Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-02
Park and Planning Body Pre-
pareS to Abolish Worst
Dwellings.
HIDDEN COMMUNITIES
HELD CRIME CENTERS
SO, 000,00 Revolving Fund Pro-
posed to Cover 10-Year Elm
nation of City's Rot Spots"

The District Commissioners yesterday
ordered the Police Department to make
q census of the present population of
the Districts alleys. The order was
issued on request of the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission,
which has been investigating the alley
situation here for some time with a view
to abolishing alley dwellings in the Ma
tional Capital
AS far as Is known, the number of
alley dwellings in the District is 1,700
The alley population is estimated at
about $4,000.
According to one report of the plan
ming commission. the alleys ARE rot
spots in every part of the old city. They
are centers of crime, immortality and
disease. 1t does not matter whether
they breed criminals and persons dis
eased morally. mentally or physically, or
whether they attract such persons.
Probably they do both. The fact is that
they contain an undue proportion of
these human liabilities, and that be-
cause Of their hidden communities they
increase the difficulties of dealing with
these human liabilities constructively.
The planning commissions survey has
been conducted In conjunction with the
Federal Council Of Social Service Soci-
cites, and the census will be made in
cooperation with william B. Mahoney
Of that organization.
Bill Being Prepared.
The planning commission is at work
on bill to eliminate alley dwellings
from the city and to restore to it the
Spaciousness intended by its founders
The tentative draft Of the bill calls for
elimination Of all alleys less than 80
feet wide at any point or those which
do not open into street at one end at
least 40 feet wide. The bill pro-
vfdeS q 10-year period in which the
property In the alleys to be eliminated
will be bought, and sets up a revolving
fund OF $4,000. 900 for this purpose. The
land bought in the alleys to be elimi-
mated is to be used in various ways, ac-
cording to the present plans, such as
widening the alleys into minor streets,
using the land for extensions to public
parks or Fairgrounds or school grounds,
setting up small. new, public parks and
selling the land In alleys to be closed to
private homes as additions to their
property.
The funds. according to the present
draft Of the bill, are to be handled by
the United States Housing Corporation.
After the 10-year period allowed for
working out the provisions of the act
all alley dwellings are to be vacated as
dwellings, the owners having recourse
to the courts If dissatisfied with the
orders Of the housing corporation.
A penalty Of $500 or six months i'm
pr1sonment Is imposed for violating the
rules set up under the proposed bill.
Past Attempts Failed.
Several efforts have been made to adj
minister alley closing regulations In the
past, none Of them successfully.
The last bill on the subject was to
have become effective in 1918. That
found Washington In the midst of its
acute housing shortage during the war.
and the effective date was postponed
until 1928. Shortly after 1923, a case
was taken to court, and the court
promptly declared the law unconstitu-
tional Since that time there has been
no alley closing legislation.