Evening star., 1922-02-21
|"DON'T ECONOMIC
ON MORALS OF De-
So J. H. Kelley Pleads in Urg-
ing Sanitary Buildings for
Alley DWelIerS.

Don't economize on the morals Of
the Capital city any longer was the
plea of James Hugh Kelley, speaking
today before the Senate District COM
mittee in support of the Jones bill
for construction of sanitary dwell
ings to house the alley population OF
the District.
Mr.. Keeley said that the cry TO-
day was for economy. He urged
however, that it was poor economy 10
permit the alley dwellings to con-
iinue. with their immortality ana as
-ase-spreading qualities. IT,
The citizens of the District would
have cleaned up this situation years
ago, he said. ii they controlled theif
own government. but tneS Va Io TIC ,o
and, therefore, they are conpsiieo u
come to Congress to ask relief'
Bond Issue Provisions.
The hearing today was granted 10
representatives of the Emergency
Housing Association OF the histTict, NY,
which is back of the Jones Dill. ImniS ms
measure would authorize $b,ooo'ooo
issue by the District, the money de-
rived being used to purchase iaio
and erect sanitary dwellings, 10 pe
leased or sold o>the present aliey
dwellers. 1t is estimated that Win
Iess than would be the charge orcl,
narily-a sinking fund could be laiu
aside which would pay off entlrety
the bond issue within twenty-five
years
provides that the alley dwellings,
must be abandoned July next ihe
law originally provided theE must nT
abandoned July. 1918. The Jones Dill
proposes that one-third of the alley
dwellings, be given up July. 1922. one
third in July. 1928, and One-thlrd IN
1924. This will give opportunity, !.
is said, to provide the houses needed
for these people.
of the association, was the first wit
ness heard today. He told the COM
mittee. that the last police census
showed there were 5000 alley dwell
ers here, 1000 colored and 1000 white
He said that some of the dwellers in
the former "red light" district had
moved into the alleys.
Senator Balls Suggestion.
Senator Ball. chairman of the Dis
trict committee. suggested that the
people who dwell in the alleys should
move to other cities aRd into the
country. He declared that the farms
of Maryland and Virginia could give
them work. He said he realized that
the alleys here should be cleaned up
as soon as possible.
Mr.. WaIdron said he did not be-
lieve that it would be fair to at
tempt to shift the problem of these
alley dwelIers to Maryland and Vlr-
gin;a.
The witness described the filthy
conditions in some of the alley
dwellings. He said that the babies
in those alleys die three times as
fast as the babies of the rest OF the
city.
District health officer had right
to close up these dwellings if they
menaced the health of the city, and
also that he thought it was the duty
of the alley jewellers to go some,
where else, if they could not ma
nroper places to live in Washington.
Mr.. Waldron pointed out that the
supporters of the Jones bill We're
not asking Congress to appropriate
funds. but merely to authorize a
bond issue, which would be pald BACK
it, full in twenty-fiv years.
Doubts Private Action.
He predicted that if the alleys are
to care for these people it will cause
terrible congestion in houses outside
the alleys He was questioned oy
Senator Jones as to the possibility OF
the matter being handled by private
enterprises. and replied that he did not
handled.
we have gone to the great philan-
thropists of the country. SAID MT:
Waldron. They have told us that II
Congress proposes to close these alley
dwellings, Congress should care Tor the
people who live in Them
Rev. Francis J. Lukens read to the
committee a statement prepared by
William V. Mahoney. executive secre-
tary of the association, in which Mr.
Mahoney made strong appear ipt
Lukens suggested that if the alley
dwellings were to be closed a COM
mission should be appointed win
which the dwellers might confer ana
seek advice and aid.
Mr.. Kelley in his testimony pointed
out that in the great cities of South
America and Europe the SUM ana
alIey problems had been handled sue
cessfuily through government aid.
The hearing will be continued Fiji
day morning at 10 o'clock.