The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-05-11
MODEL HOMES REDUCE SIGN
RATE,

Plans have just been made for the
erection of q series of model homes in
the city of Washington, ID. c., for the
purpose of demonstrating to the nation
the relationship between good hous-
ing and good health. These are to be
known as the Ellen Wilson homes
and are not in the nature of an eX-
pertinent but are intended as a dem
onstration 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 a mat
ter ON concern both to the health
authorities and to public spirited cit
liens 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, Wpshington's experience mas
been like that of Liverpool and other
European cities which tried unsuc-
cessfully to make badly situated
dwellings wholesome by cleaning and
fumigating. After thirty-three years
Of unavailing effort to improve that
which was fundamentally bad, Liver
pool finally decided that the only hope
Law i'm wiping out its insaRitary areas.
II demolished the old houses by the
acre and i'm place OF them built new
houses. Where dwelling have been
crowcd to close together that there
was scarcely passage room for a stout
man to squeeze his way to one of the
old rear houses, it built new dwellings
opening upon wide spaces which pro-
vided light and air Immediately sick
ness and death decreased-and with
them vice and crime. What had seem
ed 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 LiverpOols 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 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
housing is not complicated by ques-
tons of different occupants, 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 a less dramatic
manner. Congress has enacted a law
which goes into effect on July l, 1918,
to which all the alley
dwellings in the District of Columbia
must cease to be used for dwelling
Meanwhile, in order that
there may be accommodation for those
who will be forced to seek new homes
in street houses. there has been Or
gained limited dividend company
which is to build houses that will not
only sanitary, that will provide not
only abundance OF light and air. but
houses attractive architecturally, home
like in their arrangements and con-
tanning bath rooms and provisions
for hot water in place of the old out
door closets and hydrants.
Such houses as there can not, there
fore yield the return upon the invest
ment that the old houses did. In fact
Congress in its act incorporating the
Ellen Wilson Homes, limited its diyi-
dends to per cent net. But they will
yield TO their stockholders a dividend
In the form of satisfaction because of
a needed work well done. To their
tenants they will give relief from pre-
sickness and death and an in
crease in the JOY of living