The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-13

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vestigators. AS low as was t
the DAILY WORKER investi-
cation in New York, the living
conditions in Chicago are found
to be in many phases, far
lower.
City Takes No Action.
In one of the most scientific sur
veys of housing conditions ever made
IN Chicago, Robert Todd, working
Tor the Chicago Municipal SAM
tarium, found that few cities in
America can show bedrooms as small
as these in Chicago.
I'm many of these bedrooms he
found, 'tThe width is so scant that
the window frames have been cut
away to allow for the length of the
bed. 1t is doubtful whether any city
can show one-quarter of the number
OF small bedrooms that are to be
found here in Chicago. The figures
show the result of years Of neglect of
our housing conditions"
Some time ago the Department of
Public Health summed up the hous-
ing evils which have increased ire
mendously this year. 1.-THE principal
housing evils says the Department
of Health bulletin, "Are lot over
crowding, narrow courts and small
yards, underground rooms, attic
rooms, dark rooms and dark halls, in
sufficient toilet Accommodations, room
overcrowding, defective draining and
plumbing, lack of proper mainte-
nance, and general dilapidation of
buildings. Unfortunately we have
not hitherto had the force to do the
necessary work Of building inspec-
ton.
"A large number of people in GER
tain parts of our city are living in
cellars and Easements which were
never intended for habitation, but
have been converted into living rooms
without approval of the authorities.
There are many rooms which by rea-
son of lack of light, are unfit for hu-
man occupancy. insufficient toilet
Accommodations consist in many cases
of primitive privy vaults, which are
a menace to the rising generation
and a public nuisance. There are
many yard closets which are made
quate with regards to decency, and
which are liable to spread contagion."
Low Standard General.
Another lament for more ade-
quate force with which to mop up the
matter from the running sores of
ostr aftwr t..k, CHI L
allowed to take hold of the social
constitution, is contained in the latest
report of the Department of Health
Of Chicago. "The figures show ap-
proximately $500 inspections per
year per man on new buildings
(alone). There is an element of
danger to the efficiency of the serv-
ice in thus increasing the load of each
man for the reason that quality must
be sacrificed in order to increase
quantity"
The low standard at which the
workers Of the city are forced to
exist is general turnout the city. Mr..
Todd's investigation, covering four
city blocks in four separated sections
Of the city, shows that in block "a"
35 per cent of the homes are over
crowded, in block "B" SO per cent are
overcrowded, in block &C" as per
cent are overcrowded and in block
I'D" as per cent are overcrowded.
Laws Not Enforced.
"The bedrooms" the investigator
found, Gin large proportion are far
below the 80 square feet of floor
space now required by city ordinance.
The alley rooms of one block are
above ten per cent of all the rooms
on the block. Rear rooms that open
onto a rear yard, range from 10 to
20 per cent of all the rooms ex-
amined. Nineteen per cent are SO
dark that one must move slowly to
avoid anything on the floor. In an
additional q per cent it would be
hard to work continuously"
There is a constant strong ten
dency to compress the home because
excessive profits come from crowd
ing" concludes Mr.. Todd, "the whole
device aims at economies which are
carried on without proper regard for
the preservation of home life"
Investigation by the Chicago
School of Philanthropy and Civics Of
Chicago University show that in 10
blocks examined in the stockyards
district, there are 1,459 rooms under
80 square feet in area, the minimum
size now prescribed by city ordinance;
there are 935 rooms under eight and
one-half feet high; the minimum
height now prescribed by city ofdi-
nance; there are 372 rooms with win
dow area less than ten per cent Of
the floor area, the minimum now pre-
scribed by ordinance for new homes;
there are 81 rooms practically with
out any windows at all; there are
1915 dark and gloomy rooms; there
are Lilo out Of 1916 apartments
where families have no private toilet
vacilities; there are 1881 sleeping
rooms crowded beyond the legal
maximum prescribed by law.
Unfit For Animals.
The unspeakable manner in which
the workers of this city are being