The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-02-12
SLUMS REFLECT
ON HIGHER TYPE
: OF CITY HOMES
indianapolis Record Marred
by Unhealthy Poor
Districts.

This is the second Of a series on nous
Ing conditions in indianapolis. a follow
M on a series on the National .ituation.
In a preceding article Of this Sc
ries. facts and figures were cited
, to show that indianapolis is fortu-
nate, in its housing conditions, con-
sidering the low national standard.
But. paradoxically, this apparent
ly fortunate condition actually is a
drawback to the city, in the ten
dency to accept conditions as fairly
good, and to sit back complacently
without attempting to reach state
OF perfection.
Often it requires an emergency
to arouse public attention and
action.
Slums Affect City
= While Indianapolis does have a
smaller proportion of evil conditions
than the nation as a whole, it is a
challenge to the people Of this city
when it is realized such conditions
exist at all.
Most persons fail to realize that
they living in homes measuring up
to high standards of decency and
health, are not isolated from the
squahd conditions of semi-slums.
Evils existing in the poorest sec
tons of the city have a direct bear
ing on the health and well being of
every other section of a city
This Is shown best by study of
outbreaks of contagious diseases.
Start Epidemics
These epidemics, usually original
ing in sections of the city where
living conditions are known to be
far below standard, are no respec-
ters of persons.
Once started, they are not con-
fined to their source, but spread
throughout the city by public con-
tact.
Children in insanitary homes, the
breeding ground Of disease, mingle
with children from the city's bet
ter homes in the classroom; every
child in the school is exposed to
contagion and, in turn, carry the
disease.
A miikman may jeopardize health
and even lives of an entire city. A
poor laborer, forced to live in such
conditions, brushing elbows with
more fortunate persons on street
cars, In stores, theaters and other
public places, may expose others.
Disease Breeds in Dirt
Epidemic charts in the offices of
the health board reveal that such
epidemics almost always originate
In certain sections of the city.
These sections sometimes include
poorer class rooming houses where
many persons live under one roof,
using one bathroom and living in
generally insanitary circumstances.
Also they include sections largely
composed of shacks, or old houses
which have known better days, but
which have been permitted to de-
teriorate, many of which have out
door vaults, polluted cisterns, lack
ventilation and are overcrowded,
permitting little privacy.
Depression Increases Crowding
Unfortunately, such slum-like
conditions are not isolated. A row
of the worst kind of houses may
be found crowded in the rear of a
fine residence block.
A tour of alleys in the better
residential districts will reveal
scores of fire-trap shacks and
disease breeding grounds nesting
in the shadow of fine homes.
The last two years have seen this
class of property tending to reach
an even lower level, due to the de-
preston which affected real estate,
reducing value and income on in
veStment.
Conditions Will Change
Economic conditions Of the last
two years also have contributed to
increased overcrowding, with several
families frequently occupying one
house inadequate in size and unfit
in character to house even one
small family. Overcrowding here
and throughout the state has in
creased 80 per cent in the last year,
according to state health board
records.
However, this latter condition is
more or less temporary, and I'M
doubtedly will be relieved to large
extent as soon as economic condi-
tions are better.
other bad effects also have been
traced to poor housing condition.
First is the physical consequence,
the most plainly seen.
Health Detriment
Studies have revealed that chill
dren reared in inSanitary, over
crowded dwellings are smaller and
less healthy than those reared in
more satisfactory surroundings.
Figures show that approximately
two-thirds of delinquent children
live in homes where dirty, poorly
ventilated rooms predominant. One
third of the shiftless mothers, and
two-thirds of the deserving fathers
also are in this classification.
"Herding" of large numbers of
persons in small quarters destroys
privacy, an essential to home life.
Modesty and morality are likely to
be abandoned.
Children Play in Streets
Young girls have no place to
meet their boy friends, and keep
rendezvous away from home, in
dance halls or on the street, and
frequently become juvenile court
cases as a result.
1t virtually is impossible to breed
good citizens in conditions such as
these.
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