Evening star., 1928-12-30
Housing Situation i'm Washington
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Every capital of the world has its
peculiar beauties. The outstanding edi
fees and places by token of which
great cities are famed are nearly
always public in character, built by
governments for government and for
r-'blic use. Washington bows to no
capital in the matter of the beauty
of its public buildings and parks. but
it has the added distinction of being
among the most elegant cities in the
world from the point of view of resi-
dences and privately owned structures.
This fact has just been most eX-
pressively emphasized in report of
the Bureau of Labor Statistics. which
finds that more money is spent on
dwellings at the National Capital than
in any other American city of metro
politan proportions. While the bu-
reau's statistics cover only the United
States, it may safely be assumed that
head of world list, for American
standards are admittedly the highest.
To begin with, Washington has no
extensive slums There are poor sec
tions of the city, to be sure, but no
areas wherein one may go for block
after block through squalid and in
sanitary surroundings. Such small
islands of poor and unsightly dwell
ings as have survived rapidly are being
displaced by better building. The new
program of building whereby mile
long strip just south of Pennsylvania
avenue will be adorned with public
buildings to house the Government
departments, is wiping out scores of un-
slightly old structures.
The Fine Arts Commission must pass
on the architectural acceptability OF all
public buildings, monuments and the
like, and zoning law OF the District
of Columbia governs to some extent
the placing and design-especially as
to height-of private structures. More
over civic pride is strong in Washing
ton and business houses vie with each
other in planning handsome buildings,
be they stores, Office buildings, theaterS
or apartment houses.
Residences Are Beautiful.
But it is the residence itself which
holds such a high standard OF taste.
In recent years there has been tre-
mendous improvement in architectural
design and, what the Bureau Of Labor
Statistics especially emphasizes. extent
of money outlay on dwellings. The
average cost of a dwelling in Wash
ington is higher than in any other
city. The same is true of apartment
houses.
Washington began with good models,
and there are still many survivals OF
perfect Colonial architecture. Like
every other American city, the Capital
passed through its architectural dark
ages, during which hideous buildings
were erected, but most of them have
been done away with or have had their
facades lifted. The tree-lined streets
and avenues of the Capital Citv fur
nish In themselves an incentive to at
tractive building. There is variety in
type of dwellings in Washington. Many
one-family dwellings are constructed.
Quite a number of two-family houses
are built and many apartment houses
of varying sizes, some quite enormous.
The figures given by the bureau are
cost figures and must not be mistaken
for price figures. What the house pur-
chaser pays for dwelling Is somewhat
more. Nor do these figures include
either the cost or the selling price OF
the land on which the structures are
erected. Builders profit and land value
must be added. ..
During the first six months Of 1928,
statistics for which period have just
been completed, the average cost Of a
one-family dwelling in the District OF
Columbia was 1854. In that period
745 such houses we're built. The lowest
cost recorded was in Buffalo. where the
figure was only $3,619 and where 934