Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-13

with than five years, many have remained for
longer periods while at least one who came when the
doors first thrown open is with us still.
1Peope are always asking me if the house pays its
running expenses Yes Now that the property is paid
for and there is mortgage interest, we have small
profit. This is put right back into the house Last
did nearly one hundred rooms, renewed
much of the furniture and put by thousand dollars
toward fund of twenty thousand which will be needed
to install machinery at the end of twenty years.
@Another question that is continually coming to me
is if the Franklin Square House is a philanthropy.
Only in much the purchase of the property. The
guests pay their way and pay for what they get but
the time they get great deal for what they
pay Probably most of the girls here feel as do the
students of Wellesley Radcliffe and other similar nsti
tutions grateful that intelligent philanthropy has pro-
vded advantages that they could not enjoy under pr
vate enterprise while at the time they allowed
to contribute toward these advantages all that they
can afford to pay.
II freely concede that such institutions as the Frank
lin Square House only palliative. But while we
waiting for that farof millennium when every girl
attend school without the need of working her way
through" and every employer shall pay wages ample
that every working girl can have safe and comfortable
living place. let not forget that there thousands
and tens of thousands of girls who must live not on
what they ought to have, but what they can get
Recently the generosity of friend made it possible
for the corporation to purchase the property the
Of Washington street. That gives the entire
block facing Franklin Square. This spring expect to
begin addition sufficiently large double the capacity
of the house. We aim to have this addition contain
principally single The greatest demand is for
low-priced single rooms, and planning to meet
it far possible. Our will be ten stories high,
with roof garden freproof, of course. Though the
halls will not be wide the large in the
old house, they will be thoroughly comfortable, SAM
tary, and slightly
MANY Of the unique features in the management of
- the Franklin Square House are due to the inven
ton and kindly understanding of Miss Castne c.
Swanson, the director superintendent -Four years
ago. before she had passed her twentyfth birthday,
Miss Swanson came the house assistant superin-
tendent Though she found considerable number of
vacant rooms, applicants had to be turned away be-
they could not afford to pay for such expensive
quarters Realizing that it would be unfair to let large
rooms with two windows for the price charged
for small with window, the young assistant
superintendent set to work to solve the problem.
The result is that now rooms are all let accord
ing to the salary income of the applicant.
A girl earning than ten dollars week is not
given of the lowestpriced rooms. Those are re-
served for lower-paid wage earners. This plan for
allotting has proved satisfactory that similar
hotels all over the world have adopted it.
The next problem Miss Swanson attacked that
of the employees of the Franklin Square House. 1t
seemed unehca her to look for the comfort and
well being of the employees of other people, while neg
lecting those at home. After few months she man.
aged to get large parlor furnished in which chamber
maids Mattresses and other help receive their visitors.
She also had the library opened to them on the same
guests Of the house. Next she established the
rule of giving them half of each national holiday. On
these days guests asked to volunteer in serving tea
This arrangement has not only pleased the help but
has to be looked upon social opportunity by
the guests
All sorts of calamites predicted for the house
three years ago wen because of the resignation of the
superintendent, Miss Swanson left in full charge
She had just passed her wentyfth birthday and those