South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-05-17
INDIANA HOUSING
LAW IS DISCUSSED
Speakers Assert State Act
Has Proved Beneficial.
Work Done at Evansville.
News Times Special Service {:


INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. May IL
eve are accustomed to certified
milk. are becoming accustomed to
certified babies. and must become
accustomed to certified housing,
said Lawrence WELLER. secretary Of
toe National Housing association. at
meeting Of housing experts and
workers Tuesday in the house Of
representatives at the state house.
Mr.. WELLER presided AT the meeting
which was in the nature of round
table.
There is no more reason why
people living IN the country should
live in poorly ventilated rooms than
in the CRY, although il is not always
practicable TO apply all the rules Of
the law. on account Of lack Of water
supply and other things" said Mr..
WELLER. However. l believe that
parts Of the law should be limited
10 the cities until we can get the
machinery working 10 carry out our
ideas in the country"
Robert f. Todd of Detroit. Mich.
spoke briefly on Taking the First
Line Trenches" and told what steps
Re regarded necessary to take before
asking for any kind Of housing law.
Spencer Ball of Terre Haute said
that II was one thing TO get law
passed aud another TO get one en-
forced However. he said that he
believed much had been accomplish
ell by the Indiana housing law. es-
pecially in indianapolis and Evans
Vile
Way to Better Housing.
Linton A. Cox said that the Indi-
ana housing law was great benefit
in every way including a help
financially. lie said: Architects
have entered into the merits Of the
housing law. and were the first TO
receive a beneft. The way to better
housing has been pointed out and Is
being applied wherever practicable.
I, has influenced health officers and
social workers. The law has accom-
plished what it was intended TO do.
T. A. Winterrowd. former inspec-
tor of buildings in Indianapolis. said
that at the first reading Of the IN
diana housing bill he thought il was
unjust. but that he has found the
law Just and economical. He did
not believe. however. that the eff
feCts had yet reached those whom
the law had been intended to reach
the people in the poorer parts Of
cities.
L. T. Wilmarth Of Grand Rapids.
Mich, which is said To have the best
housing law in the United States.
outlined the working OF the meas
ure. Charles B. Ball. chief sanitary
inspector of the health department
Of Chicago. said that when the prob
lem OF just what constitutes the
habitable room had been solved the
public would have progressed far.
Many Are Torn Down.
Mrs. Albion Fellows Bacon told or
the workings of the Indiana hous-
ing law. particularly as applied to
Evansville. She said that more than
800 houses had. been torn down and
that while the law does not apply
to single houses. still in many cases
they had been destroyed by the
o-der OF the city Inspector.
IF this fails then We appeal 20
the state fire marshal" she said.
and this generally. results in the
tearing down of uninhabitable build
ings."
Mrs. Bacon said that at the next
session OF the legislature II was
hoped 10 obtain a law that would
touch not only tenements, but single
houses as we'll