Evening star., 1924-01-25
WAR UPON ALLEYS
IS GIVEN PLEDGE OF
SENATORS BACKING
Cleanup Program Agreed to
by Subcommittee and Of
! ficiaIs of District.
OWNERS OF PROPERTIES
TO BE LISTED AT ONCE
Day Will Be Fixed for Removal of
Rubbish-Fund to Be Asked
for Drive.

War on the alleys of Washington
was declared at meeting of the Sen
ate District subcommittee on public
health. charities and hospitals. at
tended by the District Commissioners
and the health officer in the Senate
District committee room today. The
following program was agreed upon:
% 1t was determined that a list
should be prepared of the owners of
alley properties in insanitary condi-
tion. This list Senator Copeland of
New York, chairman of the subcom-
mittee, declared should be published.
If necessary, he said, he would read
1t into the Congressional Record.
2. Under the provisions of the So
called abatement of nuisances act. the
District Commissioners are to send
notices to the owners of property to
clean UP or tear down where the con-
ditionS warrant.
Removal on Certain Day.
3. Residents Of these alley dwell
ings and owners Of vacant lots on
which rubbish has collected will be
instructed to place all refuse material
in the alleys and streets for removal
on certain day to be fixed later.
4. The District Commissioners are
to work out plan for the removal
OF this waste material.
S. The Senate District committee
will use every effort to get an appro-
priation sufficiently large to enable
the Commissioners to clean up the city.
8. Plans will be made to do away
with all wooden fences about back
yards and along the alleys In the city.
which were declared to be a fire haz-
ard Wire fanceS when desired
to be substituted.
Copeland Tells Of Trip.
Senator Copeland OF New York, in
opening the meeting declared that
last Sunday he personally visited the
alleys of Washington. He said that
he had heard that worse slums were
to be found in Washington than In
New York.
II was much surprised to find liv-
ing conditions in these slums here
worse than those in the slums of New
York" said Senator Copeland. II
reached the conclusion that there must
be abundant reason for this; that there
was lack of authority to combat these
conditions, Therefore. it seemed to
With the District commissioners Conn sie rseslnd and
the health officer, so that we might
determine what should be done.
These heaps of rubbish and build
for rats said Senator Copeland, land
rats, it Is said, cost 81 a year each
to any community through the de-
struction they cause. Further, they
are carriers of disease and spread
too. that there are as many rats in
. city as there are people.
Not Critic OF Omcials.
What I am saying should be con-
sidered in no sense a reflection on
the administration Of this city. 1t
is easy for outsiders to criticize who
do not know the conditions There
may not be authority here to meet
these conditions. If there is lack of
such authority we should assist in
obtaining it. The Capital city should
be beautiful and sanitary, but its
beauty must not be a veneer. 1t
must rest on solid ground"
Commissioner Rudolph called at
tention to the fact that a member of
the House had recently criticized the
Commissioners as being derelict in
enforcing the law prohibiting the use
explained that the Commissioners
had been enjoined in the courts from
putting this law into effect. and that
the case was now before the Court of
Appeals.
Senator Copeland said that he, had
no thought about the removal Of the
alley houses. I do not believe in pa
ternalisn or in the government go
ing out and building houses. But we
can have regulations and enforce
them regarding decent living condi-
tions."
Power to Abnte Nuisanees.
Engineer Commissioner Bell pre-
sented to the committee the copy of
the law for the abatement of nui-
sances in the District enacted in 1906.
After examining the terms of this
law 1t was the consensus of opinion
of Senator Copeland, the District
had sufficient authority was given to
abate nuisances, but that the hands OF
the Commissioners have been tied by
the failure of Congress to appropriate
A revolving fund to be used for
this purpose will be sought in the
next appropriation bill.
Mrs Archibald Hopkins entered
that it would be inhuman to turn
them out Of their homes until sani-
tary houses have been constructed.
She said that the residents of the
District should give this their earnest
Commissioner oyster told the COM
mittee that the fire department has
taken steps to abate the fire hazard.
Owners are Blamed.
He insisted that the owners of the
alley property should be compelled to
put this property in order.
Capt. Oyster said that many build
ings are now being condemned by the
authorities. and those that have de-
preciated so per cent in value were
ordered torn down, while others were
ordered to be repaired. He said that
271 buildings had been condemned.
valued at over $4,000.
I'VE have very few inspectors"
said Capt. Oyster. I'VE could do bet
ter work II we had more, but we are
7fonfInU0d on P0Ro IL IC0lumn- ~