Evening star., 1933-09-10
D. c. AL[EYWAyS
MAY Be CLEARED
Program Will Be Model for
Removing of SIums in
Other Cities.
Continued From First Page.)

Utner CitleS.
Continued From First Page)
see and gained at first hand picture
of conditions there.
When the great public works program
got under way, slum clearance became
one of the works that would provide
employment and at the same time
eradicate long fostering sores in the
cities of the Nation Mrs Roosevelt in
terested herself in the project as ap-
piled to the District and is known to
have offered her counsel in the plans
that are now shaping up for the Dis
trict.
Two Plans Contemplated.
According to Kohn. two plans are
contemplated here.
The first will be to seek sponsorship
of model housing projects to replace
alley novels. This. according to the
plans now being studied, would be
worked out by concerns using loans
from the Public Works Administration,
and would be on the more or less con-
ventional plan Of slum- m-clearance, in
volving actual replacement of outmoded.
insanitary, ill-lighted and dilapidated
structures.
The other plan is more applicable to
the alley problem that has been vexing
the District for many years. 1t involves
renovation and bringing up to date OF
houses, clearance of the alleys and
building of gardens and private recrea-
ton spots along unsightly alleys now
tenanted by a nondescript collection OF
ramshackle outhouses, catch-alls, ash
piles and refuse dumps People actual
ly are living in some of these.
Studied as Experiment.
These two plans are frankly being
studied as an experiment.
Says Kohn:
From a social viewpoint, Washington
presents an admirable focus for the pro-
gram of slum clearance that is contem
plated
These two great experiments Of
Frightening and making more habitable
the homes of the laboring as well as
the white-collar class at the focal point
Of the Nation are expected to gain ap-
proval because of the very nature of
Washington
Members of Congress can see from
these experiments just what can be
done along these lines and can interest
other cities Of the country in the work"
Mr.. Kohn explained briefly that ne
gotiationS have been carried on for
some time with various groups of busi-
ness men who have advanced plans of
their own for slum clearance here and
who have studied the plans tentatively
worked out by Mr.. Kohn's division Of
the Public Works Administration.
Secrecy to Be Observed.
The utmost secrecy will oe observed
as to the locations of the experiments,
tempts that might be made by indi-
viduals to capitalize on the work and
hold up the Government and the
sponsors Of the plan for the property
needed.
Slum clearance here in the District
is known to find q favorable attitude
on the part of Public Works Admins
traitor Harold L. Ickes. At press con-
ference earlier in the week he indicated.
his great interest in the possibility that
the Public Works Administration might
do something about "slum clearance" in
Washington in the way Of alley dwell
ing elimination.
The Washington Chapter Of the
American Institute Of Architects has
drawn up and had before the last two
sessions of Congress definite legisla-
ton to make possible large-scale alley
and slum elimination projects here, but
final action on the measure was not
obtained
Would Set Up Board.
The proposed law was modelled after
the State housing board acts of New
York and Ohio. It would set up a
housing board which would have di-
rect supervision and control over prof.
ectS to be carried on by private corpo-'
rations created under the provisions Of
the act. Stockholders of such corpo-
rations would be limited to a return of
not more than 6 per cent a year on
their investment.
The proposed board would consist of
seven members, including the chair
Planning Commission, the District En-
glneer Commissioner and the District
building inspector as ex-offlcio men,
bers and four citizens well qualified
and experienced in modern housing
practice and policies, to be appointed
by the President, at least two Of whom
would be residents Of the District and
selected on recommendation of the
District Commissioners.
The members of the board would
serve without salary, except for one,
who would act as director Of housing
for the District
it was proposed to attack unemploy-
ment with slum-clearance with Recon-
struction Finance Corporation funds.
The r. F. c. funds could not be loaned
unless there was State housing COM
mission.
1900 Live In Alleys.
The Public Works Administration is
given wider powers than these, and 1t
Is not expected that the legality of any
allotment of the Public Works Admin
istration for slum-clearance here would
be questioned.
It has been estimated that there are
between IL 900 and 13 900 persons iv-
ing in alley and slum dwellings In
Washington maybe more, since the de-
preston has appreciably lowered the
living standards of thousands OF
Washingtonians. There are 2.400 alley
dwellings in the city, nearly all OF
which come under the classification OF
problem habitations."
John hlder, housing expert and con-
sultant Of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, submitted
these figures to the commission in 1881,
declaring:
some Of these alleys are commu-
mites Of such size that they would be
considered villages II they had . rural
environment. For instance, there Is
Navy place. which contains 10 houses;
O'Brien's court, with 10; SHOWS court,
with Al; Cooksey place, with So, and
D.xon's court, with a."
Few Efforts in Past.
There have been in the past few
efforts to actually eliminate the alley
and slum housing conditions here. The
Washington Sanitary Housing Co.,