Evening star., 1946-05-10

families have Al per cent dwellings
substandard as compared with q
per cent for the whites. In the s35
to $44 rental groups on the other
hand, the whites are more badly
housed than the nonwhiteS.
In general rentals below $25 will
buy only dwelling facilities about
thirds of which are substandard.
In the rental range $25 to $34, about
third of the dwellings are sub
standard. Between $35 and S44, the
proportion of substandardness falls
to about one-fifth From $45, to $54
(where no nonWhite families ap-
pear it falls to less than one
sixth. Even above $54, one dwelling
in 25 is notably substandard-a
condition which certainly should not
exist.
1T should be remembered that the
comparative figures quoted above
refer only to structural conditions
1t would undoubtedly be found that,
in the same physical quarters, over
croWding is much more serious
among Negroes than among whites.
Legal Powers Needed.
Any substantial progress in the
improvement of domestic sanitation
in the District, the survey predicted,
must depend on increased legal
powers of the Health Department
in securing improvements before the
stage of condemnation is reached,
and on materially enlarged staff
of inspectors" One important
change urged by the District Com
missioners now before Congress was
said to give the Commissioners au-
thority to define all classes of hous-
ing and to regulate licensing of all
types of houses, except single and
two family dwellings"
The surveyors said it was crafty
ing to note that District Health
Officer DR.. George c. Rutland had
included in his estimates requests
for providing inspection of approx
mately 5000 substandard dwellings,
which if granted should make pos
sible a most important STEP"
The wnole problem of decent
housing, the survey said, boiled
down primarily to "one for the
family able to pay less than S35 a
month for rent. No landlord" de-
clared the report, can be forced to
make alterations in his property
which exceed any possible increase
of rental for that property. Nor
would outright condemnation
without alternative dwelling facil-
tiles which the tenant can afford
accomplish anything but the crea-
ton of worse slums in adjoining
areas"
Water Supply Praised.
The nine recommendations for
improvement of sanitary conditions
throughout the area include the
four directly pointed at the problem
of improving Washington's sub
standard dwellings,.
Water supply of the area is gen.
orally praised, though proposals are
made for tightening CONTROL
Fairfax County, Va, receives the
most criticism of any nearby area
particularly in regard to milk
sanitation" officials of the county
taking exception recently to the
preliminary reports criticism of
health inspection. claimed that the
Virginia State milk inspection in
the county is rigid.
Among the other five of the nine
recommendation to solve "the most
pressing problems of environmental
sanitation" was this one concerning
the Districts water supply:
The development of joint plan
under which the War Department.
the District Department Of Health
and the District Department OF
Sanitary Engineering will cooper
ate effectively in the protection OF
the public water supply against
possible hazards in the distribution
system.
Would Restrict Sewage.
In the adjoining areas the report
proposed: --
THE elimination of the discharge
of raw sewage into the Northeast
Branch and the Beaver Dam
Branch in Prince Georges County,
Md.
Development of more systematic
supervision of private water sup
plies in the rural areas of Fairfax.
Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties and the passage OF legisla-
ton requiring permits for sewage
disposal before the construction of
new developments in Fairfax and
Prince Georges Counties.
The radical revision of legisla-
ton and substantial increase of per-
sonnel in Fairfax County to provide
for a reasona bly, adequate program
of sanitary inspection and of milk
sanitation.
The development of public
water supply and the extension of
sewerage systems in the northern
part of Fairfax County"
The report on sanitation opens
with a lengthy discussion of the
water supply over the whole Metro
politan Area. The supply for the
District of Columbia and Arlington
County, provided from the Wash
ington Aqueduct operated by the
War Department. was described as
excellent as to quality. Pointing