The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-01-17
SANITATION IN HOMES.

Certain cities are very badly over.
Quilt n In consequence Of that q bad
housing situation IL created. Some one
has estimated that there are 10000 va
cant ~habitations in Chicago. Many
cities that have not considered them
homes on their hands Is the result Of
the creation OF an army Of 1000. 900 and
or an enlarged navy.
The owners of ~unoccupied residence
property naturally try to mako some
use or 1t. n resultant shift In type OF
population and shift in use creates SAN
ttary conditions that make against
health. Whenever q residence property
built on n basis Of use Is changed to
another sanitary standards suffer. Old
single family residences made over into
use by several families doing light
housekeeping always means inadequate
toilet facilities. inadequate plumbing in
Kitchens, laundries and bath rooms,
dark bedrooms, and other conditions
that make against health. Large fats
cut up into smaller ones or several flats
thrown together for q boarding place
mean the same thing.
Residences or apartments built over
80 as to provide for business on the
nrst floor with the extensions to the
street line and often with extensions to
the alley line almost inevitably sum
~So ASoAAio dilo dlTlcSS SpdCc.
The requests for permits to make
over Improbable buildings Is the bane
or the existence Of every health officer
who knows how insidjously bad houses
elevate sickness rates.
Another almost national problem 10
the house famine situation in certain
cities. In Flint, Akron, Detroit and
bridgeport house famines are said to
prevail. h unnaturally rapid devel-
opment Of certain industries in these
cities has caused such infiuxes Of pop
ulation that healthy housing is impos-
sibie. Men have had to camp out In
tents and In all sorts of makeshift
structures. It annot be expected that
the health authorities Of these cities
shall keep the sickness rates down.
A development Of the same class II
h a bunk house. The Chicago
health department reports finding 200
car bunk houses in that city where, let
US not forget, there are said to be 80, 900
vacant habitations. A car bunk house
u a freight car set on a stdetrack. In
It's walls a few small windows are cut.
The hunks are arranged in tiers along
the walls Of the freight car. Heat Is
furnished by a small stove. The Chi
cago health department found one a
DUNK house with a sleeping porch at
hme The men had built a small
two-decked sleeping porch on one side
OF the car. This was long and broad
enough to accommodate a bed for one
man on the lower bed level. On the
upper bed level sleepers had SO ar
ranged their beds that by sleeping
crossways Of the car their heads and
shoulders were in the sleeping porch.
The fresh air doctrine has reached one
two-hundredth OF Chicago's ear bunk
population.
When one travels along the railroads,
especially in the west n south, car
bunk houses are frequently observed.
In he colder sections the car bodies
nave been lifted from the trucks, set
on the ground. and dirt banked around.
1t will be noted that the window
area of cars in these sections Is very
small. The railroads say hat 1t has
been necessary to import Mexican labor
or to transport negroes. This labor
they ave been forced, or have found 1t
best, to house In freight cars. In a few
instances at least very definite out
breaks OF disease have been definitely
traced to people housed in car bunk
houses.
Possibly, should the war become still
more serious, we may decide to promote
efficiency by shifting populations and
industry as the English. French and
Germans are doing. In this way some
Of the waste Of a surplus of houses In
one place and simultaneous house fam.
Ines In another could be obviated.