El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-15
ROME, FORFIRST
TIME HAS HOUSES
FOR ALL PEOPLE
Since 1870 the Problem Has
Been to House Growing
Population.
MODERN FLATS ARE
SOLVING PROBLEMS

~ ONE, Italy, April 15.-For the
first time in the history of
- modern Rome there are enough
houses in the city to accommodate its
population. According to recent mu-
! nicipal statistics, the city has almost
a room for each of its 100000 inhab-
itants. In the 12-year period cited,
the population has increased 1O6,5OO
the number Of new rooms 91,SS7, and
a. a total building cost Of $l2,OOO,O6O.
The solution Of the housing problem
Of Rome has been closely studied by
American cities through their own ex-
perts and through United States con-
sular reports because here new, clean
err and roomier dwellings have not
meant an Increase but a decrease in
rents for poor people.
New Growth Since 1870.
The problem in Rome has offered
peculiar difficulties, partly because
Rome has been at times the most
populous and at other times the least
populous of the cities Of the world
In its most populous days, When us
inhabitants have been variOusly estl-
mated at from 1 900, 900 to 100000, 1t
solved its housing problem by the in
vention of the skyscraper OF nine
stories. When the temporary power
Of the papacy ended in 1870, Rome had
a population of 200, 900. living in an
Gent. damp and unhealthy stone
houses and since that date il has been
struggling to provide enough room for
its yearly increasing population, com
ing i'm part from foreign countries, but
principally from its own provinces.
The two citizens who have been most
prominently identified with the solu-
ton of the problem are former mayor
Nathan and former premier Luigi LUZ
Of HHs NuH rrre1E
10 raise city taxes on old houses and
to let new ones go free Of taxes for
q given period Mayor Nathan put an
extra tax Of 3 percent on land on
which the owners refused to build
He also secured the adoption Of ordi-
nances providing low taxes for dwell
iugs occupying but one-fOurth OF the
building plot and the rent of an
apartment of which did not exceed so
a month other parts Of the scheme
involved the preservation Of ancient
Rome as public monuments and parks
and inducing the poor population to
leave the old buildings for the higher.
healthy sections outside the ancient and
medieval sites
Model Apartment Houses Built.
The result Of these various measures
has been the building up Of the over
Tiber section known as Pratt and the
high quarter above the ancient city,
which really lies i'm the Tiber bottoms,
known as Alta Roma, outside Of POrtia
pia and generally surrounding the
central station Of the State Railway.
In these quarters may be seen blocks
Of model apartment houses that are /
not unlike in aspect those in the new
ly built uptown sections Of New York /
city. the suburbs Of Chicago. Kansas f.
City or Cincinnati. With the improve ,
ment Of the street car communications. 2
tho poorer people are also gradually
removing far outside the ancient walls {
and building little homes on the Cam I
pagna Romano. which so years ago I
was a bandit-infested desert filled /
with the ruins OF ancient Rome.
Meanwhile ancient and medieval 4
Rome is being cleaned up and beauti- l
fled. While many of the famous pal {
aces are still inhabited by the owning
princes. they are slowly abandoning .
them, sub-lettinE parts for business
offices and living apartments, them +
selves building new palaces and villas ;
on the Janiculum, the Via Nomentaua
and elsewhere.
The effort Of the italian government Z
10 give employment to labOrers whom R
The war has thrown out Of their regu-
ar positions has in some instances
work on new public build 4
ngs, and when the war is over il is
that the ambitious project
IF tearing down some Of the squalid /
DWELLINGS, near the vatican viii be put
INTO execution and new streets laid
orming proper vista TO St Peters.