Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-06
HOUSING AND HEALTH.
Model Homes Planned for WASH
ington. Experience Foreign
Cities Proves Sanitary Homes
Reduce Sick Rate

Plans have just been completed for
the erection Of a series Of model homes
in the city Of Washington for the pur-
pose Of demonstrating to the nation the
relationship between good housing and
good health. These are to be known
as the Ellen Wilson homes, and are not
in the nature Of an experiment, but are
intended as demonstration to the en-
tire United States.
The intimate connection betewen bad
housing and bad health and good
housing and good health is clear
ly recognized in Washington,
long been a matter Of concern both to
the health authorities and to public
spirited citizens who wish the Capital
city to be an example to the Nation
The alleys have been paved, sewers
and water mains have been laid in
them. they are lighted and cleaned as
are the streets. Yet they keep their old
lead over the streets when it comes to
totaling the figures for disease and
death.
In this, Washington's experience has
been like that of Liverpool and other
European cities which tried unsuccess-
fully to make badly situated dwellings
wholesome by cleaning and fumigating.
After SO years of unavailing effort to
improve that which was fundamentally
bad, Liverpool finally decided that the
| only hope lay in wiping out it's insan-
itary areas. 1t demolished the old
houses by the acre and in place of
them built new houses. Where dwell
ings have been crowded so close to-
gether that there was scarcely passage
room for stout man to squeeze his
built new dwellings opening upon wide
spaces which provided light and air.
Immediately sickness and death de-
creased-and with them vice and
crime What had seemed a hopeless
struggle for more than a generation
was won.
Other cities in Europe have done the
same and with the same results, but
what makes Liverpoors figures Of I'M
usual value is that the new houses are
| occupied by the same people who oc-
cupied the old ones. In some cases the
population on a given area in the new
dwellings is 80 per cent. the same as
that which lived on the area in the old
buildings. So here the effect of hous-
ing is not complicated by questions of
different occupants, of better food or
clothing or a generally higher stand
ard of living. The housing only has
been changed and the results are strik
ing.
Washington is attempting much the
same work, though in less dramatic
manner. Congress has enacted law
which goes into effect on July /, 1918,
according to which all the alley dwell
ings in the District of Columbia must
cease to be used for dwelling purposes.
Meanwhile, in order that there may be
accommodation for those who will be
| forced to seek new homes in street
houses. there has been organized a
limited dividend company which is to
build houses that will be not only SAN
itarv, that will provide not only abund-
ance of light and air, but houses at
tractive architectually, homelike in
their arrangements and containing
bath rooms and provisions for hot wa
ter in place of the old outdoor closets
and hydrants.
Such houses as these cannot, of
course, yield the return upon the inz
vestment that the old houses did. In
fact, Congress in its act Incorporating
the Ellen Wilson Homes, limited it's
dividends to per cent. net. But they
will yield to their stockholders a div
idend in the form of satisfaction be-
cause of a needed work well done. To
their tenants they will give relief from
preventable sickness and death and an
increase in the joy of living.