Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-20
WILMINGTON SLUMS
EQUAL BIG CITIES
Survey of Housing Conditions
Reveals Deplorable Local
Conditions.

That Wilmington can furnish slum con-
Citions to equal any that may be found
in either Philadelphia or New York, was
the statement of Miss Marie Lockwood,
superintendent of the visiting Nurses
Association of this city. In An address be-
fore the Young Peoples Forum at West
Minister Church on Sunday evening. Miss
Lockwood said in part:
"Thc visiting nurses probably more
than any other social workers come IN
direct touch with the evils of bad housing.
The inability OF human beings TO obtain
proper housing Is casting thousands oi
adults on the human scrap heap, bhghting
the lives of little children, and killing TN
told numbers of Young babies. Whining
ton Is no exception to this curse Day
after day and month after month more
and more people come here 10 better their
economic condition, only TO be submerged
IN Slum dwelling.
MANY of YOU do not realize that we
have IN Wilmington the most exag-
geratcd type of Slum conditions. Here
are some Of the things that the Visiting
Nurses Association sees III this city:
[ nSantarv homes, ovcrcrowded houses,
high rentals. tuberculosis. pneumonia,
6lth diseases, lack Of sewage disposal, cess
pools flooding INTO living quarters. water
m cellars. families quartcred In wet Gel
lars. fowls and ANIMALS living In the same
rooms rs human beings, and other con-
ditionS which make IT impossible for men
and women 20 live decently.
The cost of bad housing is too great
for any CITY to paw, and the fact that
money Is so plenty should not bc allowed
Ia cln>c our Cvcs to the seriousness of con-
ditions that arc taking fearful toll in
human lives Some Of The specific evils
resulting from bad housing conditions are
The following:
/. Economic and industrial inefficicncy
, More undesirable citizens and cor
:upt politics.
:. More prostitution and immortality
& Decline of religious convictions
lowered ideals
; More hospitals, sanitariums and dis
pcnSarIcs more police, jalS courts, re-
formers and probation ofiicers
Is IcSScncd governmental efficiency
:. Increased cost Of health inspection
: Increased poverty
= Stunted physical development
to Spread OF epidemic diseases
II Greater susceptibility TO crime and
drunkenness
= More demands on public and pri-
yatc charity.
IS Lost ambitions
II High mortality risks.
H.. Higher tax rate for maintenance Of
government.
Ii. More backward children in schools.
Practically all Of these conditions and
thcir contributing cause. bad housing. Is
due largely 10 the ignorance of the com
munity its failure to inform itself Of the
living conditions Of All Of It's inhabItantS-
It's failure to interest itself in the passage
and maintenance Of good housing laws,
and the enforcement Of these laws. after
securing them.
\ knowledge Of the scientific consc-
qucnccs which come from bad housing and
living conditions proves 10 IFS that the
standard Of living affects the individual
To tho highest degree, either by destroying
his efficiency or lowering his physical and
morai fibre. health and comfort
John Black Sd. Of the Wilmington Gas
Co. also spoke Of some OF the conditions
he has seen IN ms work
Al the close Of the meeting he following
resolution was proposed and adopted as
expressive ol the sentiment Of those
present.
Resolved. That this meeting urge the
enforcement Of the present housing laws
IN this city and the enactment of new
housing laws that shall be up to the best
standards