The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1916-05-04
HOUSING AND HEALTH
Model Homes Planned for Wash
iDaton--Reduce Sick Rate.

lngton--Reduce Sick Rate.
Washington, D C,April 24:-Plans
have just been completed for the
erection of series of model homes
in the city of Washington for the
purpose of demonstrating to the ma
ton 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 a
demonstration to the entire United
States.
The intimate connection between
bad housing and bad health and good
housing and good health is clearly
recognized in Washington, where the
alley dwellings have long been g.
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. sewer and
water mains have been laid in them,
they are lighted and cleaned as are
streets. Yet they keep their old lead
over the streets when it comes to to-
taling the figures for disease and
death.
In this, Washington's experience
has been like that of Liverpool and
other European cities which tried
unsuccessfully to make badly situat-
ed dwellings wholesome by cleaning
and fumigating. After thirty-three
years Of unavailing effort toimprove
that which was fundamentally bad,
Liverpool finally decided that the
only hope lay in wiping out its un-
sanitary areas. 1t demolished the
old houses by the acre and in place
of them built new houses. Where
dwellings have been crowded so close
together that there was scarcely pas
sage room for stout man to squeeze
his way to one of the rear houses, it
built new dwellings opening upon
wide spaces which provided light and
air. Immediately sickness and death
decreased-and with them vice and
crime. What had seemed 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 unusual value is that the new
houses are occupied by the same
people who occupied the old ones.
In some cases the population is 99%
the same as that which lived on the
area in the old buildings. So here
the effect of housing is not compll-
Gated by questions of different occu-
pants, of better food or clothing or a
generally higher standard OF living.
The housing only has been changed,
and the results are striking.
Washington is attempting much
the same work. though in less dra-
matte manner. Congress has enact
ed a law which goes into effect July
l, 1918, according to which all the
alley dwellings in the District of Co.
lumbia must cease to be used for
dwelling purposes. Meanwhile. in
order that there may be accommo-
dation for those who will be forced
to seek new homes in street houses,
there has been organized limited
dividend company which is to build
houses that will be not only sanitary,
that will provide not only abundance
of light and air, but houses attrac-
tive architecturally. .homelike in their
arrangements and containing bath
rooms and provisions for hot water
in place of the old outdoor closets
and hydrants.
Such houses as these cannot, of
course, yield the return upon the in
vestment that the old houses did.
In fact, Congress in its act incorpor-
ating the Ellen Wilson homes limited
its dividends to So net. But they
will yield to their stockholders a div
idend in the form of satisfaction be-
cause of needed work we'll done.
To their tenants they will give relief
from preventable sickness and death
and an increase in the Joy Of living.
DEFENDS HIS POSITION.