Evening star., 1924-01-27
SUPPORT PROMISED
| IN ALLEY CLEANUP
House Members Shocked by
Conditions Here Revealed
by inspection.


in urging new legislation is promised
by members Of the special subcom-
mittee headed by Representative
Henry F. Rathbone of Illinois, after
a personal investigation Of about a
dozen of the alleys yesterday after
noon.
The members of Congress were
frankly amazed" by the conditions
they found, and said that they are
aroused" to the urgent necessity of
having those alleys wiped off the map
of the District of Columbia.
The members of the special suhcom-
| mittee of the House District committee,
including Representatives Ernest w.
Gibson Of Vermont. Ralph Gilbert OF
Kentucky and Everett Kent of Pennsyl-
yania. were conducted on the trip by
Mrs. Archibald Hopkins. originator of
the alley cleanup campaign many years
ago, and Mrs. Whitman Cross, president
of the Instructive Visiting Nurse So
ciety.
Visit Dozen Alleys.
They visited about a dozen alleys in
notorious Logan's court, Crabtree alley
Green's court, between l. and NJ and
26th and 27th streets. They also were
shown the model homes on South Capt.
tol and NJ streets, which are tho type
OF homes 1t is hoped to provide for the
residents of the alleys when the evacu-
alton is effected.
Representative Gibson, a republican
member of the subcommittee, said
last night that they had seen a cross
section of the general situation, some
of the worst of the alleys and some
that have been put into fairly good
shape.
I'VE found conditions bad" he said
people crowded into insanitary
buildings without the decent facilities
of modern life
Surprised mt Conditions.
IL feel sure that some legislation
will grow out Of this" Representative
Gibson said. There will be a
genuine effort to secure enforcement
of the existing laws and such new
laws will be passed as seem neces-
sarT. The committee was very much
surprised to find conditions as bad as
they are"
Representative Kent was dis
tressed to find human beings living
In such pest holes in the very
shadow OF the Nations Capitol. II is
reflection on the entire country"
! he said. He was shocked to find the
health department allowing such ac-
cumulations of mattresses bed
springs, stove pipe. decayed fruit, tin
cans and general refuse within a few
feet of rooms where many pefsons
live.
Up to Health once.
'lt seems to me that the health au-
tHorit1es are not on the job" COM
mented Representative Kent. THE
health authorities have the right. in
view pr the menace to public health,
to step in and abats the nuisance :"
he argued 1T Is an ofense aeains,
common law and the parties are
liable to criminal action" he said.
speaking from his own experience as
senior partner of law firm which
is solicitor for at least a dozen mn
inequalities in Pennsylvania and has
handled many actions Of that kind
common law operates Irrespective
OF local statutes" he said.
There isn't any possibility FOR
proper education of the children in
these novels and s1ums." he pointed
OUT Inc rooms in which they live
are nlthy and the general surround :
lngs are most depressing." He ex-
piafned that the committee memhars
visited one old Army BARRACKS hmi,t
az the time of the civil war in which
Iour families are living in fonr
Raising Rents Scored,
Rents in Pierce Court, "one of the
eI, haye b.sn p1aees ra;sl in the city" he said,
sIo, TO ~, for small. dingy, dirty
rooms, without heat, light or sewer
| , 1he people who take money from
tnose VINO live in places like that
ought to be prosecuted" he said.
tenants and found that the women
work often times in cafes, lunch
rooms and private residences There
is a great hazard of social disease,
he said. Representative Kent empha-
from people who live in such condi-
tions preparing food in restaurants
i and in some of the best homes of the
city; from having BARRIERS towels and
other laundry washed and ironed in
! these surroundings.
Fortunately there are only 10000
people living in these alleys" he con-
| cluded, land the situation can be
remedied at slight public expense
He was much pleased with the model
houses on South Capitol street and
supported the plan Of Mrs. Hopkins
and her associates for selling stock
to public spirited people to provide
funds for building suitable homes for
those who are now forced to live in
these alleys.
THE most glaring thing is," said
Representative Kent, chat the
health and police authorities don't
go in for and clean up these places
and make them be kept clean. We
saw balconies cluttered with old
boxes and wood and general refuse
that constituted Are traps"
"A1l OF these places should be abol-
ished. and these places that have been
hotbeds of vice and disease should
! sentative Kent is convinced, and he
says that IL the people Of the coun-
try who want their Capital City to
be in every way a model knew the
real facts they would insist on q
clean up. The slums Of Philadelphia
and New York, he said. do not COM
pare with the slums In Washington.
| because here there has been no at
tempt whatever by the city officials
to keep some Of these places health
full"
| DRIVE TO CLEAN ALLEYS.