Evening star., 1954-05-11
The Fight on SIums
Senators See Rundown Areas
AsD.C. Seeks Cleanup Power

Two Senators today saw for
themselves why the District
wants broader powers to clean
up its slum dwellings.
Senator Beall, Republican, of
Maryland and Senator Mans
field, Democrat. of Montana
spent mbore than an hour look
ing at houses in varying stages
of disrepair.
At the end of the tour, Sena-
tor Mansfield declared: "They
ought to be torn down. and bet
ter structures built on these lots.
They're disgrace"
Senator Beall, chairman of
the Senate District Subcommit-
tee considering legislation to
give the District power to force
repair or removal of such build
ings, noted that this was the
third time he had visited some
of these spots over the past
dozen years, and each time they
looked worse.
He commented that they de-
veloped vandalism and were a
breeding place for neighborhood
juvenile gangs.
Visit SchOtt's Alley.
Accompanied by the three
members of the Districts Board
for Condemnation of InSanitary
Buildings, the Senators stopped
first at Schott's Alley, which can
be seen from the windows of the
Senate Office Building half a
block away.
William Cary, director of pub
lie health engineering for the
District, said the alley dwellings
behind c street between First
and Second streets NE. were
first called to the boards atten-
ton by Senator Holland. Demo-
crat, Of Florida, who protested
their proximity to an attractive
apartment building housing
Capitol staff members.
The Senators looked at the
gaping doors and windows, the
yawning roofs and the fallen
bricks and Senator Beall COM
mented. these should come
down Immediately"
Condemned 10 Years.
The next stop was at 121-141
P street S.W.-11 frame row
houses which figured in a case
upholding the conStitutionality
of the law for condemnation of
insanitary dwellings. The Sem
ators were told the buildings
were first condemned in 1914
and deteriorated so much that
in 1853 the District condemned
the rear walls of a number of
these structures as unsafe.
Since they could be torn down
as unsafe, the owner made
enough repairs at the rear to
hold them up. But since they
cannot be torn down by the
District as insanitary, they are
still standing.
Senator Beall noted that he
had been on a House committee
10 years ago which looked at
these buildings while consider
ing sites for a housing project.
This demonstrates the need
for the District to have the
power to get these buildings
down." commented the Senator.
Area Near School.
The Senators drove into an
alley beside Armstrong Voca-
tional School to reach their third
objective.
That's a school for kids next
door," pointed out Mr.. Cary,
land look at this"
This was Brooks Court NV,
off Fourth and P streets NV.
The board condemned 80 of
these alley dwellings in May,
1852, and 13 remain. Two of
them have become so deterio-
rated that the District recently
condemned them as unsafe. It
was here that Senator Beall
commented that such places were
an invitation to neighborhood
gangs.
Looking down the alley to the
back of Third street. the Sena-
tors saw a row of houses that
had been condemned and suisse
quently well repaired.
$50 in Last Area.
At the last stop, on Fenton
place NE. the Senators saw an
area where the board expects
to condemn $50 premises. About
half the houses are placarded
and vacant and the other half
are still occupied.
Some of the brick fronts had
been painted and in some re-
pairs were under way. The Sem