Evening star., 1924-01-26
D. c. COMMITTEE
TO VISIT ALLEYS
Personal Tour Today Follows
DenunCiation of Condi-
tions at Hearing.


condition. will be made this afternoon
by n subcommittee from the House
District committee. accompanied by
leading social workers. and under po-
lice protection. The party will leave
the House District committee rooms
at 3 o'clock.
This action was decided upon at a
hearing before the special Subcommit-
tee today, of which Representative
Rathbone OF Illinois is chairman.
Other members of the committee who
will make the trip are Representatives
Gibson. Vermont: Gilbert, Kentucky,
and Kent. Pennsylvania.
Representative Rathbone explained
his interest in the alleys by saying
that Washington is his birthplace
and that he has always loved the
city. He has made two trips about
the alley slums and described tn"
conditions as "%hoCking. deplorable
and a menace TO the city" He told
the subcommittee that the entire
country has been aroused by news
paper comment on those two trips.
He advised that this city should be
made a model for the country by
making living conditions here proper
for the poorer classes.
"sanitation First STEP
You should see the condition your
self in order that you may thoroughly
appreciate it he advised ms col
leagues. The first thing is to put the
alleys in sanitary shape. and then
work out AS rapidly as possible IA
scheme to take the people from these
alleys and put them into decent hahi-
tations. When this is done, he said.
the alleys should be used fot' other
purposes.
Mrs Archibald Hopkins. who has
been leader III the campaign to
clean UP the alley slumS for many
personal inspection would prove IN
stant conversion" for. them Mrs.
hopkins reviewed the interest tax en
by the first Mrs. Woodrow Wilson,
she did for the poor of the city and
told of the alley bill being passed
just before Mrs. Wilson died.
Naming Mrs. Whitman Cross. preSi-
dent of the Instructive Visiting Nurse
Society; Mrs. Richard Wainwright OF
the Ellen Wilson Memorial Home AS
sociatiou. and Mrs. Anne Archibald,
Mrs. Hopkins said: We four women
have banded ourselves together to
make Congress recognize that the alley
conditions in Washington are u dis
grace to the nation
"Mediev;I Streets
Representative Rathbone described d
some OF the alleys as medieval
streets.
Mrs. Hopkins said the first thing
was for the House committee to
support Senator Copeland i'll his order
TO the District authorities demand
ing that the alleys be cleaned up
Tie second is to try to get homes 10
put the alley dwellers into. strong
~ intimatiug that pub. .ic-sptrited
citizens are prepared to buy BILE
land for the erection of model homes
to take care of the alley dwellers. -.
The third step, she said. is for leg
tslation so that the alley dweiierS
over "a period of Years. Mrs Hopkins
urged turning the alleys, when they
are evacuated, into automobile park
ing space.
Mrs. Hopkins laid before the commit
tee report from the board of condem-
nation of insanitary buildings, showing
shat the total number of alley dwell
tngs is 2,544, of which 2i7 are di-
lapidated and 6S are vacant. There
are 9.19S inhabitants of these alleys
she said, OF which 5o7 are white pco-
pie and S,691 colored.
The approximate value of the alley
dwellings is Sl,2T2, 600. She also laid
before the committee list of the
alleys which have no lights or sewers
or water. with the number of houses
and the number of inha bitants. There
are nine such alleys in the list.
Two Causes for Decrease.
The decrease in the alley popula-
ton is due to two causes" Mrs.
Hopkins said. First, the conversion
of alley dwellings into garages and
business buildings and, second, the
failure of the owners to keep the
buildings in repair. a great ma
'ority of the alley dwellings, are in
more or less dilapidated condition -
Mrs. Hopkins explained. owing to
the expectation of having to vacate
the greater number of such dwellings
on June !"
She pointed out that these alleys
are fertile fields for the vice squad
and prohibition officers.
Representative Kent of Pennsyl-
rania tnterjected that he believed the
first step is to order the health de-
partment to send garbage wagons
and the fire department to go in with
hose and clean up the alleys. Mrs.
Hopkins explained that the working
force of the District was seriously
shorthanded and not of most effi-
cient type, owing to the failure of
Congress to grant adequate appro-
priationS.
Capt. Clayton L. Emig Of the Du-
pont Circle Citizens Association told
the subcommittee that Senator Cope
land had promised that the most I'M
mediate work of cleaning up the al
leys would be done within thirty
days.
Mrs Cross representing the In
structive Visiting Nurse Society, ex-
platned that these nurses find many
of their worst cases in the alleys
which are grave menace to the
health of the city.
Involve Many Problems.
Representative Rathbone pointed
out that there were various problems
entering into the alley question, that
of health, crime, fire risk, etc.
Mrs. Archibald protested that there
was no tenement law to control over
crowding in alley dwellings.
Replying to questions by Represent
ative Gibson, Snowden Ashford, vice
president of the Dupont Circle Citi-
EenS Association, explained the ques-
fion of authority that rests with Dis
trict officials and told of the original
laws which he assisted the late Com
missioner Macfarland and DIR. kober
to get enacted, which were passed in
1906. Capt. Emig agreed with Mr..
ashford that the District Commits
sioners have sufficient authority to
compel improvements of the alley
dwellings. and have revolving fund
of more than $4,000, with authority to
assess costs against the owners.
Representative Kent said: Sweep
away the silly barriers and clean up
your alleys. Whoever heard such
nonsense that Il health officer could
not 20 into such places and cleanup
n public nuisance"
Cant. Emig advocated q law cover
ing tenement crowdng.
Inspector Atkinson, for the board OF
condemnation of insanitary buildings
presented data supporting the state
ments of Mrs, Hopkins.
Fl. l.. Bushong also appeared before
the committee as member of the
Lincoln Park Citizens Association's
committee on avenues and alleys.
PLANS TO PURIFY AIR.