Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1916-04-29
WASHINGTON WILL
HAVE MODEL HOMES
Experience of Foreign Cities Proves
Sanitary Homes Reduce Sick
Rate.

H''to'J TlCIflSS HSOuCe DICK
Rate.
Plans have just been completed for
the erection Of a series Of model
homes in the City of Washington for
the purpose of demonstrating TO the
Nation the relationship between good
housing and good health These are
tC 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 a mat
ter Of concern both to the health au-
thorities and to public spirited cit;-
Zens who wish the Capital city to be
ar example to the Nation. The alleys
nave been paved, sewers and water
mains have been laid in them. thGv
are lighted ana cleaned as arc tie
streets. Yet they keep their old Iol2
over the streets when i comes to f..
falling the figures for disease az !
death.
In this. Washngton's expc~inrc
has been like that of Liverpool ar1
other European cities which tried u
successfully to make badly situated
dwellings wholesome by cleaning al ,
fumigating. After thirty-threc yna,..
or unavalling effort to improve thn'
which was fundamentally bad. Live"
pool finally decided that the on,
nope lay in wiping out its insanita"v
areas. 1t demolished the old house
by the acre and in place Of them bu:1t
new houses. Where DWELLINGS, have
been crowded SO close together thu
there was scarcely passage room fcr
stout man to squeeze his wav g.
one OF the old rear houses. it built
new dwellings, opening upon wide
spaces which provided light and air
Immediately sickness and death de
creased end with them vice ana
crime. What had seemed a hopeless :
struggle for more than a generation
was won
Othcr cities in Furopc have done
the same and with the same results.
hut what macs LiVerpOoTs 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 WdelliNgs is 80 per cent the
same as that which lived on the area
in the old buildings. SO here the ef-
feet Of housing is not complicated bv
questions Of different occupants, of
better food or clothing or a generally
higher standard Of living. The hous-
ing 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 !. 1918,
according to which all the allev dwell
ings in the District Of Columbia must
cease to be used for dwelling DIR
poses. 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.
"anlzed a 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 attractive architecturally.
homellke in their arrangements and
containing bath rooms and provisions
for hot water in place Of the old out
door closets and hydrants
Such houses as these cannot. of
course, yield the return upon the in
vestmeDt that the old houses did. In
fact Congress in its act incorporating
the Ellen Wilson Homes, limited it's
dividends to five per cent net But
they will yield to their stockholders
dividend in the form Of satisfaction
because 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.