El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-06-28
Reeking Sums
Are In Heart
OfUS. Capital
Frightful Conditions In the
Washington Tenements
Rouse Congress.
By FREDERIC J. HAsKIN,


capital, noted the world over for its
cleanliness and order. has more than
$1,000 inhabitants living in filthy
alleys.
These unfortunate alley jewellers
must vacate their present homes a
year after the signing OF Of peace
with Germany. when an act of con-
fgress. abolishing the alleys as places
iof residence. becomes effective.
the city OF Washington now faces
the big problem OF how to provide
housing accommodations for these
people In an already overcrowdea
I city Congress will be asked 10 helm
solve the problem by apnroprfaffng
homes.
About ten years ago the Alley In
: nrovement association began a fight
Tor the elimination OF inhabited ALLEYS
/ in the District Of Colum bia. Other
I civic bodies Joined the movement. As
! a result of their combined efforts
/ with the valuable assistance Of the
late Mrs woodrow Wilson, who took
a deep interest in the social welfare
work OF the capital, bin was passed
I by unanimous vote OF both houses Of
congress wi1ing out the alley evil
The date set for the evacuation Of
the alleys originally was July 1. 1918
IN this city due to war conditions
congress found it necessary to ex-
( tend the date until one year after
the signing Of the peace terms.
Find Old Barracks.
Nine-tenths OF the inhabitants Of
the alleys are negroes. The number
OF alley jewellers increased consid-
erably during the war. The great IN
flux OF war workers crowded many
poor families out OF their street homes
into the alleys. These poor fami-
lies had to seek refuge in alley shacks
some OF which had not been used since
the civil war. IN one place ten fami-
Hes were found housed IN a dilapi-
dated barracks last used by the
Union soldiers in 1858.
The alley evil Of the capital was
denounced recently by chief justice
Mccoy. OF the district court, when he
sentenced John Jones. negro. II years
old, to servie 20 years IN penitentiary
for shooting Virgie Mills, Is years
breeding Place For Crime.
In imposing the minimum sentence
allowed under the law, chief Justice
Mccoy said that the boys plight was
probably due in part to the fact that
court characterized the alleys OF
Washington as a burning shame
and that so long as they are per-
mitted to exist We may expect out
breaks Of crime" He stated that
some OF the Inhabited allevs he had
visited were not fit to keen pigs in
This denunciation OF the alley
evil by judge Mccoy has stirred the
Emergency Housing association. a
phlanthrOpic organization OF repre-
trict. to action This association has
made a careful study Of living condi
tons IN the alleys OF the capital and
Is behind the movement to have
congress appropriate money to build
homes for these people when the al
ley law elects them from their pres
ent place OF abode.
William '. Mahoney. secretary Of
the association, says that the alleys
Of Washington are as bad as the
Sums IN the East Side OF New York.
The stronRholds OF the bootleg
gers" he said. ARE almost invaria-
bly, found IN the alleys. Therefore.
TO abolish them, compelling the in
habitants to move into wide. well
lighted streets. will tend to eradicate
the nests OF bootleggers and other
''The congestion Of the city. due to
the war. has driven many respectable I
negro families to the alleys
Some OF these wretched tenements !
shelter entire families IN one room. /
We know OF row OF four brick
houses with two rooms each. one room 4
on the first floor and one room on the /
second There IS no front or back I
yard. no sewer, water or gas in the !
houses. but at the end Of the row Is I
an unsheltered hydrant. which freezes I
several times each winter. and two
flimsy toilets opening directly into I
the alley. We have known repeatedly i
OF two families occupying one OF 4
these houses at the same time
This row OF unspeakable novels. /
breeders OF vice and disease. IS not 10
Gated in some out OF the way. neglect
ed corner OF the city but Is in the I
very heart OF the capital. and under /
the shadow, almost. Of a seven story /
apartment house. The disease that I
thrives IN the alleys does not always
stay there. either.
I'VE have figures IN the files OF our
association" said Mr.. Mahoney. which 4
prove that IS to % people live in a
small five-room house In an alley. The /
police census OF the alleys Is far short
Of being correct for this reason; The
police take the census in the day time /
when most Of the inhabitants OF the /
alley are away. Those remaining home 4
are unwilling and many times afraid
10 give the correct information, and
we are quite sure that over 1900 peo-
pie live IN these slums.
The hardship in this case. II any,
viii fall on a fraction OF one per cent
81 our population, namely the owners
0f alley properties. These owners viii
have been given about years notice,
since the passage Of the alley law in
September, 1914, and inasmuch as al
ey property pays a higher rate Of
profit than any other class OF prop
srty. they viii certainly have aver
lged a net annual income OF over 10
per cent Of their investment