Evening star., 1924-02-02
DC. .0FF|C|AL|.S'DENY|
BLAME |I FOR ALLEYS
Declare Lack of Funds and
Law Limitations Prevent
Ending of Conditions.

District officials, including Commits
sioners Oyster and Rudolph. Health
officer Fowler. Fire Chief Watson.
Fire Marshal Seib and Inspector Shell
by of the police department. testified
today before the special subcommlt-
tee of tho House District committee
as to why they have been unable to
maintain sanitary conditions in some
of the inhabited alleys:
DR.. Fowler said it was utterly i'm
possible with the force he has at
present to keep the alleys under
supervision. lie explained that the
alley dwellers are not at all par
ticular about their surroundings.
They collect all kinds of furniture,
crockery and almost anything they
can pick up at the places where they
work, which they stack up about
their homes in the alleys. They are
50 Indifferent, he said. regarding sani-
rary conditions that If they were
given better dwellings In about
month they would have them in as
bad condition as those they now oc-
cupy.
During the past week he put his
entire force upon serving notices and
a total of l.016 were served. Many
places have already been cleaned. he
said, and in other places the refuse
has been stacked up waiting for the
street cleaning department to remove
it. He advised the committee that
il they would go back today they
would find decided Improvement.
Can't Keep Pace Up.
Eut this is an extraordinary effort,
he said. and his department cannot
keep It up. The entire force has been
kept busy and the work would have
TO be done all over again in another
month. He explained the working OF
his department. showing that after
notice has been served every place
must be revisited and in the case
of failure to comply with the notice
the corporation counsel is called upon
to act.
Congress provided only $4,000. he
said, for the abatement of nuisances.
1t cannot be done for anything like
that money He explained that this
money Is merely loaned to the District
and Is all paid back into the Treasury.
hight now $4,000 is needed for cases
already pending.
The only way to handle the situa-
ton. he advised the committee. is to
provide IN adequate force. He esti-
mated he should have not less than
twenty-five sanitary inspectors. Some
or these men are now getting $500
and under the reclassiflcation. effective
July l, would receive $1,000
Representative Rathbone OF Illinois
chairman OF the subcommittee in
charge of the hearing. said: ITO my
mind IL is q. shame to ask a man to
act for any such salary. 1t Is to-
tally inadequate"
The members of the subcom mittee
agreed emphatical!y with him.
Extra inspectors Needed.
committee that Health Officer Fowler
had asked for six additional in
spectors, that on account of the hm-.
tations placed upon them BY the
budget bureau the Commissioners
have been forced to cut this to three
and the budget bureau had cut out
the three
DR.. Fowler pointed out that his
inspectors lose a great deal of time
IN the courts prosecuting cases. Last
to the courts. He complained that
the noile pressing of these cases se-
riously htnders his work. II fines
We're imposed, he said. the offenders
would be more careful.
without an adequate force we can
not do what is expected of u.s." DR..
Fowler said. Chairman Rathbone
said that the health office request
was a very modest one and should
have been allowed.
Representative Gilbert of Ken
lucky, who was formerly Judge.
tention that the alley law had been
made imperative through court In
junction. Cant we change the law
to make 1t operative?" he asked.
why cant we extend the law to
clean up alleys gradually 50 as
rms n, ah e -o1 law duro In
which breed disease, crime and con-
stitute serious fire llazard?'
New Buildings Banned.
Commissioner Oyster, explained
that no new buildings are permitted
in the alleys. When a building de-
teriorates so per cent 1t has to be
demolished. my thought is" he said,
that the existing houses should be
rut in sanitary condition or torn
down" The houses, he said, are own
ed by people who are able to put
them in sanitary condition.
DIR. Fowler told the committee that
total of s4,132 visits had been made
by sanitary inspectors regarding the
abatement of nuiSances during, the
last year. Since July l.. he said, there
have been 1000 complaints. 5.o54 no.
been 1900 reinspections.
Representative Gilbert said he could
not see why 100000 persons should be
kept In dread of fire, disease and
crime by the 5000 who have been the
source of the offense. There is no
justification for trucking with own
ers of these alley dwellings, he said.
we want legislation drastic enough
to reach these people"
Commissioner Oyster warned the
committee that they are not going to
. make much headway with the courts
we have made effort" he said, but
njunctions have been served. We
are ready to go to any extreme to
force the issue In this matter. We
will not relax in our efforts to carry
these matters into court"
"Whatever laws you make We will
90 our best to see that they are car
ried out" Commissioner Oyster said
Cells Alleys Menace.
Dr. Fowler explained that the own
ers Of alley dwellings will not clean
up the premises because they expect
TO be forced out. "I have always re-
garded the alleys in Washington as a
menace, but have been unable to
carry out what is needed for a gen
eral clean up" he said. He thought
the responsibility is largely that CT
the tenant.
Chairman Commissioner Rudolnh
pointed out that the Lockwood and
Norman cases against the Distric+
Commissioners on closing up of sJlev
houses are due to come up FOR a.
ton in April. I'VE have attemntad
70 enforce the law, but have been en-.
joined" he said.