Evening star., 1937-02-14
BY BECK.


sonal gift Of Mr. Ihlder, stand square,
tidy houses, painted brilliant white.
and Of an architectural design that
bears in its utmost simplicity the hall
mark Of dignity.
Neat, white curtains were tied back
at every window. The small, square
porches were Immediately clean.
Smoke rolled cozily from uniform
brick chimneys. bespeaking domestic
tranquility within. The whole ap-
pearance Of the place was refreshing
like a deep drink of clean. cold water
after q brackish draught. There
could be no question Of the psychology
cal effect of such surrounding upon
the occupants of these houses.
THE manager tells me-" said the
director of the project, that here in
Hopkins place the same tenants who
once lived under deplorable Slum con-
ditions have improved 100 per cent in
their housekeeping. They have some
thing to take care Of now-something
they can take pride in. We want to
make it an honor to be granted per-
mission to rent q house in these re-
claimed courts, and we do not base
the choice of tenants upon income.
Rather, 1t is upon, first, their house
keeping, and second, upon their ability
to control their children. Good neigh
borlinness Is the standard. The in
comes of some of the tenants are SO
negligible that We could not make
them a basis for occupancy"
In Hopkins place IL new houses
have been built and II old ones re-
conditioned. An experiment is under
way to judge of the relative value OF
reconditioning existing property or
demolishing it entirely and recon-
structing on the same site. All the
houses contain four rooms and bath.
but the newly constructed ones have
larger rooms, more window space and
modern baths. On one side OF the
court the houses are more completely
equipped with respect to their kitchens
and slightly additional rent is charged.
Rents cover all costs of this enter
prise.
In five Of the houses that have been
reconditioned the outdoor toilet has
been retained, but rebuilt and equipped
with modern plumbing. That is, 1t
occupies a room but a step from the
kitchen door, actually part of the house
proper, but one must 60 outside the
kitchen door to enter the additional
room. Houses that have been recon-
ditioned in this way rent for $3.50 a
month. Those with complete bath
rooms within doors, but reconditioned
rent for $3.50 a month. The COM
pletely new structures rent for $25 q
month, while corner houses and those
with fully equipped kitchens, includ-
ing mechanical refrigeration, rent TO,
about $26.50.
At First street northwest saw an
example of how one single alley car
extend to q series of inhabited alleys
and affect an entire neighborhood
These streets are honeycombed with
the infested areas, and I soon realized
that the house we had entered was
indeed typical of occupied dwellings
This section presents the unique pic
ture Of city within city. The alley
dwellers have here their own stores
ter own interests, their own COM
munity life, which is certainly not
based upon the fundamentals of good
citizenship. They resent intrusion
and gathered in groups to scowl black
| ly upon two visitors from another
world. One ramshackle building
housed a general store that catered
apparently. to lovers Of sea food
| "Devel Crabb," announced sign over
the door; stuff Crab" reiterated an
other in the window, to lure the in
| trepid within. Here washing hung
from house to house, and it apparently
represented work that had been taken
home"
Through numerous other courts, on
| the site of one of which a number OF
commercial garages have been built.
we crossed to the other side of town,
in the vicinity of Howard University.
Alley and slum dwellings that had been
located here since the days when
freedmen settled on Federal sites and
that marred an area otherwise given
over to decent, comfortable dwellings,
have been demolished by the Alley
Dwelling Authority. Today an apart
ment building is under construction
on one of these sites. It will contain
81 apartments for colored occupancy,
in two to four room units, each with
bath and kitchen, mechanical refriger-
alton and hot and cold water and heat.
The units will rent from $25 month
to $35. As there are about $1,000 col
ored people in Washington, this prof.
ect will be welcome contribution to
slum reclamation.
T FELT I lacked the moral courage
to face another slum. Aside from
the human consideration, the slum
plainly is q social liability and an eco
nomic liability. Perhaps that, in the
end, will make the stronger appeal
mankind being as it is-and arouse
demands for its elimination. I be-
lieve strongly in beautiful public build
ings to house suitably the dignified Of
fees of our Government. but passing
the white marble structure so recently
completed on Capitol Hill, marveled
at q .iewpoint that can unflinchingly
appropriate $4,000, 900 for one build
ing and say in the next breath that
we can't afford more than $161 900 to
clear out the cesspools that harbor
humanity within the very shadow Of
that noble structure. It does seem a.
We could strike better balance than
that You dgure It OUT feel too III.