securin
light and ventilation and the size o
yard A general inspection was made o
the entire city to supplement the NOR
intensive studies
Miss Brown begins with history q
!, the city. describes its situation an
topography, comments on its population
given in the United States census o
/. 1910 as D. 1867 and its Industries an
activities
The districts investigated include Cham
plain street as far north as King
Battery street as far north as Mai
street. and King. Maple and Main street
, between Champaign and Battery. Fixty
, six houses We're visited one hundred an
six families lived In tho houses
The second district visited include
North avenue from Battery Park I
, Garfield and Strong streets, and Mort
street from the avenue to Front an
, BlodSett streets Fixty-six houses WEI
also seen here. the prodomlnating tyI